The Invention of Morel, Sleep Dealer, or “The Machine Stops” might work especially well. (The fact that the “original” and the hyperreal “performance body” in Black Mirror, 15 Million Merits are both flesh-and-blood deliciously complicates such issues.) How does virtuality affect the experience of nature and the notion of physical travel? (For example, think of Vashti’s dread of locomotion and open spaces in “The Machine Stops” compared to her son’s measuring the world with his feet). What happens to physically embodied relationships and relationships with nature in this text due to the pervasiveness of the virtual—and what toll is taken on the physical body when virtuality dominates?
Holloway, Nicholas ENGL 203, Section 512 Dr. Cooper 02/27/2014 Humanistic Mutualism: Bloodchild From an Amateur Ecologist's Point of View Octavia Butler details a futuristic society in her short story “Bloodchild”, where “Terran” and “Tlic” coexist in a world that is described much like our own, in that there is political activism, legislation, unrest, and even economic development. The story gives an account of the gruesome way in which the Tlic reproduce, using the Terran's bodies as breeding grounds to harvest their young at the proper time of development. Many modern ideals have been applied to the story; some say that the idea of slavery is prevalent, others comment that the story serves as a representation of the political unrest in the U.S. today in relation to gun control, rights of one's own body etc. However, none of these ideas shed any light on the physical relationship that the Terran and the Tlic share. From a very basic and natural level, the relationship that the two beings share can best be described as an “obligate symbiotic relationship” derived from mutualism, in which “both the organisms benefit from the relationship”, but one must live on or near the other in order to maintain life (Smith & Smith Ecology and Field Biology).
Consequently, the nature of humanity and scientific progress are reflected through literary and filmic techniques, addressing the exploitation of mankind’s progress and ultimately questioning what it means to be human. By reflecting on their respective social and technological milieus, Shelley and Scott depict the detrimental repercussions of artificial construction through the parallels in ‘Frankenstein’ and ‘Blade Runner.’ In particular, the turn of the 19th century saw the fascination with Galvanism, regarding the animation of animal tissue through electricity, inciting Shelley to confront this ideology based on a ‘life force’ that would infuse life in an inanimate object. Through the first person perspective, responders are exposed to Victor Frankenstein’s obsessive behaviour in overcoming the metaphysical boundaries of ‘life principles’. Thus, by metaphorically ‘pursuing nature in all her hiding places’, Shelley questions the implications of synthetic formation through her use of a contemplative tone in acknowledging the ‘astonishing power placed within [his] hands…and the manner in which I should employ it’. She answers this through her
Frankenstein depicts the ambition to use science to usurp God, influenced by the eighteenth century Enlightenment movement (encouraging reasoning to understand the universe), advancements in science in the nineteenth century and the concept of restoration of life through electricity, known as 'galvanism'. Shelley's social context was focused on knowledge and self glory - concepts Shelley opposed. Frankenstein is a didactic warning against growing dependence on science. It highlights consequences of over-reliance on technology, suggesting attempts to usurp God will result in outcomes beyond human control. The Gothic genre allows the purpose to reach the audience.
yThroughout the exploration of the module “Texts in Time”, we observe the connections between texts and their reflections of the constancy in human nature, whilst shifting contextual perspectives are maintained. Such a connection is demonstrated in Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel “Frankenstein” (F/stein) and Scott Ridley’s 1991 film “Bladerunner”, where both composers present a cautionary tale, warning us of the implications of science and technological advances on humanity and thus reflecting their own fears in their respective contextual eras. It is through the analysis of such values and implications that we can see the constancy of human nature throughout time. Frankenstein is a gothic inspired, fragmented epistolary, reflecting the rebellion of the Romantic Movement, which advocated the power of imagination, and ones relationship to nature. The gothic convention of sublime nature is represented thematically, through forces of good and evil leading to vengeance and murder, as well as macabre settings of graveyards and charnel houses.
TMA02 Part 1 “What do psychologists mean by ‘theory of mind’? Discuss the claim that theory of mind is an evolved adaptation” Evolutionary psychologists seek the meaning of humanness and what makes us so different from other species. Investigations of evolutionary processes and adaptation that effect each other, lead researchers to the 'theory of mind' which is the ability to comprehend and predict the action and feelings of others. Evidence discussed in this essay will show that investigations and data raised the claim that the theory of mind is an evolved adaptation. However the unreliability of the results makes the claim an ongoing discussion and an open debate.
“Humanity’s capacity for good and evil, to be civilized or savage”- After reading the novel “The Lord of the Flies”, my opinion about civilization and savagery was challenged and I wanted to study the concept of ‘good vs evil’ within fellow human beings. If Golding’s purpose was to show us that everyone has the capacity for good or evil, how can society stop civilization from turning savage? I also wanted to understand why humanity chooses to be good or evil, and we see this unfold in the Lord of the Flies, with the boys’ need for civilization. There are many different opinions about how and why humanity chooses to be good or evil. In an article by EAM he states that ‘what people believe to be the nature of humans to be is a very personal belief.
Identity is based on the individual characteristics by which a thing or person is recognised or known, and is impacted by various factors including human connections and the environment. A disruption of these stable elements ultimately fuels the loss of identity. Mary Shelly’s Romantic novel Frankenstein (1818) and Ridley Scott’s science fiction film Blade Runner (1992) demonstrate how a more profound and sophisticated understanding of disruption and identity arises from the consideration of the parallels between the two texts. Though Frankenstein and Blade Runner differ in context, they draw on similar philosophical and societal values of their time to simultaneously extrapolate the twofold themes of The Human Experience; what it means to be human, and the dangers of disrupting the natural order through technological advancements. Thus the linking premise is that dehumanisation or a loss of identity results once nature has been disrupted, and humanity becomes subservient to technology and scientific advancement.
'Gattaca' is a movie that is directed by Andrew Niccol and stars Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman. It displays a futuristic world in which people are separated into two groups 'valid' and 'invalids'. The movie is mainly concerned with genetic engineering and as a result raises many ethical questions for the viewer to ponder. These ethical issues include discriminating people because of their genes, the social hierarchy that is formed through this selection process and raises the question of what does it mean to be human in this futuristic world. The movie delineates issues about genetic discrimination.
“Labour” and “consummation” reveal the sexual nature of the experiment, suggesting that his repressed sexual feelings are manifesting in the form of the “Creature”. By relating consummation to scientific progress rather than sex, one might ascertain that Victor may portray an innate fear of his own sexuality. The creation of the Monster is not the only process by which we gain knowledge of Victor’s sexual frustrations. Earlier in the story, we learn of his mother’s death while tending to his stepsister Elizabeth. Perhaps,