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theotherhand,theconfrontationwiththeKmateriality”ofthegirl’s
bodybymeansofcorporealcontactforcestheKtruth”oftheenjoying/
torturingmasterintotheopen–thereisnotruthhere,inthesense
ofamessage:toKtruthfully”answerthequestionoftheMagistrate
(Kwhatdoyoufeeltowardsthemenwhodidthis[orevenbetter:
whatdidyoufeelł]”?),theanswerwouldhavetobethescreamof
paininwhichtheinteriority(Kfeelings”thatwehaveKdeepdown”)
wouldbecompletelyevacuatedoutsideintotherendingsoundleav-
ingnothingremaininginside.Inthiscontext,thecrueljokeinvented
byoneofthespectatorsoftheMagistrate’storturelaterinthenovel:
KThatisbarbarianlanguageyouhear”(121),describinghisscreams
ofpain,unexpectedlyhitsthemark:hisscreamingisbarbarianlan-
guageifweunderstanditasthemediuminwhichthebarbarian
truth(of/abouttheEmpire)istold.
ThisispreciselythelessonofJoll:alltheconfessionshissearch
fortruthproduces,ifweapproachthemonthesubstantiallevel(of
meaning),arefabricationsproducedbythevictimstosatisfyhisde-
mand.Butwhenwetakeadifferentperspective,itwillturnout
thattheappearanceoftruthcorrespondspreciselytotheaphanisis
(erasure)ofthesubjectandtheappearanceofthisparadoxicalob-
ject/non-objectpainKwhichremainsstuckinthegulletofthesigni-
fier”asascream.Therefore,ontheonehand,wehavetheactivity
thattheMagistratetakesupinordertoexpiatehisguilt(withall
itsChristianconnotationsofwashingfeet,etc.),thatis,toexorcise
obsceneenjoyment(ofJoll)fromtheLawwhoserepresentativeheis
bymeansofsacrificinghiselevatedstatustoplugupthecrackin
theOther11throughwhichjouissanceseepsinandunderminesthe
Kobjectivity”ofLaw.Yet,ontheotherhand,bypostulatingthatthe
truthhastobeexcavatedfromthesignsleftbyJoll(thetruthof
whatitistobehuman,whatitmeanstobehurt),heplaceshimself
preciselyinthepositionofJoll(ofwhichheispartlyaware12),whois
awhimsicalmastersupposedlydemandingmeaning(KTellmewhat
youbarbariansareplanningagainstus”).However,whatJollreally
demandsisultimatelynotamessageexpressedinwordsbutthe
meaningofwhatitistobethemasterhimself,thatis,simplyfixing
himinthepositionofabsolutedomination(hisvictimwillultimately
tellhimanythinghedemands).
11
The(big)OtheristheLacaniantermforthesymbolicorder:therealmof
signifiersandtheLaw.
12
KIsthishowhertorturersfelthuntingtheirsecret,whatevertheythoughtit
was?ForthefirsttimeIfeeladrypityforthem:hownaturalamistaketobelieve
thatyoucanburnortearorhackyourwayintothesecretbodyoftheother!”(43).
~25~
