Imagine a world without suffering, where nobody complains of unhappiness or hopelessness. A world where everyone interacts freely with the people around them and is able to enjoy life as they wish. An existence full of harmony and without fear of the people in the society or the outside world. Now envision the opposite, picture an existence laden with strife. Picture living with restrictions all around the clock, with every move being monitored. An existence where people complain of pain and live in constant fear, watching their backs, anticipating the worst from the people around them or from unknown entities. A society existing but not really thriving, a civilization in a steady state of decline. These instances spark different scenarios and time periods to different people but one thing is for sure, the concept of a dystopia or a utopia is not new and in fact our perceptions of such concepts reflects and influences our ways of life.
The concept of ‘Utopia’ was brought to the fore by Sir Thomas Moore in his book with the same title published in 1516. In the novel, Sir Thomas conceptualized a fictional island with a set of rules, morals and lifestyle. Life on the island was perfect and people were free and happy. Taking a deeper look at the word utopia shows that it is an etymological derivative of Greek ‘Eu’ meaning “Good” and ‘Topos’ meaning place. Simply put, a utopia is a good place to live and be in. The word utopia is a play on words as it sounds very close to the Greek ‘Ou’ meaning “Not” and ‘Topos’ for “place”, creating a pun that can also mean “No Place”. Essentially Thomas Moore tries to show that it might actually be impossible to achieve utopia (Khalutornykh 1011). Which begs the question, is it possible to have a perfect world?
Utopian depictions in writing and films carry some similar elements at their core. In a utopia, society is at its ideal state (Kumar 6). The members of that society hence adopt a set of social and moral ideals that harmoniously guide their existence (7). Individuality, innovation and creativity are welcomed in utopia. Technological advances are seen in some utopian depictions and these changes are embraced as they enhance the living experience of the citizens in the utopia (7). The society exists without fear of fellow citizens or the outside world. Most notably, in a utopia, independent thinking is embraced and people are able to exchange ideas, experiences, show their emotions and this contributes to the enjoyable life they have. An example of a utopian existence is the film “Zootopia”, the 2016 animated Disney film, which showed a peaceful animal existence with systems in place ensuring the preservation of this status quo but this peaceful existence comes under threat. Some element of 2009’s The Matrix film showcases a form of utopia built for the masses however, this was largely on the backdrop of a dystopian existence as the paper will describe later.
Dystopia is the polar opposite of utopia. An etymological derivative of Greek ‘Dys’ meaning bad and ‘utopia’. Simply put, a dystopia is a bad place to live in. It is the existence pictured earlier on that was full of suffering. Dystopias can adopt a variety of forms as seen through centuries of literary art and motion picture. Some dystopias can be characterized by pure chaos and disorder while some can have a system of authority in place albeit tyrannical and oppressive to many members of society. Chaos and tyranny can however co-exist as seen in multiple depictions of dystopia, an example of this is George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” where the leadership structure in place is oppressive but chaos exists as suffering pushes the oppressed majority to challenge the status quo. Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 and The Wachowski’s The Matrix are prime examples of dystopian existences and this paper will describe the features of a dystopia seen in the two artistic masterpieces.
In order to aptly understand and compare dystopic themes in the Matrix and Fahrenheit 451 one has to have an idea of the different types of dystopias in general. This classification is based on the predominant method of control imposed on the citizens. First is technological control, this is when computers, robots or advancement in science are used to impose power on the oppressed citizens. The Matrix is a dystopia under technological control. Other works with such dystopias are I Robot the 2004 film and Oblivion the 2013 film. Second is philosophical or ideological control where a certain set of proclaimed rules or ideologies oppress the society. Fahrenheit 451 falls under this category as shall be seen later in this paper. Another example of this form of control is religious control as portrayed in The Handmaid’s tale. Third is corporate control where large corporations utilize their products or media to exert their forceful hand on people. The book Minority Report is a prime example of corporate control. The last method of control is bureaucratic control where relentless rules and regulations are placed on citizens and this impedes their livelihoods.
Fahrenheit 451 written by Ray Bradbury was published in the year 1953. The book was named after the temperature at which paper burn. He released the book at the height of the Cold War tensions. The book was released to much critical acclaim and won many awards such as the Prometheus Hall of Fame Award in 1984. In 2007 Bradbury won the Pulitzer Prize for his full body of work. The book is set in a dystopian reality of Futuristic USA where free will, curiosity and self-expression is deterred. The protagonist is Guy Montag, a member of the firemen whose primary task involved burning of books and houses. Guy then develops self-conflict as the book progresses and morphs into a typical dystopian hero who questions and goes against the status quo.
