EE1 Essay

[BakerDad12]

Critically analyse how the complexity of reality has been explored in your study of Re-Imagined Worlds. In your response, make detailed reference to two prescribed texts and one related text of your own choosing.

The human condition is one that varies with each individual it manifests in - idiosyncrasies are the norm, and uniformity is a rarity. Regardless, humans, in their evolving state of minds, attempt to present a uniform code that is adhered to by all of society - the written and unwritten laws of living. When superimposed against the dissonances of each person, clashes are abound and conflict is pervasive. As a result, the complexity of the human condition is palpable. Composers Guillermo del Toro and Ursula le Guin explore in detail a facet of nuanced reality, an action shared by contemporary artist Donald Glover. Through their texts, Pan’s Labyrinth, Left Hand of Darkness (LHOD) and This is America, respectively, these composers reimagine a complex aspect of reality they have experienced into their texts. In doing so, they disclose their idiosyncratic interpretation of the complex issue at hand, and provoke their audiences to feel the same ways, forging a metatheatrical complexity to literature itself.

Guillermo del Toro reimagines the pessimism that pervaded post civil-war Spain, a result of the moral transgressions committed by both Francoits and the Republic, ultimately scarring the psyche of Spain itself, into his film Pan’s Labyrinth. Specifically, he explores the notions of moral complexity that war and fighting engenders, postulating his interpretation that moral relativity is futile and that there exists a dichotomy of good and evil, calibrated through choice and choice alone. For example, del Toro personifies evil as Captain Vidal, an embodiment of the Francoist regime’s values. For example, the slow zoom in to a close-up of his face, as he says “If we have to, we’ll kill all of these motherfuckers” because “we’re here by choice” characterises him as a man corrupted by evil, a belief he chooses to adhere to. This is accentuated through the symbolism of the Pale Man, who sits at the head of a bounteous feast but feeds upon innocence only. It is thus evident that del Toro subverts the belief of moral relativity, and instead depicts the simplicity of morality. This is strengthened through his exaltation of the rebels, highlighted through the long-range shot of the rebels emerging from the bushes, basked in light, to symbolise them as a force of goodness. This is accentuated through the non-diegetic orchestral music rising to a crescendo. He shows how - as the rebel Pedro says when shown the futility of his campaign against the government - “There is no choice”. Thus, del Toro exalts choice as the fabricator of morality. He presents a dichotomous view of this aspect of reality, a notion spurred on by his encounters with the horrors of the SPanish Civil War.

This is an exposition of reality carried by Ursula le Guin. Aligning with teh values of both the 2nd-wave feminist movemenet, which emphasises the physical and social liberation of women, and the post-modern feminist theory, which sought to decontruct social notions of gender as a whole, le Guin reimagines this intersection into her novel, LHOD. She highlights the need to deconstruct gender roles in society, which only sow disharmony amongst humanity. She thus, as del Toro did, presents a simplistic yet holistic view of the gender issues pervading contemporary society. She utilises a hybridisation of genres within her novel, employing ostensibly objective reports to evoke the truth of her ideas. For example, the First Investigator of Gethen writes that “one is respected and judged only as a human being” in the world of Winter, where anrogynous beings prevail. She further uses satirical absurdity, as the 1st Investigator believes this manifestation of equality is “appalling” to highlight the deeply inculcated notion that gender roles must prevail. This is furthered by referring to both Genly and Estraven as “alien” subsequently, highlighting that when gender roles are deconstructed, there is nothing separating our innate humanity. Thus, le Guin reveals the deconstruction of gender roles that is necessary for society, and once again aligning with del Toro, presents a dichotomous perspective as opposed ao nuanced one. Ultimately, she presents the platform not only for the deconstruction of gender roles, but for the wider need to unify humankind. This is evident within the symbolism as Stokven, Estraven’s socially-dictated enemy, lays “his palm to Estraven’s palm” and that “finger by finger, their two hands matched, like the hands of one man”. Le Guin reveals how any divisive barriers separating humanity were socially constructed and must be deconstructed to achieve human flourishing. Consequently, she highlights the simplicity surrounding the conversation of gender roles, and implores us, her audience, to strive towards a state of human unity.

Donald Glover also presents this belief. Driven by his experiences of racial injustice and the discrimination, subtle or explicit, towards black Americans, Glover reimagines these injustices into his music video This is Americsa. Although Glover doesn’t promote one view or perspective explicitly, he reifies multiple social and political issues into his text, constructing a microcosm of the life of a black American. For example, the juxtaposition between a jovial black man playing acoustic guitar, with the visceral close-up of Gambino murdering the man, reveals the oppressive milieu surrounding black Americans. This is accentuated through the demand shot as Glover says “This is America, don’t catch you slipping up”. Glover discloses that black Americans must never yield to comfort, for their world reciprocates little. Glover highlights the complex issues of racially-charged American, and by revealing the horrible oppression black Americans endure, Glover, as le Guin and del Toro before him, presents a dichotomous view of racial politics. This is a notion strengthened through the multiple murders in the video, which each contain a jarring transition from upbeat gospel music, symbolising hope and religious security, to aggressive electronic trap music, which represents the contemporary climate of racial affairs. Furthermore, Glover alludes to not only individual racial experiences, but to the wider issue of gun violence causing the deaths of multiple innocent black Americans, a notion evidenced through the juxtapositioni between the murder weapon, always a gun, being wrapped in a red cloth, with the bodies being dragged away recklessly, symbolising the exatation of guns at the expense of the lives of black Americans. Glover, due to his experience with racial injustice, reimagines the complex racial climate of America into a simple, concise message.

Therefore, all three composers explore the complexity of reality through their texts. Driven by their individual experiences with certain issues, the aforementioned composers reimagine these nuances into their texts and present their interpretations of it. They thuys convey a simplified and concise, yet holistic, argument, imploring their audience to cohere to their understanding of the complexities of reality.