Is Bicentennial Man an Allegory for the history of Slavery?

Great Debates
1

If you have not seen the movie, you may not want to read ahead.
Just watched Bicentennial Man with Robin Williams and it seems to me that the movie had him follow a similar path as to that of the history of slavery.

He started out as a servant. He was referred to as property. He was not even close to being human. One of the family members even tried to kill him since she did not value him and did not like him around.

Even when he showed that he was more than a robot, his uniqueness was put down. He was an annomoly and should be fixed.

Some of the family did accept him, but he was still thought of as property by the patriarch. When he asked for his freedom the father got mad. He said he did not want to leave the house and that he would still do whatever the father asked, but he wanted to be thought of as a family member not property.

The father made him leave the house and told him that if he wanted freedom, then he would have to pay the consequences.

He built his house and began his own life and on the father’s death bed the father appologized. But others in the family still treated him with contempt.

He gained the look of a human and he fell in love with the descendant of the original family, she said that they would likely never be accepted as a couple, because he was not thought of as human. He petitioned the World Council to be declared human and was denied. The head of the council was an old white guy.

Later near the end of his life, he petitioned them again and this time it was headed by a younger black woman. It still took years but as he was on his death bed he was declared human and his marriage to the descendant of his original family was validated. He died before he heard the news.

Also, there is a female robot that is not upgraded as he has been and is still being treated like a servant by the guy who is upgrading him. It is not until the end when he is dying that she is upgraded to become human like as well.

My wife pointed out that the female robot basically broke the first robot law. She unplugged the life support of Andrew’s wife at the request of his wife, the first robot law says that a robot cannot obey an order that will harm a human. Basically she killed the woman at her request. So she finally had achieved the decision making ability of humans and had gone beyond her programming.

So, am I all wet or is this symbolic of the history of slavery?

Jeffery

2

This movie was adapted from a short story by Isaac Asimov and he is, unfortunately, now deceased. It’s certainly possible, but I doubt that Asimov would have been so blatant in his symbolism. I may look for a copy while I’m on vacation next week.

Try this: http://harlanellison.com/home.htm

As an old Trekker, I’m sure you know who Harlan Ellison is. He was also one of Asimov’s best friends. While it’s unlikely he’d respond directly, one of his other fans may be able to tell you. They have their own Bulletin Board at http://harlanellison.com/heboard/brdbull.htm

I’m thinking about posting over there myself.

>< DARWIN >
__L___L

3

Again a spoiler warning for those who haven’t seen the mvie or read the story.

I haven’t seen the movie but I have read the Asimov story. The story may have had a slight theme of rising from slavery, but it was clear that the main theme was becoming human and what that means. The climax of Asimov’s story was when the robot voluntarily surrendered his immortality, saying his existence had no purpose unless he could become human. This ending would have no clear parallel in a allegory about slavery.

4

I haven’t seen the movie because I almost never enjoy anything with Williams in it (there are a couple exceptions, such as Awakenings). I have read the story though, and I’m disappointed (though not surprised) to learn that the movie completely blew it.

I think the central theme of both however, is about changing public percpetions so that you are seen as what you are (a human). In a very real sense this is what most civil rights movements have been about. I don’t know if it was in the movie, but in the book there was one scene where he was seen by some basic red-necks who made fun of him for being a robot wearing human clothes and beat him up. This reminds me of many of the things that I’ve heard about from the 50s and 60s and in more recent years such as gay-bashing. This is without doubt direct commentary on Asimovs part (and he often did make social statements through is writing, as many if not most sci-fi writers do), I’ve always thought so.

5

I do not think the movie was completely about slavery, but it seemed to have the unriding theme be about slavery and about becoming human.

He is told that he cannot be classified as human because he is immortal, so he develops a way to make his robot body age and therefore eventually die.

This possibility of death creates the situation for the world to see him as potentially human.

Jeffery

6

How about this one? Is King Kong an Allegory for Interracial Dating?

7

I’m not serious, by the way.

8

One of my favorite Sci-Fi books, “Silver Metal Lover”, by Tanith Lee, has basically the same theme. I think it’s probably more a reflection on societies ambiguity about rapidly accelerating technology than it is a slavery allegory.

“50+ years of Golden Dominance”

9

How about this one? Is Spice World an Allegory for bad filmmaking?

10

*tracer: How about this one? Is Spice World an Allegory for bad filmmaking? *

Not an allegory, a definition.

Although I did like the scene (that I just saw in the previews) where one of them asked whether her skirt was too short, was told no, then hiked it up higher. :wink:

I looked in the mirror today/My eyes just didn’t seem so bright
I’ve lost a few more hairs/I think I’m going bald - Rush

11

I don’t think Bicentennial Man is an Allegory slavery. There may be some parallels, but Asimov was mainly trying to make an important point regarding the anthropocentricity of humans. The same emotional mechanisms that drive anthropocentric behaviors also drive discrimination based on other factors such as race, religion, socio-economic status, etc… The parallels in behavior are therefore a natural outcome, however if the story was an alegory for slavery, Andrew would not have been granted his freedom so easily the first time he asked for it. Also it was clear that Andrew did not feel oppressed by his ‘owners’.

12

I think that it was also getting to point of what defines sentience and when do we become ‘human’. This is a central theme in many Sci Fi stories, but when the robot is absent, is also a theme in literature of all ages. The question is, when did we gain consciousness and cross the line from beast to man?

13

The scariest thing about the movie is that Robin W. now looks like Steve Guttenberg since he (obviously) got a face lift.

Seems to be an allegory about vanity… :slight_smile:

14

Way off topic, but, was the Kurt Russell Sci-Fi movie “Soldier” a remake of “Shane”?

15

While on the subject of R. Williams, his best dramatic performance never took place on the big screen, but on the smallish boob tube, as the grieving husband of a murder victim in the Homicide: Life on the Street episode, “Bop Gun.” Say I.

“The Good deserve a higher plane of existence than this life can offer, The Bad an even higher.”

16

I’m wondering if Asimov answered this question himself in one of his autobiographies. The anthologies I have of his short stories all preface each story with a page or two about why and how he wrote it. No mention of slavery in my copy of this story. Still, the man wrote enough about himself and this might have been asked of him. I’ll check it out.