The Chaos Behind Pulp Fiction

By: James Chung

Quentin Tarantinos Pulp Fiction depicts the lives of a boxer, two mobsters, their boss
and his wife, and how their lives intersect in an unpredictable tale of vengeance and redemption.
This piece is often considered a prime example of a stylistically post-modern film, with its use
of non-chronological story telling that pays homage to countless older films presented in a
heavily stylized manner (Ruggiero). The film also espouses the philosophy of post-modernism,
which at its core is what French philosopher Jean-Franois Lyotard described in his book, The
Postmodern Condition, as an, incredulity towards meta-narratives(Lyotard). Tarantino
employs novel cinematic techniques as well as a plot where characters thrive under the chaotic
conditions to illustrate the values behind postmodernist thought. In this sense, Pulp Fiction
demonstrates skepticism towards the notion of fate and objective truth through the principles of
unpredictability and the butterfly effect, which is predicated by the chaos theory.
The Saylor Foundations Literary Analysis course asserts that postmodern [films] such
as Tarantinos Pulp Fictiondemonstrate a conscious awareness and explore the
ramifications of the notions concerning the ultimate structures of and forces behind reality,
which chaos theory posits (Saylor). Throughout the film, Tarantino evinces skepticism towards
the existence of an objective truth. This is indicated early on by Vincents suspicion towards
Jules claim of divine intervention after the duo narrowly dodges a violent death in Bretts
apartment. In this sequence, Jules belief in an objective truth is signified by his belief in a fate

guided by a higher power, while Vincent cynically responds with, chill the
fuck out, Jules, this shit happens (Tarantino, Pulp Fiction). Through this, he demonstrates
principles behind the chaos theory, which postulates that minute changes in initial states can
cause large differences in outcomes. This pattern, called the butterfly effect, comes from an
observation by scientist Edward Lorenz, whose study on computer generated weather models
came to the realization that changes in a system that are as insignificant as a butterfly flapping
its wings in one hemisphere may eventually cause a hurricane in another hemisphere (MIT).
Because seemingly negligible variables have a significant effect on outcomes, there is a large
degree of unpredictability in a chaotic system.
Tarantino uses his chronologically non -linear story telling in order to show how things
that may seem to be a result of fate can be traced back in terms of cause and effect, although
these events may have been almost completely unpredictable otherwise. Towards the end of the
movie, the film jumps back to the Bretts apartment scene, where a visibly disturbed man is
hiding in the bathroom. The viewer watches his reaction as Vincent and Jules execute his
partners. In the initial scene that is from Vincent and Jules perspectives, the man jumps out and
shoots at the duo, but there is no way to gauge why the man would have missed his bullets. As a
result, Jules argues that the bullets missed due to divine intervention. The scene that shows the
hidden mans reaction, however, shows how unsettled the man is and his shaking hands explain
possibly why the shots were missed. Tarantino presents a scene, allows the viewer and characters
involved to make assumptions based on imperfect knowledge and then reveals some more
information later on in a non-chronological manner.

The narrative behind the golden watch also illustrates the chaotic nature of reality. The
story of the origin of the watch itself is a part of a strange and unlikely tale of heroism and
sacrifice. The sequence that follows Butchs rigged fight, however, shows how a moment of
absent-mindedness by the character Fabienne triggers a series of very unfortunate events. In
this scene, Fabienne forgets the golden watch at Butchs apartment and Butch realizes that he
must make it back to his apartment to retrieve the precious watch. He is weary of facing
mobsters in his apartment so he treads lightly by parking his car somewhere away from his
apartment and taking a back route. He retrieves the watch, but soon realizes that he is not alone
in his apartment and ends up shooting Vincent, who happened to be in the bathroom.
Afterwards, on his way back to meet with Fabienne, he ends up seeing Marcellus Wallace, who
happened to be on his way back from getting doughnuts. The two get into a scuffle and it just
so happens that the store that Butch chooses to take refuge in is also home to a secret
underground rape dungeon, which leads to Butchs eventual, and otherwise unlikely, freedom.
Butchs attempts to exercise agency are in vain as its clear that he is at the mercy of the
chaotic system. Looking at these scenes in reverse chronological order allows us to determine
the nature of cause and effect in this sequence. Butch rides to freedom on Zeds bike because
Zed was called over by the storeowner, but this would have never happened had Butch and
Wallace not scuffled into the store. Butch would also not have been able to redeem himself from
Wallace had Zed chosen Butch to rape first, as Butchs fate would have been left up to Wallace.
The store would not have been involved had the two not seen each other in that particular
intersection, which would have been avoided had Wallace taken more time to order doughnuts

or didnt order doughnuts at all. Butchs story arc

could have ended even sooner had he arrived a few minutes earlier or later to his apartment and
Vincent was out of the bathroom and ready to shoot. Whats more is that this whole sequence
could have been avoided in its entirety had Fabienne spent an extra second to grab the watch
before she packed up her belongings. There are literally countless variables that could have
changed the entire course of events in these scenes, and Tarantino expertly illustrates the chaotic
nature of reality and the way in which very minor changes in initial conditions can change
outcomes.
Even in the face of a chaotic system, there is a sort of postmodern uncertainty as to
whether everything is truly deterministic or if there is some sort of fate involved. The dichotomy
between fate and chaos is demonstrated in the interaction between Vincent and Jules in the scene
where Vincent accidentally shoots Marvin in the back of Jules car. Vincent reacts to Jules
bewilderment by saying, look, I didn't mean to shoot this son-ofa-bitch, the gun just went off,
don't ask me how (Tarantino, Pulp Fiction ). Jules, who represents the belief in fate and truth,
sees this as a sort of meaningful event, but Vincents reaction would posit that he believes he is
part of a chaotic system where outcomes are out of his own control. Vincent is a determinist,
who looks to some rational explanation for this event, saying that Jules must have, hit a bump
or somethin' and the gun went off (Tarantino, Pulp Fiction). Whatever it was that caused the
shooting would trigger a series of events that would ultimately lead to the duo ending up in the
diner scene, which both opens and closes the film. The lack of consensus between Jules and
Vincent demonstrates the uncertainty of the existence of an objective truth, which is central to

postmodernist thinking.
As a seminal postmodern classic, Pulp Fiction espouses beliefs that fall contrary to
traditional views on truth and morality. The movie has no clear sense of good and evil and
depictions of mobsters, boxers and thieves, which are typically formulaic and clichd in pop
culture are stripped away. The protagonists are murderers and drug addicts, but are portrayed
sympathetically through blurred moral lines. Moreover, the assumption that an objective truth
exists is shattered and is replaced by chaos. In doing so, skepticism towards a meta-narrative is
established. Perhaps it was fated that Vincent would die and Butch would be redeemed, or
maybe, it's a freak, but it happens (Tarantino, Pulp Fiction).
Works Cited

"Chaos Theory as Literary Theory." ENGL301. Saylor Foundation, n.d. Web. Dec. 2013.
"Edward Lorenz, Father of Chaos Theory and Butterfly Effect, Dies at 90." MIT's News Office. N.p.,
30 Apr. 2008. Web. Dec. 2013.
Lyotard, Jean-Franois. The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge. Minneapolis: University
of Minnesota, 1984. Print.
Pulp Fiction. Dir. Quentin Tarantino. By Quentin Tarantino. Prod. Lawrence Bender. Perf. Samuel L.
Jackson and Uma Thurman. Miramax, 1995.
Ruggiero, Roberto. "Postmodernity in Pulp Fiction." Postmodernity in Pulp Fiction. N.p., n.d. Web.

Dec. 2013.