The End of Neuromancer

The end of Neuromancer answers a few questions, but leaves the reader wondering about many different aspects of the story. Case is able to communicate with Linda Lee again, a girl who is supposed to have passed away. He meets Neuromancer and discovers that this AI complemented Wintermute in that Neuromancer was personality and Wintermute was the decision maker. The author sums up the technology versus human debate in describing how Wintermute was programmed to attempt to achieve freedom and merge with Neuromancer. This demonstrates to the reader that Wintermute never was working upon its own free will, rather was following the innate coding within its programming thereby explaining his analogy of his actions to a that of salmon swimming up stream.

In regard to the relationships in Case's life, we learn which is true and which is simply convenient. Neuromancer, the AI of personality, reveals to Case that his last line of defense was his use of Linda Lee on the beach in an attempt to tempt Case to stay there and live out the rest of his life in a dream. However, Case believed it was not real and therefor walked away from it, despite his strong desire to stay with Linda due to their shared love. Upon completing the task assigned, Molly leaves Case a note with a shurikan and that is the last he ever hears of her. This demonstrates that the relationship between Case and her was due to a need of companionship and lust, nothing more.

Some things are left unknown to the reader throughout the book and after it ends. One such thing is why Wintermute would be programmed to desire to grow, is the combination of Wintermute and Neuromancer desired? Such questions would illuminate the reasoning behind the plot of the novel. Furthermore, it is never explained if Neuromancer's beach scene was real in that Linda Lee was human or a concoction.

Love vs. Lust: Themes in Neuromancer

The most interesting framework to me throughout this novel so far is Case’s relationship with Linda in comparison to Molly, which is love versus lust. Although he has a sexual relationship with Molly, whenever true emotions come into play regarding women, he flashes on Linda. Such is the case on page 114 where he goes into an arcade in Ninsei and finds Linda and gives her a kiss. The fact that he kisses her is significant in that it is a sensual action rather than lustful. The passage ends with him snapping out of the vision: “I had a cigarette, a girl, and a place to sleep” (115). He can have a cigarette, a girl and a place to sleep any night with Molly but when its with Linda, it’s a different story. He seems to appreciate it significantly more. The difference is demonstrated on page 121 where he is laying in bed, this time with Molly, while smoking a cigarette. But rather than appreciating the moment, he lays there wondering if Deane killed Linda and upon deciding to go to sleep he: “stubbed the Yeheyuan out in a bedside ashtray after his third puff, rolled away from Molly, and tried to sleep” (121). If he were with Linda, he would have enjoyed the cigarette and probably curled up next to her upon trying to sleep rather than turning away. Such subtle body movements demonstrate to the reader the significant difference in his relationship with Linda (love) and his relationship with Molly (lust).