Essay On Gar And Dr. Cedric Elton In The Yellow Pill

Is he Gar Castle or is he Dr. Cedric Elton? The question is at the heart of a debate when two men differ in their perception of reality. In Rog Phillips’ “The Yellow Pill” Jerry Bocek is convinced that his friend Gar has lost his touch with reality, but it is possible that Jerry is the one who is insane; it the story’s setting that determines the reality of the situation: Earth/space.

In both Realities Jerry does not come off as a very dangerous person, he is a very calm person throughout the entire story. The way that Jerry speaks throughout the story is not threatening in any way, even to the point of both of them laughing together about each others realities. Jerry seems to be quite polite in the story, he gives good points such as Gar (Dr. Cedric Elton)

Gar (Dr.

Cedric Elton) seems to be a very arrogant and stubborn person. Gar (Dr. Cedric Elton) calls himself a “world famous” psychiatrist, and is very adamant about his statement. Gar (Dr. Cedric Elton) has told the policemen to hit Jerry multiple times but the way jerry keeps talking while in Gars (Dr. Cedric Elton) imagination he is still recovering from the blow. Also Gar (Dr. Cedric Elton) seems to be trying to prove that he is right at all costs and not trying to see Jerry’s side of the story whatsoever.

Gar begins to wonder how Jerry knew about the yellow pills they had, which then Gar begins to doubt himself. Gar is genuinely afraid that Jerry is right, but Gar tried to ignore those thoughts until now. “You’re afraid you might wake up in a spaceship?” Helena said, ginning. “Maybe I am,” Gar said. Gar is genuinely afraid that he might wake up on a spaceship and is still contemplating taking the pill. Jerry describes Gars desks as all metal with a gray finish, which near the end of the story when Gar is in the space reality is exactly what was

described.
Helena throughout the story is a very weird character. Gar has romanticized someone he has met and in his mind is his receptionist, Gar has thought up this character to fill a void of something, maybe gar feels lonely and created this character to counter that. After Helena denies Gars advance to go to dinner she magically says she has loved him forever. Near the end, Gar says “Tell me, Helena, he said gently.” Did you know all the time you were only a creature of my imagination? The only reason I want you to know is-.” Then Gar realizes she isn't there anymore.
This entire story had taken place in space and Gar was going through his own kind of space madness. There were many small clues such as, Jerry was not a threatening person and his “earth” was a very romanticized version were everything seemed to be in his favor, with Helena randomly saying that she loved him all this time. Which also seemed to have come at the exact moments that they should have in his mind. Yet you could say that Jerry is the one who is insane, yes he was able to describe the office of Dr. Cedric Elton, but in the beginning Jerry says they are old friends and while Jerry and Gar are describing things Jerry is able to tell Gar his phone number.
Space or earth, both can be argued but space is more prevalent throughout the entirety of the story. Things like, Jerry knowing Helena and Gar’s number were some large factors for the story taking place in space. Also when Helena disappears it showed that Gar had been playing through something of his own in his mind.