2001: A Metaphorical Odyssey
Myths are
created for the purpose of conveying a message with an interesting medium with
which to do so. Many cultures use myths
to teach their young about the past.
Through time, however, these myths become impractical due to
discovery. This is when a new myth must
be introduced to take the place of the obsolete one. Stanley Kubrick shaped 2001: A Space Odyssey
as a new myth to crack the archaic view of space, by using a hero, a dilemma,
and a new revelation to fuel his cause.
Every myth
has a character that breaks the mold of the ordinary. In Homer's The Odyssey, Odysseus is the
character that broke the mold of the other mortals. He displayed character traits that superseded
those of his crew mates. Much in the
same fashion, Bowman breaks the mold of the astronauts aboard the
Discovery. He and Poole are share duties
aboard the Discovery, but he demonstrates a higher level of thinking by sensing
and interpreting what is happening before him.
He is the one that realizes exactly what HAL is doing, and he puts a
stop to it. He sees problems, analyzes
them, and then proceeds to diffuse the cause in the most efficient manner
possible. He uses his character traits
of intelligence, persistence, and adroitness to overcome the dilemmas put in
front of him. By using his intelligence,
he realizes that HAL has figured him out, and he must find a way to get back
into the discovery in order to survive.
In using persistence, Bowman does not give up when it seems that HAL has
won the battle. Instead he takes the
rough way in, and he then disables HAL.
Bowman shows how adroit he is with dilemmas by handling the entire HAL
situation with calm and intelligence.
While on the
mission, Bowman is faced with many dilemmas.
The first dilemma, is that he is in the dark about the purpose of the
mission. He has only been supplied with
the vital information that he will need to perform routine operations until the
site of the mission is reached. HAL is
responsible for informing him when the place has been reached and time is right to complete the mission.
He decides that he must do what he can without actually knowing the
exact purpose of the mission. The next
dilemma is that HAL has been reacting to his instincts in a negative
manner. He realizes that Bowman and
Poole are having doubts about the mission.
Bowman decides that he must hide his emotions and plans from HAL in
order to proceed successfully. HAL, on
the other hand, figures out that Bowman and Poole are planning to unplug him by
reading their lips while they are conversing in the pod, and finds a way to get
them where he can control them. He fakes
a failure in the communications satellite dish, and Poole goes out to repair
it, never to return. After Poole is disposed of, Bowman finally realizes that
HAL has turned on him. This is the
ultimate dilemma that Bowman must face.
He is locked out of the Discovery, and he must find a way to get back in
and disable HAL before he dies, and the mission is unsalvageable. He finally succeeds in re-entering the
Discovery and disabling HAL as the ship nears Jupiter and the pre-recorded
message plays on the video screen. His
decision to unplug HAL and run the mission solo is the deciding factor in the
new revelation that he encounters.
With the
approaching of the climax of the movie, Bowman realizes that the mission was
far beyond the comprehension of any human being. He realizes why the mission had been kept
confidential even to him, as a pre-recorded message gives him a debriefing of
the purpose of the mission. The ever
present question of whether or not there are other intelligent beings in the
universe is answered as Bowman enters the stargate. As he descends into the stargate, the many
colors and patterns show that he is proceeding into a realm that is a paradox
of powers. When Bowman sees that he is
being protected from forces that are far beyond the control of any mortal, he
knows that these other beings are far superior to humans. With his experiences, the enlightened Bowman
returns to earth realizing that society dwindling.
Using Bowman
as a hero that faces dilemmas to reach the target moment, Stanley Kubrick uses
2001: A Space Odyssey as a new myth to replace the old myths about space. This redefined what people thought about
space. This myth has carried over into
the 20th century, and still will proceed into the 21st century. It shows how new myths can replace old myths
and shatter the very foundation the human mentality. For when an archaic belief is suddenly
replaced with a new one, it is often a reaction to wonder why the old one was
wrong. This often leads to further
exploration and discovery in that area.
As discovery progresses, the myths change concurrently. This also exemplifies how important myths are
to a culture or race of beings. Without
myths, there would be no efficient way of communicating the beliefs and
philosophies of the time.
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