LITR 4632: Literature of
the Future
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Student Presentation 2005 |
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Mary Kay Clements
THX 1138
THX 1138 is set in the 25th Century. The film stars Robert Duvall as THX 1138 a worker in a bleak futuristic society where life is highly regulated, sex is illegal and daily ingestion of sedatives are required by law. For entertainment people watch holograms engage in activities that range from sadism to meaningless verbal discourse. LUH 3417 played by Maggie McOmie is THX’s roommate. When the movie begins LUH is replacing THX’s sedatives with stimulants. This causes him to begin to feel ill and he suspects his roommate is trying to kill him. Eventually the sedatives wear off and THX begin to experience emotions for the first time. THX and LUH engage in the forbidden act of sex and begin to fall in love.
This film can be viewed as a cautionary tale of what can happen if humans surrender their individuality to the group. An underlying theme is that evil comes in many forms and sometimes springs from the best of intentions. The movie also explores the notion that while people rebel against their society, they are also products of that society and highly depend on it.
I felt as if this film would be a good example of Dystopia because of the idea of a clean, sterile, automated society still has the government controlling their every move and their thoughts and even the basic contact the people of the society has with one another. Everything said and done is under complete control of the government of this century.
1.) As we have discussed before do you think there is a future which will change the dystopian society or will it continue to carry on?
2.) Do you think our society today is beginning to change into this same type of society? Are we looking at our future?