Sunday, March 21, 2004
Research Paper Brainstorming
For my research paper I plan to discuss how each of the movies I am writing on stress a return to an emphasis on individual human accomplishment over the accomplishments of technology. I plan to include most of the material in this blogpost in my final paper. This return is used to signify the power of heart and emotion against the cold efficiency of the machines and technology. Each of the movies has a “chosen one” figure. This “chosen one” leads humanity to victory over the oppression from technology.
In Terminator II the chosen one is John Connor, future leader of the human rebellion against man. In the movie John Connor is only a boy. A machine from the future called a Terminator is sent back in time to protect John Connor from another machine sent by the machines called a T-1000. The Terminator’s sole purpose is to protect John Connor so that he may stay alive to lead a rebellion in the future. John Connor is an almost Christ-like figure. He is prophesized as the savior of mankind and his initials are JC.
The Matrix has a figure similar to John Connor. This figure is Neo. During the day he goes by Thomas A. Anderson, and he works at a respectable computer company from 9 to 5. But when he gets home he becomes the famous computer hacker Neo. He is dissatisfied with his life and looking for the answer to the question “what is the Matrix?” Neo is also searching for Morpheus. Morpheus is one of the most famous hackers in the world. Neo believes that Morpheus will have the answer. It is Morpheus who ends up finding Neo, though. Morpheus tells Neo that he is trapped inside the Matrix. He tells Neo what the Matrix is and that he has the ability to escape. Neo, of course, chooses to escape the Matrix. Once outside the Matrix, Neo begins his training. An assortment of fighting styles is downloaded directly into his brain.
The figure in Equilibrium is John Preston. Preston is a member of the elite Grammaton Cleric police force. It is his job to find and eliminate “Sense Offenders”. Sense offenders are any people that are found to be experiencing emotion or feelings of any kind. Preston is gifted. He is recognized by the highest authorities as one of the best Clerics to ever live. One day he misses his dosage of Prozium and suddenly starts feeling emotions. This single lapse from a perfect record causes him to rethink his life. He stops taking Prozium indefinitely, and starts sympathizing with “Sense Offenders”. He remains a Cleric, and tries to hide the fact that he is feeling emotions. Preston falls in love with a woman that he himself had arrested, and who is sentenced to death. Preston manages to contact a leader of the rebellion, and plans to overthrow the government in place.
In Terminator II the chosen one is John Connor, future leader of the human rebellion against man. In the movie John Connor is only a boy. A machine from the future called a Terminator is sent back in time to protect John Connor from another machine sent by the machines called a T-1000. The Terminator’s sole purpose is to protect John Connor so that he may stay alive to lead a rebellion in the future. John Connor is an almost Christ-like figure. He is prophesized as the savior of mankind and his initials are JC.
The Matrix has a figure similar to John Connor. This figure is Neo. During the day he goes by Thomas A. Anderson, and he works at a respectable computer company from 9 to 5. But when he gets home he becomes the famous computer hacker Neo. He is dissatisfied with his life and looking for the answer to the question “what is the Matrix?” Neo is also searching for Morpheus. Morpheus is one of the most famous hackers in the world. Neo believes that Morpheus will have the answer. It is Morpheus who ends up finding Neo, though. Morpheus tells Neo that he is trapped inside the Matrix. He tells Neo what the Matrix is and that he has the ability to escape. Neo, of course, chooses to escape the Matrix. Once outside the Matrix, Neo begins his training. An assortment of fighting styles is downloaded directly into his brain.
The figure in Equilibrium is John Preston. Preston is a member of the elite Grammaton Cleric police force. It is his job to find and eliminate “Sense Offenders”. Sense offenders are any people that are found to be experiencing emotion or feelings of any kind. Preston is gifted. He is recognized by the highest authorities as one of the best Clerics to ever live. One day he misses his dosage of Prozium and suddenly starts feeling emotions. This single lapse from a perfect record causes him to rethink his life. He stops taking Prozium indefinitely, and starts sympathizing with “Sense Offenders”. He remains a Cleric, and tries to hide the fact that he is feeling emotions. Preston falls in love with a woman that he himself had arrested, and who is sentenced to death. Preston manages to contact a leader of the rebellion, and plans to overthrow the government in place.
