Dystopian In Metropolis

The quote “The object of power is power” is heavily supported by George Orwell’s 1949 novel ‘1984’ and Fritz Lang’s 1927 film ‘Metropolis’ through their intertextual connections and shared perspectives. Both texts were composed around the context of pre and post World War 2 which is clearly evident through their settings, characterisation, themes and ideas. Through Orwell’s and Fritz’s use of dystopic societies, empowerment of women and detrimental dictatorship rule it is blatant that George Orwell’s quote “The object of power is power” is quite strongly supported by the intertextual connections and shared perspectives of Orwell’s ‘1984’ and Lang’s ‘Metropolis’.

In his 2011 The Chronicle Review article “Programmed for Love” Jeffrey R. Young interviews Professor Sherry Turkle about her experience with what she calls “sociable robots”. Turkle has spent 15 years studying robotics and its social emergence into society. After extensive research and experimenting with the robots, she believes that soon they will be programmed to perform specific tasks that a human would normally do. While this may seem like a positive step forward to some people, Turkle fears the worst. The article states that she finds this concept “demeaning, ‘transgressive,’ and damaging to our collective sense of humanity.” (Young, par. 5). She accredits this to her personal and professional experience with the robots. Turkle and her

Robots can effect employment in a negative way,as said by the author Kelly “It may be hard to believe… 70 percent of today’s occupation will likewise be replaced by automation...even you will have your job taken away by machines”(Kelly Page.300), this quote comes to show the negative aspect of robots taking over the world in the near

This article begins by outlining the tragic death of an artificial intelligence robot, named Steve. Steve’s accidental death, by stairs, raises a lot of new questions surrounding robots, and their rights. In his article, Leetaru, discusses the range of questions that have sparked from not only Steve’s death, but the rise of advanced robot mechanics. While the Silicon Valley is busy grinding out new plans and models of robots, especially security robots, how can we establish what a mechanical robot is entitled to? Leetaru offers many different scenarios concerning robots against aggressors, in hopes to reveal that these rights be outlined with the rise in usage of this technology. The article speculates how in the future, when these robots

In “Better Than Human,” Kevin Kelly, Senior Maverick of Wired Magazine, insists that automation will allow us to become more human. When society grants automation the permission to complete the most menial tasks, it will allow individuals trapped in dead-end careers such as fastening bolts onto cars, to search for their true passions which only humans can accomplish. More people will be able to pursue jobs that robots, for now, can not complete with ease. Kelly believes that as artificial intelligence and the creators of it advance, more jobs will be created to fulfill society's growing needs. The simple tasks of assembling new machinery can be completed by the already established automation; while the job of developing software that controls

In addition, Britain lost its status as the world super power with a weakened military and economy after two World Wars in less than half a century

Within the text of “The Robot Invasion”, by Charlie Gillis, Gillis discusses the advancement of technology and how it has impacted the lives of human-kind over the years. However, the view he takes on the topic is negative as he views it as impactful yet bad for society’s future. Gillis argues that, although many of the advancements could be impactful to today’s society in good ways the overall effect of a “robot invasion” as made out in Hollywood still leaves a bad taste in everyone’s mouths.

From Nazi Germany during the World War II era to the modern day communist country of North Korea, each of these dystopias possesses a distinct set of characteristics that make it a dystopian society. A dystopia can be broadly defined as an illusory perfect society that is created by the government for those who live in that community; that is, the government devises its programs to give the impression that it is taking good care of its citizens, even though its surreptitious goal is to control them. In particular, citizens in a dystopia lead a dehumanized life and are subjected to a totalitarian governance through omnipresent propaganda. As such, there is not an all-inclusive list of traits that every dystopian community shares; three characteristics that are pertinent to most dystopias are oppression, limited education, and isolation from the outside world.

The comparative study of perspectives offered by Fritz Lang’s German Expressionist silent film, Metropolis (1927) and George Orwell’s novel 1984 (1949) encourages a heightened understanding of the values and contemporary issues of the composers’ social and historical context. Lang reflects the Weimar Republic’s preoccupation with World War 1 reconstruction and manifests the growing tension between idealism and progress central to ‘Machine Age’ Germany to advocate for unity between the upper and working class. Orwell’s cautionary novel instead reflects on the communist regimes of Adolf Hitler (Germany) and Joseph Stalin (Russia) to warn against despotic governments and advocate for democratic socialism. Both texts envisage a dystopian future

In the nineteenth century, the industrial revolution kickstarted centuries worth of progress and automation that created the world that we live in today. Machines now do jobs faster and better than humans ever did back then. Kevin Kelly in his essay “Better Than Human: Why Robots Will—and Must—Take Our Jobs” suggests that in the coming years robots and automation will continue to replace humans in varying career fields. This change may cause many people to worry, but Kelly argues that this change is actually positive and will cause mankind to advance further than we ever thought we could. Kelly uses many examples and situations to explain his stance, and they back up his argument very well.

The relative investigation of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis and George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four has contributed notably to the intertextual mindsets of mans enduring angst of unlimited mechanical headway. Provided by the two texts, depictions of dystopian societies which encounter technological elevation offer a variety of social, political and personal insights allowing the audience to develop an understanding of the values formed throughout the periods. Metropolis figuratively represents the consequential fractured world after WWI, displaying public inequality brought on by the appearance of the Weimar Republic which was identified as a time dependent on technology and the growth of industrialisation. Nineteen Eighty-Four portrays Orwell's

Technology over the years has evolved dramatically. Arguing that robots will take over our jobs, In the article “Better Than Human:Why Robots Will-And-Must-Take Our Jobs” Kelly also persuades us by emotional impact. For another example, “This deep automation will touch all jobs, from manual labor to knowledge work. ”(300). The evolution of robots will not only take over hands on human jobs, but also non hand using jobs.

While that dystopian future may seem rather extreme, a more modest proposal would follow that robots may not be eating babies, but they uncertainly threaten the value of our time within a workplace. Machines, to many companies, are a

Lang provides an example and lesson of the perils of technology and why individuals should fear self-operating machines through the creation of robot Maria (Hel). Lang shows the audience that though robot Maria looks human, she is simply an image that has been mechanized, detached from her authentic mind and spirit, and programmed to complete a horrible task for the capitalist and mastermind of Metropolis. Robot Maria’s task was to get the workers to believe that she was the real Maria suddenly angry regarding their work conditions. Robot Maria took control of the workers minds, while leaving their bodies to destroy Metropolis. The audience can also see how Robot Maria is a representation of Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” and what she was talking about in her readings.

The debate over whether robots are helping or hurting the workplace is more heated than ever. Advances in technology are soaring thus making an increase in the use of robots in the workplace more and more commonplace. Some believe the use of robots in the workplace can never totally result in the loss of jobs, but due to the fact that robots have invaded the workplace environment, many people fear this indicates replacement of human jobs. Although advancement in technology of robotics and artificial intelligence may offer precision, productivity, efficiency and flexibility, the loss of human jobs will be devastating to the many people who depend on their jobs to make a living and provide for their families.