The Matrix, directed by the Wachowskis, was released in 1999. The film is set in a dystopia in 2099 where Artificial Intelligence (AI) controls human existence and uses them as batteries while placing their minds in a simulation of life as it was before the AI took over. The film follows Neo, formerly known as Thomas Andersen when he was living in the simulation known as “The Matrix”, and his gradual enlightenment and acquisition of skills that result in him leading the resistance against the intelligent machines overlord. The film explores choices Neo has to make, self-belief and self-actualization of Neo as “The One”.
In as much as The Matrix is set in a dystopia, the film delves into an aspect of a fake utopia for the humans plugged into the virtual existence. In the ‘Matrix’, the virtual reality developed by the ruling AI, humans perceive the life they lead to be normal, not perfect as in a typical utopia. However in the film Agent Smith, a sentinel created by the AI to impose their tyranny, explains that the intelligent machines initially developed a reality where everyone was happy and thriving but the human brains rejected this reality essentially showing that humans cannot fathom an existence without some form of chaos and suffering. One of the characters, Cypher who is unplugged from the Matrix, compares life in the real world to the virtual reality and prefers it, this drives his betrayal of his colleagues. His words “Ignorance is bliss” show his thought processes on how living inside the Matrix can be seen somewhat as a utopia (Gawde 108). A deep look at the matrix however shows that being plugged in is actually not a utopia and this virtual reality actually magnifies the extent of the dystopian setting. Morpheus describes it as a prison one cannot smell, taste or touch, a prison for the mind (110).
A common dystopic theme in both the Matrix and Fahrenheit 451 is that of tyrannical control imposing conformity and censorship. In the Matrix, the ruling AI breeds humans in pods and utilizes them for energy against their free will. To further impose this hold, the AI developed sentinels that track free humans in the real world and destroy them. This control is also present in the virtual reality of the matrix where sentinels are agents, a major character being Agent Smith, whose task is to impose order with whatever means necessary. In Fahrenheit 451 the state imposes harsh regulations on the citizens. The firemen are the tools of this ideological control as they burn books and houses belonging to those found guilty of breaking the law. The government curtails spreading of ideas, curiosity and self-expression. The mechanical hound dog which tracks individuals by their scent is used as a threat to the citizens since it is quite tough to escape such a weapon. The dog tracks outlaws and was used to perform the state’s dirty work as seen when it killed an innocent person instead of Guy Montag to lie to the masses. This form of control is a recurrent theme in dystopias, the matrix showcasing technological control whist Fahrenheit 451 shoeing ideological control.
The restriction of independent thought and the spread of propaganda is a dystopian theme appearing in both the Matrix and Fahrenheit 451. In Fahrenheit 451, the aim of the government is to prevent free thought and exchange of ideas amongst their citizens. Most of the firemen, Montag included, burn the books without questioning the state’s intentions. Captain Beatty has a talk with Montag criticizing the past where people made social and political choices and shared opinions, painting it as bleak. He then claims the society thrives on homogeneity and is in balance under their oversight. Montag later realizes the firemen are a tool for destruction under the government’s control. Spreading of propaganda is rampant in the book. Mass media essentially controls all information due to the absence of books and the government properly utilizes this medium to spread the information they choose. Through Guy’s eyes we see how society is inculcated to the culture of mass media and content consumption. In the subway multiple ads play on the walls, in the house, Mildred, Guy’s wife is always with her earpiece. Guy has a wall sized TV as his parlor and three of the walls in his house are screens. Propaganda is also a key aspect in the Matrix where Morpheus is labelled as a terrorist and this information is shared widely in the Matrix in a bid to catch him. The sentinels portray him as this deadly figure who is a possible danger to everyone. In the first appearance of Neo on screen, an online article showing the search for Morpheus is seen on his computer. In the matrix, humans have an illusion of independent thought and decisions but through Neo’s journey we discover that none of it is real and humans are not free at all. The concept of “freeing the mind” is a central part of both the Matrix and Fahrenheit 451 as seen by the gradual enlightenment of both Neo and Guy Montag.
Individuals in a dystopia are often painted in a dehumanized state of existence. Guy Montag is taken back by the nonchalance of the paramedics who attend to Mildred after overdosing on sleeping pills. They handle the scenario with no emotion, questions or individual opinions on the matter, they then claim to have dealt with multiple cases of the sort and this shows the level of suffering and struggle in their state. Montag and his fellow firemen have to watch a woman burn and despite this bothering him, it does not seem to affect the rest of his team. He is also concerned of the indifference of the masses to the impending atomic war and society’s nonchalance to government decrees. When Montag reads a poem to Mildred’s friends, they are overwhelmed with emotion, a feeling they describe as new. After conversations with Faber, Beatty and Granger, it then dawns on Montag that this apathy by the masses led to the success of their current regime. The government utilized the citizen’s short attention spans and craving for entertainment to effectively reduce the spread of critical ideas. With gradual disappearing of culture, imagination dwindles, self-expression wilts and even vocabulary changes. Ray Bradbury brings this out in the book beautifully with a stark contrast in flow of conversation between the firemen and Mildred’s friends in comparison to readers like Faber and Granger. In the Matrix film, humanity as we know it is under threat. This is best brought out in an instance where the members of the resistance are eating a meal (goo with all the vitamins and components one needs, showing how life has changed) and one of them, Mouse, questions how the AI was able to code the taste of meals or the human sensation of pleasure. This shows how the human experience even under the virtual reality of the matrix is not ideal. Both characters then realize that this dehumanization makes it tough to resist the regimes in power. Montag questions “what exactly has been left?” and “can people really think on their own?”. Cypher’s craving of life back in the Matrix instead of real human experiences almost sabotages the resistance attempts and leads to the death of three of their members. This change in humanity plays a key part in both works.
