Summary
"Praying for Time" posits that a specific series of events, initiated by the purchase and clearing of a Canadian wilderness section by a man named Douglas, will lead to international scientific collaboration and a decrease in global war tension. This process begins with the discovery of anthropological remains, prompting experts from various nations to converge, fostering personal connections that bypass governmental oversight. The book emphasizes that a critical alteration in international relations hinges on this specific chain of events, suggesting that a "younger Douglas" capable of taking decisive action is essential for its initiation.
The narrative also explores themes of individual psychological escape from reality, as seen in Ed Fletcher's "protective psychotic fit" and his subsequent attempt to rationalize his experience as overwork-induced hallucination. His wife, Ruth, urges him to return and confront his fears to prove the reality of his experience, highlighting a tension between internal perception and external validation. A separate, allegorical passage introduces a "Clerk" who fails to initiate a crucial "summons time," resulting in an unknown and potentially dire outcome, underscoring the fragility of predetermined events and the consequences of failure.
Key concepts
- Anthropological Remains — Pre-existing artifacts placed in a Canadian wilderness area, their discovery intended to trigger international scientific cooperation.
- Sector Board — A "web of detailed sections, a network of squares and ruled lines" managed by an "Old Man" for the "good of all," representing a system of control or planning.
- Protective Psychotic Fit — Ed Fletcher's term for his dissociative experience, a retreat from reality triggered by fear and an inability to face his employer.
- Summons Time — A specific temporal point that, if missed by a dog (acting as a herald), prevents the arrival of "A Friend with a Car" and invites an unknown, potentially negative, consequence.
- War Tension Waning — A predicted outcome of international scientific cooperation, suggesting a reduction in global conflict.
From the book
Title: "Praying for Time" by George Michael← Adjustment Team ( 1954 ) by Philip K. Dick → related portals : Science fiction , Thriller First published in the September-October 1954 issue of Orbit Science Fiction ; it was adapted in 2011 into the movie The Adjustment Bureau . 638500 Adjustment Team 1954 Philip K. Dick ADJUSTMENT TEAM by Philip K. Dick SOMETHING WENT WRONG...AND ED FLETCHER GOT MIXED UP IN THE BIGGEST THING IN HIS LIFE. I t was bright morning. The sun shone down on the damp lawns and sidewalks, reflecting off the sparkling parked cars. The Clerk came walking hurriedly, leafing through his instructions, flipping pages and frowning. He stopped in front of the small green stucco house for a moment, and then turned up the walk, entering the back yard. The dog was asleep…
Popular questions readers ask
- Imagine you need to explain the "Adjustment Team's" purpose and methods to a peer using only this text. How would you describe their core function and what evidence supports your explanation?
- The Clerk's contemptuous tone towards the dog, despite their shared mission, is notable. What does this interaction suggest about the hierarchy and nature of the "Adjustment Team" and its agents, and how might it reflect their perspective on the world they manipulate?
- Ed Fletcher *must* be in Sector T137 before the adjustment, or he "won't be altered to coincide." What does this detail imply about the specific mechanism of the "adjustment" itself, and what might happen if he *were* to miss it?
- The dog's critical task is to "summon" a "Friend with a Car" at a precise time. How does this seemingly ordinary intervention contribute to the "Adjustment Team's" extraordinary goal of altering reality, and what does it suggest about their operational methods?
- Considering the title "Adjustment Team" and the opening line "Something went wrong...AND ED FLETCHER GOT MIXED UP IN THE BIGGEST THING IN HIS LIFE," what central conflict or thematic question does this excerpt immediately establish regarding fate, free will, and external control?