ger necessary. This notion suggests that the creation of a game and of the people would eventually take on a life of their own:Perhaps Coover wishes to suggest that the autonomy of the creative fantasy, how once the artist creates, the child of his imagination takes on its own identity and serves others in totally new terms (Gordon 45-46).When Henry first created the league his presence was needed in order to make it work, yet as time passed the characters grew a history, had children and made a life for themselves. By the time the league reach the year CLVII, Henrys "child," the Association and its characters, no longer needed him to provide their identities. The league, created by Henry over a hundred years before, has evolved to a life of its own; the players, managers and spectators can think for themselves and have taken control of their own destiny as opposed to Henry and his dice controlling it. The possibility remains that Henry neither merged with his players nor left it to its own identity; his insanity drove him over the edge and the league into a chaotic mess.Henry flirted along the line of insanity throughout the first seven chapters of the novel. His perception of reality and make-believe becoming increasingly distorted. When reintroduced a hundred years later, things in the league seem a great deal less organized than when Henry left off. Hardy, the player who taking over Damons role explains how the players cant be sure of the events that are unfolding; they cannot be sure whether the history they know to be true actually holds true, if "[Damon] Rutherford and [Jock] Casey [ever] existed" (Coover 224). The players cannot be sure whether their history really existed or if it stems from legend and myth. The presence of this uncertainty causes confusion and chaos among the players; why must they participate in "The Parable of the Dual" and what will happen to them? Henrys progressively increasing level of insanity ...
