There was a beauty in the trash of the alleys which I had never noticed before; my vision seemed sharpened, rather than impaired. As I walked along it seemed to me that the flattened beer cans and papers and weeds and junk mail had been arranged by the wind into patterns; these patterns, when I scrutinized them, lay distributed so as to comprise a visual language.
by Philip K. Dick
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In Philip K. Dick's "Radio Free Albemuth," the narrator experiences a profound shift in perception as he observes the overlooked beauty in the discarded items of the streets. What once seemed like mere trash transforms into an artful arrangement, revealing a deeper connection to the environment. This shift in perspective allows him to see the visual poetry in the flattened beer cans, papers, and other debris, suggesting that beauty can be found in the most unexpected places.

This moment of clarity illustrates how one's viewpoint can alter reality and highlights the interconnectedness of all things, even trash. The narrator's sharpened vision enables him to perceive a "visual language" spoken through the chaos of urban life. Through this experience, Dick invites readers to reconsider their everyday surroundings and recognize the potential for beauty that exists within them, urging us to look closer and find meaning in the mundane.

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January 24, 2025

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