Wednesday, March 17, 2004
Academic Superiority Gone Bad
In class on Monday we discussed for a short while how professors can find ways of expressing their superiority. I mentioned a Chemistry teacher who had a hierarchical rule that students must see three people (A fellow student, their TA, and the head TA) before going to see him. I want to discuss this further in this blog entry. I cannot link to his webpage, not because I am scared he will find out, but because it was a class website for the Fall Semester and it was on WebCT, which makes users log in and once logged in, only shows courses that they are currently taking.
On this website the professor had a clever little image that looked something like this: C3B4Me. This is read as “C Three B Four Me”. Behind this clever mock element is a shining example of academic hierarchy and superiority. The professor has created a hierarchy that makes it almost impossible to ever come in contact with him if you are a student in his class. The possibility that all three of the people he has his students contact before contacting him will not know the answer is very slim. I can understand that he does not want to be overwhelmed with questions that could be easily answered by someone else, but at the same time he gives off the impression that he is far more important than his students and that he does not want to help them or be bothered by them. There are also many professors who not only answer questions for students but also encourage students to ask questions. The professor almost elevates himself to a God-like status, requiring mere mortal freshman to pass through three trials before being allowed to face the Almighty.
I don’t mean to completely bash this professor for I have heard that he is an excellent teacher and very funny, but I do feel that his “see three before me” slogan is absurd. If he limited it to encouraging students to talking to their TA’s first I wouldn’t have so much beef with him, but he must lay down the law for all, and that is where I have a problem.
On this website the professor had a clever little image that looked something like this: C3B4Me. This is read as “C Three B Four Me”. Behind this clever mock element is a shining example of academic hierarchy and superiority. The professor has created a hierarchy that makes it almost impossible to ever come in contact with him if you are a student in his class. The possibility that all three of the people he has his students contact before contacting him will not know the answer is very slim. I can understand that he does not want to be overwhelmed with questions that could be easily answered by someone else, but at the same time he gives off the impression that he is far more important than his students and that he does not want to help them or be bothered by them. There are also many professors who not only answer questions for students but also encourage students to ask questions. The professor almost elevates himself to a God-like status, requiring mere mortal freshman to pass through three trials before being allowed to face the Almighty.
I don’t mean to completely bash this professor for I have heard that he is an excellent teacher and very funny, but I do feel that his “see three before me” slogan is absurd. If he limited it to encouraging students to talking to their TA’s first I wouldn’t have so much beef with him, but he must lay down the law for all, and that is where I have a problem.
Monday, March 15, 2004
A Source for My Research Paper
I was looking around on the library database and I found a source that I think will be helpful towards my research paper. The article was written by A. Samuel Kimball and is titled “Not Begetting the Future: Technological Autochthony, Sexual Reproduction, and the Mythic Structure of The Matrix.” In this article, Kimball relates The Matrix to “the myth of the hero”. He points out that Neo follows the same path as mythical heroes. First he receives a “call to action” from Morpheus, then he has a “hard journey” into a place similar to hell, which is the matrix, and in the end he wins the treasure, which for Neo is Trinity. The journey gives Neo wisdom and the ability to lead a revolution against the machines. The machines are the films version of the mythical monster that all heroes must battle at some point in their journey, and they must overcome this monster, which Neo does when he defeats Agent Smith.
This article is similar to an article I found by Goldman. Goldman notices that modern popular films portray technology negatively and Kimball notices that The Matrix portrays the machines as a modern version of the mythical monster.
This article is similar to an article I found by Goldman. Goldman notices that modern popular films portray technology negatively and Kimball notices that The Matrix portrays the machines as a modern version of the mythical monster.
