Friday, April 16, 2010
Star Trek!
So recently in class, we've been watching the Star Trek episode Acts one and two. As far as I can remember, the class discussion concerning it was to relate the Frankenstein's monster to Captain Kirk and to Spock. And few people have mentioned how Spock resembles the monster in a sense that both had “gotten out of line by expressing free will” and also Dr. Tiff pointed out that Captain Kirk and the monster are alike in a sense because the world around them had shunned them. I forgot the name, but that one captain who seemed to be in charge of everything just didn’t even want to hear from Spock and Kirk. Is Spock being Vulcan and Kirk being in a condition of only answering yes or no questions really any reason to treat them the way they had been treated?
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Honestly i think Spock is the most complex character in the whole series. I think the viewer is always torn with the fact that he is half human half Vulcan. Even though he is in some respects a monster to some people he still can identify with humans and show emotions just like humans do. The viewer is torn between his Vulcan qualities and his ability to act like a human. This is what I think Frankenstein's monster and Spock really have in common. On first glance they appear as if they are this awful-looking creature, but truly they are both very ordinary and realistic when it comes down to acting like humans do. Spock, even though he still has some Vulcan qualities, is able to overcome them. The reader is also somewhat torn over the monster as he looks like this horrific creature but still acts like we would in the same situation. Even Frankenstein himself is torn over the fact that the monster he created is so ugly yet he still can relate to humans.
ReplyDeleteOf course it is not fair for either of the two characters to be treated like that. Basically they are saying that they are judged by the way they look or small qualities that they have. I think both characters make us realize that first impressions aren't as important as some people think. Spock and the monster prove that it is possible to contradict societal expectations and seek out conformity and similarity through difference. This is precisely what each of them have done. By being different, they have each connected with the audience and showed that even though they look different they can still act and live life like we do.
I think the fact that Spock is half Vulcan ties into our innate need to think we are better than others. I feel this is somewhat similar to The Lost World in that the explorers felt that they were superior to the ape-men. Also I feel that captain Kirk was ignored just because he was an "invalid". In some ways, this ties into to the use of Eugenics in the 20s and 30s in America, in which they sterilized disabled people because they did not want their "bad genes" to be passed on. I personally do not think it is any reason for either of them to be treated differently, but humans tend to be biased against certain groups of people and it is an inevitable fact of life.
ReplyDeleteAlso, thanks Joey for posting this on such short notice.
I agree with everyone's ideas about the perceptions of humans have of other groups of people. In the case of Star Trek the Vulcans, especially Spock, is unable to transcend that he is set in a certain position. There is no way he could become captain it seems because he is such a obedient servant. The characters of Star Trek seem to forget that Spock is half Vulcan and completely label him as Vulcan. With Captain Pike, the characters do not realize that he is capable of complex thoughts as everyone else but is limited to only responding yes or no. The judging of these characters seem very immoral but they happen all the time in everyday life. When a person or group is labeled it is hard to transcend that grouping or cast. It is similar to Frankenstein as the monster breaks our perceptions of a monster by having complex thoughts and desires that humans have. It is surprising how common labeling and grouping happen in every time period or civilization.
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