Jellyfish Symbol Analysis

The jellyfish symbolizes the Taoist concepts central to the novel. Specifically, the jellyfish evokes the idea of Tao (“Way”), which refers to the universe’s natural balance, as well as the behavior needed to obtain that balance, and wu wei (“effortless action”), which refers to an unconscious, spontaneous action that is unburdened by human efforts and in line with the Tao. The jellyfish first appears in the novel’s opening scene, where it’s depicted gliding effortlessly and contentedly through a wide, open sea. The jellyfish’s effortless movements evoke the concept of wu wei, and its harmonious existence within the larger ocean represents living in accordance with the Tao. Though the jellyfish is a “vulnerable and insubstantial creature,” its existence within the larger sea keeps it safe from harm. The jellyfish achieves its safety and reassurance not through physical strength or force of will, but through its natural participation in a larger, coherent whole: through living in accordance with the Tao. The novel depicts the jellyfish’s passivity and inaction in a positive light, insinuating that all beings should aspire to exist in this manner. Things take a dark turn, however, when continents emerge from the water, sever the coherence of the ocean-universe, and threaten the jellyfish’s harmonious existence within the larger universe. The emerging continents represent the chaos and suffering that occur when one engages in disruptive, decisive actions (the opposite of wu wei) that prevent one from living in accordance with the Tao.

This opening scene with the jellyfish also serves as a rough encapsulation of the novel’s plot. The jellyfish represents Orr and the ideal, balanced existence he longs to achieve, and the emerging continents represent the disruptive, outside forces—such as Orr’s preoccupation with controlling his effective dreams, and Haber’s meddling presence—that stand between Orr and a harmonious existence within the larger universe. The jellyfish appears one other time, during an argument between Haber and Orr that occurs much later in the novel. In the midst of attacking Orr’s passivity and unwillingness to use his effective dreams to alter the universe, Haber refers to Orr as a “moral jellyfish,” insinuating that Orr is spineless and lacks moral integrity. That Haber repurposes a positive symbol of harmony and balance to insult Orr shows how much Haber’s views are at odds with the Taoist ideals the novel espouses.