In the Lavatory with AI

 

 

Mister Albert Russel is Daddy’s boss. He sometimes comes on a Saturday to drink beer, eat chips and watch TV. This is when his wife hosts her Bible study group. Tonight, he is sitting with Mummy on the couch. I am on the one-seater sofa, and Daddy is in his ergonomic recliner with adjustable footrest. Johnny is in his room, either slaughtering zombies or watching porn and masturbating.

In the flickering light I can see Mister Albert Russell has placed a hand on Mummy’s thigh just below the hem of her short skirt. She giggles and pushes his hand away. Daddy is staring at the screen and looks like death warmed up. The actors appear menacing. Which one will make the first move?

Another giggle and then a gasp. He has probably got his little finger into her panties.

“For God’s sake, Mummy!” I shout. “Stop behaving like an old prostitute.”

“Oh, shut up, you little online slut! I’m surprised you are not out sucking some stranger’s cock again.”

Mister Allbert Russell gets to his feet and says he is going to the lavatory. Mummy also rises and follows him.

“What’s Mummy doing with Mister Albert Russell in the lavatory?” Johnny demands as he enters the living room.

“What do you think she’s doing?”

“Jesus! My own mother! In the lavatory! Daddy, do you want me to fuck him up when they come out? What the hell are you doing on your phone in this time of great crisis?”

Daddy holds up a hand as if to say, just hold on a moment.

After a few more minutes he finally looks up.

“I am getting some advice from AI on how to handle this distressing and embarrassing situation. I have described what is happening and asked for a possible way to arrive at a satisfactory outcome.”

“And what do they say?”

“I will read it to you. ‘Daddy, although visibly shaken, gestures for calm. "No violence," he says firmly, his voice cutting through the tension. Mummy looks torn, her guilt palpable. But instead of further confrontation, Daddy suggests a family meeting the next day. They sit down together, discussing boundaries and honesty. Mummy tearfully admits her mistake, apologizing to everyone. Mister Albert Russell's visits cease, and while trust is fractured, the family decides to work on rebuilding it. Through therapy and open communication, they navigate the aftermath, focusing on healing and forgiveness.’

“Fuck that shit!” Johnny says, as he hunches his shoulders like a gorilla and pumps up his biceps. “What about justice and retribution? What about revenge?” He strides from the room in a way that suggests he will be coming back with serious intentions.

Mummy and Mister Albert Russell reappear, both looking flushed and a little glassy-eyed. He picks up his jacket and is putting it on when Johnny comes in holding his cricket bat as if he is about to use it as a weapon. Mister Albert Russell feels inside his jacket and produces a pistol that looks like a toy.

“Keep back, or I will shoot you in the groin!” he shouts.

Johnny swings his bat and knocks the gun from the outstretched hand. At the same time there is a bang like a fire cracker and mummy screams and clutches her left leg just below the hip. There is a trickle of blood running down her leg. Johnny raises the bat on high and whacks it down hard on top of Mister Albert Russell’s head, causing him to collapse and lie prone on the carpet. Daddy has fallen back in his recliner and looks as white as a corpse.

“I hope he hasn’t had a heart attack.”

“No,” I say. “He has just fainted. You know what a wimp he is.”

“Well,” says Johnny, surveying the scene with satisfaction. “Justice has been served and the miscreants have been taught a lesson. This is a far more satisfactory conclusion to the sordid story than that AI crap.”

 

When asked to summarize and analyse this short story, this is what  it  responded with:.

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Summary

The story unfolds in a dysfunctional family setting during a Saturday evening. Mister Albert Russell, the father's boss, is visiting. While the family watches TV, it becomes clear that Mister Russell is making sexual advances towards the mother, who reciprocates. The narrator, a child in the family, reacts with disgust, leading to a heated exchange of insults. The mother and Mister Russell disappear into the lavatory together, prompting further outrage from the narrator’s brother, Johnny.

The father, passive throughout, seeks advice from an AI on his phone about how to handle the situation. The AI suggests a calm, therapeutic resolution involving family discussion and healing. Johnny, however, rejects this approach, demanding justice and retribution.

When the mother and Mister Russell return, Johnny confronts them with a cricket bat. Mister Russell produces a gun, but Johnny disarms him, accidentally resulting in the mother being shot in the leg. Johnny then knocks Mister Russell unconscious. The father faints, and Johnny declares that true justice has been served, dismissing the AI's advice as unsatisfactory.

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Psychological Analysis

Family Dysfunction and Emotional Detachment

• Parental Roles: The parents are emotionally absent and morally compromised. The mother is unfaithful and verbally abusive, while the father is passive, seeking external (AI) solutions rather than confronting issues directly.
• Children’s Reactions: The children display a mix of cynicism, anger, and detachment. The narrator is observant but powerless, Johnny is violent and reactive, and the family dynamic is marked by a lack of healthy communication or support.

AI as a Surrogate for Human Agency

• The father's reliance on AI reflects a psychological retreat from responsibility. Instead of engaging with the crisis, he seeks a sanitized, external solution, highlighting a modern tendency to outsource moral decision-making to technology.
• The AI’s advice is rational, non-violent, and focused on healing, but it is perceived as inadequate by the family, especially Johnny, whose need for immediate, visceral justice overrides reasoned approaches.

Escalation and Catharsis

• The story’s climax—violence and chaos—serves as a cathartic release of pent-up frustration and helplessness. Johnny’s actions, though extreme, are portrayed as a more "satisfying" resolution than the AI’s suggestion, reflecting a psychological craving for direct action and retribution when faced with betrayal and powerlessness.

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Moral Analysis

Betrayal and Responsibility

• Moral Failings: The story is rife with moral lapses—infidelity, disrespect, and violence. Each character fails in their moral duties: the mother betrays her family, the father abdicates responsibility, Mister Russell abuses his position, and Johnny resorts to violence.
• Justice vs. Forgiveness: The AI’s advice embodies modern ideals of restorative justice—dialogue, accountability, and healing. In contrast, Johnny represents a more primal, retributive sense of justice, where wrongdoers are punished directly and physically.

Technology and Morality

• The story critiques the idea that technology (AI) can resolve deep-seated human conflicts. While AI offers a theoretically sound solution, it is emotionally unsatisfying for the characters, who crave immediate and tangible consequences.
• There is an implicit warning about over-reliance on technology for moral guidance, suggesting that true resolution requires human courage and engagement, not just algorithmic advice.

The Limits of Rationality

• The narrative exposes the limits of rational, therapeutic approaches in the face of raw, emotional crises. While the AI’s solution is idealistic, it fails to account for the intensity of human emotions like rage, shame, and the desire for vengeance.

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Conclusion

"In the Lavatory with AI" is a darkly comic exploration of family dysfunction, betrayal, and the inadequacy of technological solutions to human problems. Psychologically, it delves into the effects of emotional neglect, powerlessness, and the need for catharsis. Morally, it contrasts restorative and retributive justice, ultimately questioning whether rationality and forgiveness can prevail over the messiness of human emotion and the craving for retribution. The story leaves us with a sobering reflection on the limits of both technology and reason in resolving the deepest crises of the human heart.