2001 Discovery Of The Monolith Essay, Research Paper
In the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, created by Dr. Arthur C. Clarke and Stanley Kubrick, there are several similarities between sections ?The Dawn of Man? and ?Discovery of the Monolith.? First, both segments portray the use of tools in various forms. The transition of the bone to a space satellite and the ability to misuse tools as weapons, are similarities between ?The Dawn of Man? and ?Discovery of the Monolith.? Next, both eras shown in 2001: A Space Odyssey have two distinguished groups who want the opposing group away from their territory. For example, Group 1 and Group 2 of ?The Dawn of Man? fight over the waterhole, while the Russians in ?Discovery of the Monolith? are snooty with the Americans because the Russians were denied permission for landing at Clavius, the United States moonbase. Finally, both ?The Dawn of Man? and ?Discovery of the Monolith? have distinctive leaders. The most important characteristic of the leaders? in both eras is their braveness to touch the monolith or TMA #1.
?The Dawn of Man? and ?Discovery of the Monolith? show similarities between the use of tools. The first and most obvious indication of this is the transition of the resonant image of a rotating bone tossed in the air to a space satellite from earth. This suggests that although technology is a complex tool, humanity is still in a primitive stage. Also, Australiopithicine misused their tools just as humans have the ability to misuse their tools. For instance, Group 1 uses a simple bone to savagely kill an Australiopithicus from Group 2. Moreover, technology can be a threat between Americans and Russians if humans do no use technology properly. Therefore, humans seem to have conquered many challenges since four million years earlier, but humans have not yet conquered their primeval instincts. These instincts indicate man in both eras is essentially the same aggressive creature with savage impulses.
Next, both segments of 2001: A Space Odyssey portray conflicts with territory. For example, in ?The Dawn of Man? Group 1 and Group 2 fight over the possession of the waterhole. Additionally, in ?Discovery of the Monolith? the Russians seem suspicious as to why they were denied permission for emergency landing of a rocket bus at Clavius, which is the United States moonbase. In both cases, man tricked or tried to deceive his enemy to advance in possession or knowledge of territory. For instance, Group 1 in ?The Dawn of Man? brought a weapon to the second invasion of the waterhole knowing that Group 2 was unaware of the weapon and was completely vulnerable. Also, the Russians try to seem innocent when they question Dr. Heywood Floyd by mentioning an emergency landing and a violation of the I.A.S. convention. In fact, the Russians had no emergency landing at all because if the landing was a real emergency then there would be no possibility of the Americans being able to communicate with the rocket bus. On the contrary, the Americans created a cover story to give the impression there is an epidemic at Clavius. All in all, this evidence from ?The Dawn of Man? and ?Discovery of the Monolith? show man?s unchanging deception for their own kind.
Finally, both eras shown in the movie have distinguished and dignified leaders. We first see the leader in ?The Dawn of Man? when the monolith suddenly appears because only one Australiopithicus is brave enough to be the first to tough the monolith. I believe this is the same Australiopithicus who realizes bones can be used as tools, and who leads the rest of Group 1 to the waterhole and kills a member of Group 2. Also, Dr. Heywood Floyd is clearly the leader of the Americans. For instance, Dr. Floyd was sent on a special trip to the moon to represent the National Space Council. Additionally, everyone follows Dr. Floyd down to where TMA #1 stands. Like the Australiopithicine, Dr. Floyd is stirred by his first view of TMA #1. Also, Dr. Heywood Floyd is the first person to touch TMA #1 like the leader of Group 1 was the first Australiopithicus to touch the monolith.
The most outstanding similarity between ?The Dawn of Man? and ?Discovery of the Monolith? is the portrayal of tools. The movie strongly suggests the tool is a weapon of destruction when the rotating bone dissolves into a space satellite. Moreover, this also suggests that humanity is still in a primitive stage since humans still cannot conquer their primeval instincts. Therefore, man?s tools are just as much as a threat to him as they are a benefit.
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