Natural And Human example essay topic

1,437 words
Three Major points on Blade Runner? Technology. BR expresses its concerns over developed technologies like genetic engineering (in the movie is represented by the Replicants). This is related to the rapid genetic research and optimistic believes in its potentials in the 80's to 90's. Science claimed it was able to dominate the natural process such as human reproduction and modification.

This notion is evident on the Replicants. As in most fighting scenes, Replicants are all physically stronger and more powerful. This emphasis on the advantage of genetic technology which eliminates primitive imperfections of organic creatures like human and enhances them with better physical qualities. Apart from that, they are also built with pre-determined social destinies and no emotion.

In the conclusion of the plot, the stereotypical notion was challenged by Roy's ethical conduct in saving Deckard from falling. The close up camera shot on Deckard establishes his hopeless feelings when hanging on the edge of the building with Roy teasing in front of him. Frequent edits between Roy and Deckard's facial expressions creates an anxious situation that drives the audience to predict on inevitable falling. However, in fact Roy's compassionate move towards Deckard dumbfounded the audiences.

We are forced to re-evaluate the ethics and value associate with Roy as a whole to all replicants. The suspicion becomes a paradox that contradicts with the replicants' imposed identity, but ironically, the triumph in producing replicants is seen not in its mechanical superiority but in its human quality, in this case its comparison, hence the film values authentic 'human' empathy over cold, logical processes which dehumanize both humans and replicants.? Capitalism and Consumerism. BR is critical of the overwhelming political and economic influence held by major multinational corporations (in this case is represented by Tyrell Corporation.) this is related to the capitalism's ideological imminent victory over socialism and communism in the 80's. The subsequent propagation of it deals in business and commerce was such that some multinational corporations have more political power over the national government. This is evident in the opening few scenes of the films, which juxtapose the grand Tyrell Corporation building against the grim, congested and dirty streets in the ground level of LA.

This emphasizes the stark contrast in class: the wealthy and influential that live literally at the top of the city are able to distance themselves from the working class, who are confined to the ground level. This class difference, separated by a sense of vertical distance, is reminiscent of the classical notion of the natural order of beings and implies that Tyrell is a divine entity in this world of capitalism. Indeed, this further hinted by at through the ziggurat-like design of the Tyrell Corporation building that dominates the mise en scene of the city landscape: the ziggurat was the temple of religion in several ancient cultures, notably in Central America and Mesopotamia. BR is hence valuing negatively the religion and furthered the class divide so that the working class is forced (through engaging in their own mass commercial culture on the streets) to conform to and worship these ideals. The oppression of the people is similarly valued negatively.? Human Question.

BR raised the issue mankind's responsibility towards its scientific creations. Prospective technologies emerging in the 1980's raised the possibility of a humanity engineered by mankind. The human replicants advertised by the Tyrell Corporation, as 'more human than human' are capable of complex emotional relationships, are self-aware and exhibits a strong desire to freedom. The real debate about the 'natural' in this film is the one concerning the status of the replicants.

When Deckard shoots Zhora in the back while she is fleeing him, we are initially ambivalently positioned. This ambivalence is due to the after effect of several past roles that Harrison Ford took in productions like Star War, Indian Johns, etc, hence the casting of Harrison Ford as Deckard presents audiences a impression of heroism, what he does in the film was automatically prejudiced by stereotypical assumption that he is again, must be the 'God' like character who saves the world once more time. However, the cruel and ferocious moves he took when he desperately 'retires' Zhora dumbfounded the audiences, challenged the conventional interpretation imposed in the character, what has made such a positively accustomed gone so bloodthirsty, brutal and inhuman. The conclusion shall be easily drawn, it's the human and natural relationship gone deformed. This can be conformed by the bleak, artificiality imposed on the 'natural' environment in the mise en scene that constantly stresses the audience from the beginning. Three Major points on Brave New World?

At the time Huxley wrote BNW, Britain was paralyzed by labor strikes, culminating in the General Strikes of 1926. this is solved in BNW by introducing a conditioned social structure in which everyone is condense into his / her pre-determined social destinies. This is evident by the grouping of workers by their intelligence levels and social responsibilities such as alpha, beta, gamma, epsilon etc. for epsilon they are only capable of doing a certain job, and they are conditioned to hate natural grace like flowers and reading. The whole idea of conditioning process intends to neutralize the tendency to 'wildness' in individuals or in a larger social group. This notion of eradicating individuality and spirituality is negatively regarded by the modern audiences. Especially people in the early 21st century where voices for retaining a natural environment becomes overwhelming. Merely from a western liberal point of view - if the 'natural' is achieved by the force of scientific advancement, by re-shaping of its original value, it is a 'natural' that is compliant with a larger social structure at the price of individual or minority goals and ambitions.

Hence the novel values the conditioning fairly negatively and depressing.? Huxley is obviously engaged in the debate between High Culture and popular Culture that was running through in the post - war Europe, especially as American films hit British cinemas. Huxley's favoring of high culture as the repository of genuine emotions easily traced through John Savage's appropriations of Shakespeare. At times he is quoting Rome and Juliet at an ignorant of Lenina; we as audience are positioned to condemn her for her ignorance rather than John for his naivety.

In the stakes of 'wildness' John at least has the access to the wildness of natural passion, a genuine level of emotionality while Lenina is almost dumb in this domain. This implies the loss of quality and integrity of nature becomes overwhelming. In the context of BNW, an alpha built unit Lenina is supposed to be reasonably intellectually conditioned, but she failed to appreciate or even understand the grace and plenty of High / Classical culture, to a great regard they are the real 'natural', since the science was poorly developed in Shakespearian period, the natural and human was retaining a dependent relation, therefore the literature produced in that particular time is firmly bonded with nature. What causes the cultural incomprehension in BNW? Huxley points out the reason being the excess of science adopted human's consciousness to the natural world and the deformation of our own dispositions.? Huxley, a liberal humanist, an intellectual, was also a member of the privileged class which in 1931 Britain feared the anger of the disenfranchised working class.

He writes BNW to criticize the totalitarian enforcement of a rigid class structure, irrespective of the inherent merits or abilities of individuals. Huxley parodies Britain's class system through exaggerating the rigidity of the barriers that separate the castes, where the impregnable class boarders are enforced and naturalized through the engineering of physical and mental deficiencies. This criticism of the manufacturing of class boundaries is furthered through the description of the meager lines of the Epsilons "a small simian creature, dressed in black... oh roof! He repeated in a voice of rapture. ' This image of a creature whose highlight is seeing a roof from an elevator is employed by Huxley to evoke a sympathetic and indignant response from readers, who will deplore the cruelty if the world's state's conditioning process.

This emotive response from responders is used by Huxley to negatively value the machinations of a totalitarian regime, which negatively positioning a rigid class system that has no basis in an individualized - and egalitarian - assessment of merit..