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Science Fictions (Designed by Fatimah Ali) (Aliens and Others (The Word…

- - - - (2) Societal Perception
        In all three of these texts, one part of the population is considered to be less than human based on certain traits that establish them as "other than" human.
        In *Never Let Me Go, the students, or clones, are often treated as animals or cattle, beasts that are systematically slaughtered for their vital organs. Several "great breakthroughs in science" brought about the capability to breed clones (262). The world embraced this new method of "curing so many previously incurable conditions", without considering "how [they] were reared, [and] whether they should have been brought into existence at all" until it was "too late" (262-63). Since they were seen as man-made "creatures", people doubted that the clones even had souls. This is why Hailsham existed - Madame and the people at Hailsham had undertaken the task of "[proving they] had souls at all" (260).
        In Kindred, slaves are seen as less than human in this context. There is a shared societal perception that African Americans are less human. A slave was considered as 3/5ths of a person in the US at this time. Slaves were also perceived and treated as property. During Dana's time in the antebellum South, we see slaves bought, sold, overworked, whipped, raped and subjugated to unimaginable horrors. However, this treatment of slaves is deemed permissible, since slaves were property, like cattle.
        In Word for World is Forest, the Athsheans are seen as less than or more primitive than the human race because of their physical appearances and tribal communities. Captain Davidson often refers to the Athsheans as "cattle" and sees them as beings that
      - (1) Language
        In Never Let Me Go, Madame calls the students "poor creatures" several times
        In Kindred, the slaves are often referred to as "n*ggers".
        In The Word For World is Forest, Captain Davidson and some of the other humans refer to the Athsheans as "creechies"
- - - - The Importance of Artwork in the Lives of Humans in Station Eleven, Never Let Me Go, "The End of Science Fiction", and Star Trek: The Next Generation - "Inheritance"
        
        In Station Eleven, art is depicted as essential to life. It gave the characters purpose and hope in their lives. It also gave the characters a direct connection to those from the past, providing a taste of the cultures that flourished, the dreams that were shared, and the lives that others lived long before the passing of the flu pandemic. Art becomes not only a means of self-expression, but also a link to the past.
        
        In Never Let Me Go, it is thought that art may be a way of seeing what someone's soul contains, essentially capturing someone's essence. Since the organizers of Hailsham wanted to prove that they were human-like and had souls, this is why the Hailsham students are raised with art as such a staple in their lives. We know that the Hailsham students are artificial, since they cannot reproduce and have been created to have their organs harvested. So by creating art, the students are essentially creating pieces of themselves to live on and carry a part of them after they die.
        
        After warning us that our pursuit of science fiction will be our undoing, "The End of Science Fiction" urges and commands us to refocus our efforts on creating art in the form of stories. It reassures is that if we want to avoid living in a world "before our bodies glittered/ and we stopped bleeding" (25-26), we must "Invent real tears" and "hard love" with "slow-spoken, ancient words", words that have the power to evoke authentic human emotions in the other members of our community.
        
        In Star Trek: TNG - "Inheritance", there is a moment where Data says to his mother, "I do not know for certain, but I believe that during my creative endeavors that I come closest to experiencing what it must be like to be human."
        
        These texts seem to believe that there is a certain level of authenticity that is conveyed through art. Art is seen as imperfect and expressive, a representation of a person's feelings and reflections.
        --- In "Star Trek: TNG "Inheritance", this is highlighted when Data shares his reasoning that led him to discover that his mother is actually an android instead of a human: when they play a piece of music together, he notices that his mother plays that piece of music exactly the same the second time through, every "pitch, intonation" etc.
        --- In Never Let Me Go, this idea is reflected on when we first get a glimpse at Tommy's artwork. Tommy's artwork is often described as meticulous, precise, and almost mechanical. Something about his drawings feel unnatural, as if he can only create artificially generated art since he is an artificial life form.
      - Themes
        
        Main Idea: Human Lives are Inherently Interconnected
        
        Station Eleven reflects on how human lives are interconnected more than we realize, and how our lives depend on other people.
        
        Today we "[bemoan] the impersonality of the modern world" and complain that people are more disconnected than before, this is technically far from the truth. If everyone in the world were to choose not to go to work tomorrow, our lives would grind to a halt. For example, our cell phones would stop working, our electricity would be shut off and our stores and doctors offices would be closed down. All operations in our cities would "grind to a halt" and we would be able to accomplish nothing.
        
        Story Structure: Interconnected Narrative
        
        The novel resists linearity in retelling the stories of the characters, jumping back and forth between the stories of characters who lived before and after the flu pandemic. To some extent, the novel reads as a collection of short stories. In telling the story this way, the novel is able to depict how our lives are inherently intertwined, showing how the lives of the characters are interconnected. This novel also uses this narrative style to show how the actions of the past can have unexpected effects on the lives of those in the future.
        
        Main Idea: Art's Essential Role in Our Lives
        
        In the novel, art is not simply a means of entertainment. In this future, it would be easy for humans to find themselves focused on their day-to-day survival. But a life focused on merely "survival is insufficient" - we would be solely focused on preserving our lives. With this lifestyle, there is no room for invigorating our emotional and spiritual selves. In this world, art has given our lives purpose and meaning.
        
        Art also gives us a direct connection with our past and our community's history. In the novel, art gives the characters a means of directly connecting with the lives of those from generations passed. Performing Shakespeare serves as a reminder that there was a world before the one created by the flu pandemic. Even the comic book "Station Eleven" gives Clark a glimpse of the life he once had before the pandemic, reminding him that his past was real and that those people in his life did exist.
- - - - "Our thought balloons are/ coated invisible/ no one there can see us/ and we can't get out/ to be real or present"
        This creates the image of an individual feeling caught in a bubble of isolation. Reminiscent of how everyone today lives in their own technology bubble, where they can't connect with others who are present around them while they are taking advantage of their "social tools"
  - - - Depiction of Agency
        
        Comparison: While the short story gives the impression that knowledge of the future and the ability to exercise free will are mutually exclusive, the film suggests that knowledge of the future would give you a greater appreciation for life and the joys and sorrows that we encounter during this life.
        
        Story Of Your Life: In the short story, Louise seems to lose her sense of agency and ability to exercise free will upon learning the language of the heptapods.
        
        Arrival In the film, Louise is an active participant in shaping her future. Louise is portrayed as still having control over her conscious decisions and still has a preserved sense of free will.
        
        Comparison: "Story of Your Life" ends on a more foreboding tone, suggesting that once you gain knowledge of the future, you completely lose your sense of free will in life. "Arrival" on the other hand ends on a hopeful note, insinuating that knowing the future would only make you want to experience the journey that is your life more, despite the times of hardship and heartache.
      - Depiction of Aliens
        
        The aliens in movie are much bigger and have a more humanoid body structure than the aliens described in the short story.
        
        The heptapods in the movie have also come with a mission - giving the humans the ability to use their language so that we can help their race when they are in need in the years to come
        
        Word Choice
        
        The movie repeatedly uses the term "weapon" when describing the "give" that the heptapods want to share with the humans
        
        The short story uses the term "tool" or "gift" when discussing the "gift" that the heptapods want to share with the humans
      - Depiction of Global Collaboration
        
        In "Story of Your Life, numerous countries in the world are collaborating together for the pursuit of knowledge and to learn more about the heptapods. In Arrival however, a limited number of countries are all working separately to discover what kind of threat the heptapods pose to their nations, communicating new information to each other less frequently. At some point, the countries stop collaborating altogether when the heptapods mention a "weapon", initiating a radio silence between all international governing bodies involved when they need each other the most.