Thank you for reading, mon lecteur (mon frere!). Your name suggests that you are a little crazy. As to 2001: A Space Odyssey, the primary themes of the novel, as I see it, are evolution and progress, and these are tied together by the experience of a quest (an odyssey through time). The story begins at a moment in prehistory (the triumph of the australopithecus, Moon-Watcher) and moves through a far distant moment in history (the search for extraterrestrial life in space). These moments are related by the fact that they precipitate some new form of evolution, such that in the final moment of the narrative, Bowman becomes Star-Child. In examining human evolution, the author, Arthur C. Clarke, simultaneously evaluates human progress, which is beset by two problems: first, the things that man creates, like artificial intelligence, threaten either to surpass him or to destroy him; and second, the space odyssey which symbolizes the high watermark of human achievement and curiosity, ends (ironically) with the discovery that human progress is not unparalleled. Apparently, man has always been outpaced by extraterrestrial life, a fact he only discovers at the height of his own progress.
The narrative is rich with symbolism, and this cannot be overlooked in any interpretation that hopes to be comprehensive. Many of the symbols refer to reproduction, an essential mechanism of evolution.
With regard to Bowman's metamorphosis, at once the most sacred and bewildering moment of the story, I must confess that I don't understand it completely. Probably it was intended to be open to interpretation. I do find it interesting that Bowman (a name that alludes to a primitive warrior) is the one who ultimately finds the portal (a deliberately constructed monolith equivalent to those created in prehistory) which conducts him into that alternate realm. There, in the semblance of a modern hotel room, Bowman's temporal narrative is reversed, until he becomes a child. But he is reincarnated with what seems like ultimate wisdom and intelligence. Is he a god? Is this the apex of human-extraterrestrial coordination?It is as though time doubles back on itself of necessity. That is a grand paradox: the last lunge forward is a giant leap backward.
I have been reading your blog for some time now and I have an interesting question for you.
ReplyDeleteWhat are your thoughts on 2001: a Space Odyssey?
Thank you for reading, mon lecteur (mon frere!). Your name suggests that you are a little crazy. As to 2001: A Space Odyssey, the primary themes of the novel, as I see it, are evolution and progress, and these are tied together by the experience of a quest (an odyssey through time). The story begins at a moment in prehistory (the triumph of the australopithecus, Moon-Watcher) and moves through a far distant moment in history (the search for extraterrestrial life in space). These moments are related by the fact that they precipitate some new form of evolution, such that in the final moment of the narrative, Bowman becomes Star-Child. In examining human evolution, the author, Arthur C. Clarke, simultaneously evaluates human progress, which is beset by two problems: first, the things that man creates, like artificial intelligence, threaten either to surpass him or to destroy him; and second, the space odyssey which symbolizes the high watermark of human achievement and curiosity, ends (ironically) with the discovery that human progress is not unparalleled. Apparently, man has always been outpaced by extraterrestrial life, a fact he only discovers at the height of his own progress.
ReplyDeleteThe narrative is rich with symbolism, and this cannot be overlooked in any interpretation that hopes to be comprehensive. Many of the symbols refer to reproduction, an essential mechanism of evolution.
With regard to Bowman's metamorphosis, at once the most sacred and bewildering moment of the story, I must confess that I don't understand it completely. Probably it was intended to be open to interpretation. I do find it interesting that Bowman (a name that alludes to a primitive warrior) is the one who ultimately finds the portal (a deliberately constructed monolith equivalent to those created in prehistory) which conducts him into that alternate realm. There, in the semblance of a modern hotel room, Bowman's temporal narrative is reversed, until he becomes a child. But he is reincarnated with what seems like ultimate wisdom and intelligence. Is he a god? Is this the apex of human-extraterrestrial coordination?It is as though time doubles back on itself of necessity. That is a grand paradox: the last lunge forward is a giant leap backward.