The trope of the dystopian hero is clearly brought out in the Matrix and Fahrenheit 451. Both Neo and Guy Montag meet characters who challenge their view on reality. Montag meets Clarisse McClellan who is a rebel of the system but not in the stereotypical way, she challenges Guy with questions on the governing regime. Clarisse is an emblem of curiosity and critical thinking and triggers self-introspection in Guy and his role in society. Faber, Granger and the rest of the intellectuals also guide Guy on his path to enlightenment. Neo on the other hand meets Trinity, Morpheus and the rest of the resistance who show him the true reality of his existence. Before starting their path to challenging the status quo, both characters experienced dissatisfaction in their state of existence in society. Montag stole books and read them which built a thirst for knowledge and ideas of freedom. Neo questioned his reality, when he was known as Thomas Andersen, and asked one of his customers if they had ever had a feeling when they are not sure if they are awake or dreaming. This is similar to Descartes thought prompt of “how are you certain your whole life is not a dream” (Abedi et al. 110). Through both Neo’s and Montag’s eyes, we get to see the deleterious effect of a dystopia and the fact that a choice has to be made. Neo chose the red pill while Montag read books, killed Beatty and joined the outlaws. These choices had tough consequences, Neo almost died and cannot go back to the ignorance of the matrix while Montag lost his wife, house and old way of life as he knew it. Both works essentially show how seemingly normal people have the ability to challenge these bleak realities they exist in. Neo was just a programmer, bored with his job and not impressive physically or skill wise but turned out to be ‘The One’. Montag was a typical fireman and did not have seemingly special attributes but both these characters tried to impact their societies.
Despite Fahrenheit 451 being published more than 60 years ago, it somewhat paints a picture of present day America, now more than ever. Ray Bradbury worked on Fahrenheit 451 during the Cold War and the book represents what the US was going through at the time. During this period news was regulated, government surveillance was intrusive, accounts of off-the-records dealings and negotiations were plenty and citizens lived in a state of high tension and paranoia. There existed a witch-hunt against artists in all forms; writers and painters were seen as communist sympathizers and this aspect of McCarthyism (named after Senator John McCarthy) affected many citizens (Fatma 12). Through Montag, the author inspires us to explore new ideas and leave the information cocoons we are shelled in (46). Present day America has a strong social media presence and interactions with our gadgets is at an all-time high (Sanni 6). Individuals are glued to their devices just as Mildred and her pals were addicts to the TV and seashell radio. Misinformation has been spread through media outlets and this rings to how mass media controlled information in the book (Fatma 43). Censorship and restriction of self-expression is on the rise just as in the dystopia Montag existed in. Just as Montag and the band of outlaws vowed to create a society fostering ideas and spread of knowledge, we should aim to promote individualism, critiques, sharing of accurate knowledge and impede censorship and forced conformity.
The Matrix criticizes modern society and how we are all dependent on a system both physically and psychologically. Psychologically, a huge number of individuals in America are driven by materialism through their daily lives (Proffitt 243). People strive at their jobs or their means of making money to be able to acquire their perceived needs. They then care less about their surroundings if it does not suit them. This dependency on finances promotes the system and strengthens it hence creating “The Matrix of society” (247). Our need for pleasurable experiences guides us despite the consequences. Cypher wants to go back to the ignorance and full dependence on the system where there was no worries and everything seemed perfect (steak compared to gross meals on the ship was used to push this construct). Cypher is a representation of the choice most individuals would go for, he wanted to be someone rich and important in this warped reality and did not care about his eventual outcome as a power source to the AI. Our growing dependence on technology disconnects us from key aspects of reality. More people are engrossed with social media and the number of people relying on virtual environments to meet new people is rising steadily (Sanni 7). This unrelenting need for pleasure despite being unreal brings ideas of Robert Nozick’s thought experiment where one has to make a choice between reality and a false pleasurable experience (Singh 127). Just as Nozick recommends, we should embrace reality and try to modify it to efficiently serve and satisfy basic human needs instead of choosing a false pleasurable existence (127). In summary, take the red pill.
References
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