The cyclical, spore-induced infection of the Cameroonian stink aunt, as described in Lawrence Weschler’s Mr. Wilson’s Cabinet of Wonder, primarily affects its brain. The aunt begins an “arduous climb up the stalks of vines and ferns” (Weschler, 3) to a “seemingly prescribed height.” Weschler creates a parallel between this cyclical infection and the “expected path” recurrently forced upon the youth of America by their parents. Just as the ant involuntarily begins its climb due to an infection, America’s youth are expected, from a young age, to be social, do well in school, achieve exemplary scores on standardized testing, participate in multiple extracurriculars, and on and on. The sad truth is, this is the system, and those who don’t, at the very least, attempt to conquer the above list will “wait to die” (figuratively) even sooner than the time at which they reach their “seemingly prescribed height.” This “height” is another resemblance to American youth: they are being pushed in a predetermined direction by those who do not usually have their best interests at heart. Other connections include, “Memory, for Sonnabend was an illusion,” on page 5. Here, Weschler discusses that life can be a blur. Now, he was an amnesiac, so his memories fall into a specific category, but the constant “go, go, go” mentality driven upon our youth creates a lack of genuine thought--and, unfortunately, a lack of need for genuine thought. Lastly, on page 7, Weschler references a “small demon” that can cut through inanimate objects, including a “child’s outstretched arm.”
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