Huilan Liu Chia
The thing as modern fiction articulates science as a social construct within the context of fear and mistrust. The stray dog as brought up in the film is a creation of mankind so as to instill fear in the society. It is vital to underscore that the events occurring in the film are fictitious. In reality, there is no way a dog can be causing fear and anxiety amongst human beings with its overwhelming capabilities like the ones being witnessed in the “Thing.” Aliens and related creatures are products of scientific experiments in laboratories as man pursues advancements and breakthroughs. They are constructed by scientists to advance their own ambitions and objectives in the society. Even though technology in the 80s was not all that developed as it today, in the movie there is a manifestation of just how far man can go in terms of power in the society. The alien dog which seems to be a very prominent character has been used to articulate how technology can be used to perpetrate evil. This is because of the fact that the dog has been given immortal characteristics by its ability to undergo transformations into any imaginable forms. This makes it to play around and destroy human life. The worst part of it is that, this creature is deadly and it is very hard to eliminate. This is unlike in the normal life whereby a dog has been known to be a very good friend to man. The movie to some extent manages to paint a picture of the conflict that can result if this friend of man is out of control.
Scientists try to find a solution to this deadly creature through research analysis. As demonstrated in the movie, it is through the discovery of the weaknesses in the creature that occasions its elimination and hence prevents further damages.
Mistrust is a theme that runs from the beginning to the end of the film. The ability of the alien to imitate human beings is an important aspect that has been use to illustrate the theme. MacReady has been depicted to be very careful about the features of the alien and as soon as they are indicated in an individual, immediate action is taken. This is the main reason he manages to survive the tricks of the alien. His theory that any piece of the alien is capable of developing into a monster seems to be true in the film. This resembles the propagation mode of reproduction in some living organisms are explained by science. In the world today there is a reality of diseases. People live fearing to be infected by deadly pathogens just like the movie, there is fear of being infected and assimilated by the alien genes. Despite the precaution that has been taken, the infections become inevitable particularly when individuals are not aware of the capabilities of the alien.
In relationship to what has already been covered in the writings, the use of technology to demonstrate power and might has been the main agenda for the director of the film. The evidence of this type of construct is depicted in the film when the alien dog is developed by the human mind and eventually comes to overpower man himself. Another important thing that has been illustrated in the movie in relation to what has been covered in the course concerns the negative effects of technology. This particularly concerns events whereby technology and science have been used for terrorist activities. In the movie it can be argued that the alien dog might have been created by an enemy of the United States so as to advance terrorist activities. The alien monster in the movie is just a destructive creation that interferes with the progress that has been achieved by the United States. It should never be overlooked that the director had in mind the objective of cautioning the United States to take cover in the event terrorists use science and technology in their future unfortunate activities.
The important thing that I learn from the film is that science and technology can be very deadly is wrongly used by individuals who are out to satisfy their selfish interests. Indeed from the movie what comes out clearly is that technology can create fear in the human being. In the movie it has been illustrated that technology can lead to the suffering and death of human beings. The message being conveyed in the movie concerns the fact that scientists have to be cautious with their inventions. This is because there are certain technologies that can lead to the complete wiping out of the human race especially with mutations that lead to the development of immortal aliens. Essentially the entire film seems to be a chase between Mac Ready and the organism. In the course of being pursued the organism has created fear in the movie because of its lethal characteristics. This is indeed a demonstration that evil in the society can at times be a very difficult thing to eliminate. This is while in consideration of the fact that evil striving to win and at the same time there is a struggle for good to prevail in the human society. Through the chase between the monster and Mac Ready the author has managed to strategically articulate the level of distrust and paranoia that characterizes the modern times as technology and science continue to dominate all spheres of life on earth.
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