This was a bit of a heartbreaking post to read Joshua, but I'm glad I've read it because you make some poignant (and chilling) points. I have not watched this film, and probably won't as my daughters are teenagers, so it is increasingly difficult to sneak in those mother-and-daughter(s) time. But I was sad to read that the movie had no father figure. I personally don't subscribe to this idea that men are villains, "toxic," or absent. And you may have just explained to me why I always search for the human cashier. I hate those self-service cashiers. One of the most overlooked opportunities for connection is when I smile at a cashier and she asks me if I need a bag. And sometimes we can get into deeper conversations. It's those simple human connections that make life for me so rich and worthwhile.
Yes, as someone who works from home, I do appreciate a little human contact when I'm out and about! I hear that fathers come into the book series in the sequel and possibly also in the third volume, so perhaps this is a point Peter Brown heard from readers early on :). I'm not sure that the father is omitted from contemporary children's literature for nefarious reasons, but it is an absence that I feel and that jangles with my efforts to be a fully engaged caregiver. I don't mean that to be the whole point of this piece, and if it is then that is my fault. The deeper dissonance comes from the interesting idea of a robot navigating a wilderness and then realizing that it's not a wilderness at all. I suspect that a true wilderness would eat even the most advanced robot for lunch!
Interesting! I wonder if ROZZUM is a reference to Rossum's Universal Robots? If so, the author is starting from a very dark premise where exploitation and slavery and "learning savagery" are all a part of the starting place. I also wonder, have you ever noticed, in children's stories, how often the mothers are dead?
Oh sometimes both parents are dead, but often it’s just a dead mom. All those evil stepmothers have to come from somewhere I guess. RUR is very much worth your time: it’s short and funny and has lots to say about humanity’s failures… as it ushers humanity out of existence & replaces us with something that dreams of becoming just as bad! ;)
Right -- the evil stepmothers. I wasn't thinking about fairy tales! Now I'm wondering how those tropes play out across other cultures, or whether it's a uniquely European phenomenon. Influenced by mortality rates and lifespans 200+ years ago, no doubt, but still interesting.
Nice catch! I did not consider that allusion, but it makes sense, especially since the corporation in Brown's book/film is "Universal Dynamics." My friend Miloš, who gives excellent tours in Prague, is fond of reminding Americans that Karel Čapek coined the term "robot" in his play (which I have not read). Brown does attribute some of that darkness to the Universal Dynamics headquarters, but Rozz's wilderness saga seems more accidental.
Interesting point about the dead mother trope. I'm aware of this in Disney films (Frozen, for instance). Other examples? The picture books in our home library overwhelmingly feature nurturing mothers. And I expect you've seen my coverage of the Berenstain Bears, where Papa is a perpetual child and Mama is the only emotional grownup? :)
This was a bit of a heartbreaking post to read Joshua, but I'm glad I've read it because you make some poignant (and chilling) points. I have not watched this film, and probably won't as my daughters are teenagers, so it is increasingly difficult to sneak in those mother-and-daughter(s) time. But I was sad to read that the movie had no father figure. I personally don't subscribe to this idea that men are villains, "toxic," or absent. And you may have just explained to me why I always search for the human cashier. I hate those self-service cashiers. One of the most overlooked opportunities for connection is when I smile at a cashier and she asks me if I need a bag. And sometimes we can get into deeper conversations. It's those simple human connections that make life for me so rich and worthwhile.
Yes, as someone who works from home, I do appreciate a little human contact when I'm out and about! I hear that fathers come into the book series in the sequel and possibly also in the third volume, so perhaps this is a point Peter Brown heard from readers early on :). I'm not sure that the father is omitted from contemporary children's literature for nefarious reasons, but it is an absence that I feel and that jangles with my efforts to be a fully engaged caregiver. I don't mean that to be the whole point of this piece, and if it is then that is my fault. The deeper dissonance comes from the interesting idea of a robot navigating a wilderness and then realizing that it's not a wilderness at all. I suspect that a true wilderness would eat even the most advanced robot for lunch!
I so want you to read Duplex by Kathryn Davis. In the future I may post a review right here. A story with a robot that will make your heart sing.
I'll add it to my list -- thank you!
Interesting! I wonder if ROZZUM is a reference to Rossum's Universal Robots? If so, the author is starting from a very dark premise where exploitation and slavery and "learning savagery" are all a part of the starting place. I also wonder, have you ever noticed, in children's stories, how often the mothers are dead?
Oh sometimes both parents are dead, but often it’s just a dead mom. All those evil stepmothers have to come from somewhere I guess. RUR is very much worth your time: it’s short and funny and has lots to say about humanity’s failures… as it ushers humanity out of existence & replaces us with something that dreams of becoming just as bad! ;)
Right -- the evil stepmothers. I wasn't thinking about fairy tales! Now I'm wondering how those tropes play out across other cultures, or whether it's a uniquely European phenomenon. Influenced by mortality rates and lifespans 200+ years ago, no doubt, but still interesting.
I shall add R.U.R. to my list!
Nice catch! I did not consider that allusion, but it makes sense, especially since the corporation in Brown's book/film is "Universal Dynamics." My friend Miloš, who gives excellent tours in Prague, is fond of reminding Americans that Karel Čapek coined the term "robot" in his play (which I have not read). Brown does attribute some of that darkness to the Universal Dynamics headquarters, but Rozz's wilderness saga seems more accidental.
Interesting point about the dead mother trope. I'm aware of this in Disney films (Frozen, for instance). Other examples? The picture books in our home library overwhelmingly feature nurturing mothers. And I expect you've seen my coverage of the Berenstain Bears, where Papa is a perpetual child and Mama is the only emotional grownup? :)