September 26th: The Alien Other

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Moodle2 Posts

Remember, you won't get full credit if your initial posts aren't at least 250 words. Some of you post in response to others, and that's great, but you need to have an initial post that meets the 250-word requirement.

Superior Aliens and Inferior Humans

Many Sci Fi stories have a superior alien race that helps, enslaves, or does both to humans. Most of those narratives can be interpreted as allusions to the ways some groups of humans have treated other groups. Below are key terms for our discussion today that are important for understanding the stories for today:

• Hegemony: the dominance of a group over another group; the hegemons' power allows it to dictate the dominant or prevailing values of a culture. In our cultural studies approach, we see the effects of hegemony when we uncover the prevailing values in American culture.
• Imperialism: a nation (usually an empire) that rules or has authority over foreign countries or lands; those lands are often called or considered "colonies."
• Jingoism: patriotic chauvinism, often vocal and loud, in regard to one's country being the best; jingoes advocate a large military preparedness often under the guise of patriotism; they a vehemently patriotic.
• Superpower: a world power that has influence over other nations, often pulling those smaller groups into their cause against another superpower.

All the words above share one common trait: superiority.

Clarke's "The Sentinel" is more subtle in its treatment of the superior-alien-inferior-human narrative, but it's still about a life form that's vastly superior to us in technological terms. Let's examine that before getting into Tenn's more common narrative of superior aliens destroying us.

Arthur C. Clarke's "The Sentinel" (1951)

Normally, we go right into the meaning of the texts, but I wanted to have us consider prose style for a little bit. In some English classes, prose style would be the main focal point of the course, and interpretation wouldn't be as prominent. Let's take a look at how the Earth is described in Clarke's story and in other technical writing situations.

Clarke: "Those wanderers must have looked on Earth, circling safely in the narrow zone between fire and ice, and must have guessed that it was the favorite of the Sun's children." (p. 249)

Planets for Kids: "The Earth differs from all the other planets because it has such a wide diversity of life and intelligent beings. This has only been possible because of the Earth's atmosphere which has protected the Earth and allowed life to flourish." (end of page)

Wikipedia: "Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets. It is sometimes referred to as the world or the Blue Planet. Earth formed approximately 4.54 billion years ago, and life appeared on its surface within its first billion years." (para. 1-2)

What are some similarities and differences in the prose style (who language is used--diction, sentence structure, figurative phrases, etc.) of the above passages about the Earth?

Interpreting Clarke's "The Sentinel"

As the Anthology editors tell us, Clarke's story's "cognitive appeal is the challenge it poses to conventional notions of humanity's place in the universe" (p. 242). As mentioned, we tend to put ourselves on top! We consider ourselves to be the most significant creatures, and our stories are full of examples of our greatness. Clarke and other Sci Fi writers use the possibility of superior aliens to try to get us to see life from a different perspective. America is a superpower and looked to as a beacon of hope and a nation of strength by many people. Of course, not all people look to America that way, but we'd be going out of our way if we denied that a large portion of the world views America that way. Therefore, Americans see themselves as great, and that influences our worldviews. What if we weren't the greatest group?

Clarke's story (and some of his others--Childhood's End for instance) is more hopeful about the alien other than other Sci Fi writers. In "The Sentinel," humans are making progress (possibly) to one day be like the superior aliens who left the pyramid for us to find and signal them once we made sufficient progress. If you've read (or seen the movie) 2001: A Space Odyssey, you'll know that it's about making contact. "The Sentinel" is the basis for 2001: A Space Odyssey, which expands on this concept of trying to contact the alien other.

Let's consider the following:

• Knowledge and the superior life form: "They left a sentinel, one of millions they have scattered throughout the Universe, watching over worlds with the promise of life" (p. 249).
• Progress: "The Egyptians could have done it [created the crystal-looking pyramid]...if their workman had possessed whatever strange materials these far more ancient architects had used" (p. 247).
• Scientific Speculation: "there are times when a scientist must not be afraid to make a fool of himself" (p.245).
• Technology for good and bad: "It is a double challenge, for it depends in turn upon the conquest of atomic energy and the last choice between life and death" (p. 249).
• Role of Women: "I stood by the frying pan waiting, like any terrestrial housewife, for the sausages to brown (p. 243).

William Tenn's "The Liberation of Earth" (1953)

Satire and Allusion. "The Liberation of Earth" is a satire on imperialism and alludes (makes allusions) to superpower conflicts using less powerful nations and peoples. It's not just referring to US-Soviet Cold War issues (although it foreshadows the proxy wars that the two nations fought for decades), it also alludes to the imperialistic practices of European nations that sought to conquer the world and have bases (colonies) far from the homeland to supply resources. There's also a satire on the United Nations and the Security Council make up of hegemonic powers. As you read, you might have referenced Tuesday's reading "Coming Attraction," which showed us that players have to agree to the rules of the game and, therefore, are complicit in the game's execution. Likewise, those who govern do so by the consent of the governed.

The Big Picture

Aliens use Earth as a battleground to try to defeat or, more accurately, push out each other from controlling an area. Each new ruler is seen as a "Liberation" but the Earth and humans suffer greatly. There's an obvious comment here with each new "liberation" that there need to be intermediaries between the governing body and those governed--a group must be assimilated into the hegemon's (the dominant power's) worldview.

Reading between the Lines

Of course, this story isn't about aliens taking over--that's just the surface. It's really about using other groups as pawns--minor, not-so-powerful players--in a game/war between two powerful groups. Also, it's about being powerless to do anything about it: You're going to be ruled over no matter what.

Key places to consider:

• "a human scientist, investigating the shimmering machines, touched a projecting edge and promptly shrank into a disappearing pinpoint" (p. 270)
• "a benevolent ostracism" (p. 270)
• "A temporary stalemate had been reached a short while ago, and--reeling and breathless--both sides were using the lull to strengthen weak spots in their perimeter" (p. 271).
• "the ego of [the Earthling's] was greatly damaged by the discovery, in the course of a routine journalistic interview, that the aliens totaled no more powerful a group than a squad" (p. 274).
• One cannot, after all, turn one's back on progress!" (p. 275).

There are also subtle allusions to "fueling the war effort" by making sacrifices at home; for instance, rationing resources that are important for fighting: "Don't salinate--sugarfy!" (p. 279).

• American WWII ad about canning your own food
• British WWII Food Rationing ad
• US War Bonds Propaganda/Campaigns
• Buy Drugs...Support Terrorism

Next Week

Don't forget your Moodle2 prompt for tonight. For Tuesday, have read Stanley G. Weinbaum's "A Martian Odyssey" (1934) and James Patrick Kelly's "Think Like a Dinosaur" (1995) both in the Anthology.

Your Midterm Exam will be on Thursday, 10/03 on Moodle2. Read carefully and review the webpages and your notes.

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