Prologue
The paper I have written is an analysis of The Twlight Zone The Obsolete Man. I will provide a quick summary of the episode for those who have not had the pleasure of seeing it. In a futuristic totalitarian world, meek and mild-mannered librarian Romney Wordsworth finds himself on trial for being obsolete. This future society has decided on everything people need to know. There is no God and there are no books. Society doesn't need librarians. Romney makes an impassioned plea about his rights and free will but the judge in the case, the Chancellor, will have nothing of it. The jury finds Romney obsolete and orders him to be executed. As he can choose the method of his death, Romney's plans include a little surprise for the Chancellor. There is a link below that leads to the full episode for anyone wishing to view it.
The paper I have written is an analysis of The Twlight Zone The Obsolete Man. I will provide a quick summary of the episode for those who have not had the pleasure of seeing it. In a futuristic totalitarian world, meek and mild-mannered librarian Romney Wordsworth finds himself on trial for being obsolete. This future society has decided on everything people need to know. There is no God and there are no books. Society doesn't need librarians. Romney makes an impassioned plea about his rights and free will but the judge in the case, the Chancellor, will have nothing of it. The jury finds Romney obsolete and orders him to be executed. As he can choose the method of his death, Romney's plans include a little surprise for the Chancellor. There is a link below that leads to the full episode for anyone wishing to view it.
Being Made an Obsolete Man by the State of Today
"The Obsolete Man" is set in a dystopian world, where the State is given the authority and power to determine what it logical, true, important and meaningful. Once a State is given this commodity there is no stopping the slippery slope into tyranny. In a totalitarian society, "logic is an enemy and truth is a menace." Librarian Romney Wordsworth is facing the final hours of his life; he has been charged with obsolescence, a crime worthy of the death sentence. He also believes in God which is also cause for the death penalty in the Twilight Zone. "The Obsolete Man" portrays ideas about the rights of man, the power of free will, the importance of faith, and the elemental corruption of a State that attempts to dominate and debase the human spirit. Rod Serling uses lighting, scene design, color, character development, and social historical context to support these ideas.
The social historical context of this episode gives the reader a very real look into the inspiration for this video. The original air date of "The Obsolete Man" was June 2, 1961. This was the era of the Cold War and the Civil Rights movement. Many Americans were fearful during this time. There was not only the fear of a nuclear war but also the fear of being wrongly accused of being communist. During this time in our nation's history it was the African Americans who were considered to be obsolete. Our state denied inalienable human rights to African Americans during most of the 1960's. The Twilight Zone broadcast, "The Obsolete Man" empathizes with diverse demographics of the American public.
The rights of mankind have always been a struggle and the power of free will is a right that will always trump any state or government. In this episode of the Twilight Zone, Romney Wordsworth's rights as a human being are not only challenged but ultimately taken away. The State chooses who is valuable and who is obsolete to the society. Wordsworth is guilty of obsolescence because he is a librarian and works with books. Serling uses this as an example of our own government here in America. The United States government is in a way like the ruling power in this episode. They control many aspects of our country and they alone determine the laws and regulations.
Faith is one facet of life that government or state cannot take away from anyone. Faith is an expression of hope for something better and is rooted in the heart. Faith gives us strength in difficult times. Wordsworth uses his faith in God to be strong until the very end. Faith helps Wordsworth endure all the prosecution. In the episode, Romney reads from his bible during the last hours of his life, showing that he is at peace with his sentence. However, the Chancellor is not in the same state of mind as Wordsworth. He tries to put on a face for the televised event of death, but in the end he fails for keep his composure. "In the name of God let me out!" (The Obsolete Man, 1961) These are the words the Chancellor calls out as he realizes that he has only minutes left to live before the bomb goes off in the room. By crying out in desperation the Chancellor disproves the States belief that there is no God. Ultimately Wordsworth accomplishes his goal and proves that the State "cannot erase God, with an edict!" (The Obsolete Man, 1961)
In "The Obsolete Man" the State dominates and controls the public with their ideology. The purpose of this is to ensure that no one creates resistance against the State. Similar to "The Obsolete Man" our own government attempts to create their own "Twilight Zone". Through social media the government persuades viewers to conform to their own ideas and preferences. Many citizens succeed to the
government's ideals and propaganda. When in reality, a democracy like the United States should have the power and control in the hands of the people. In the episode the jury, followers of the State, act as robots. It is as if they had been brain washed to think exactly like the State. Through these actions, the viewer can see the extreme jingoism from the officials of the State. Their intent is to obey and enforce the rules and regulations that have been enacted into law by the State. However, the State does not realize the corruption that it is exerting on the citizens such as Wordsworth. The narrator states "The Chancellor, the late chancellor, was only partly correct. He was obsolete, but so is the State, the entity he worshiped. Any state, any entity any ideology that fails to recognize the worth, the dignity, the rights of man,
that state is obsolete" (The Obsolete Man, 1961).
The episode captures the attention of the viewer from the opening scene. The Chancellor (Fritz Weaver) stands at the top of a tall pyramid-shaped podium. Wordsworth is called in to face the charges against him in a courtroom that is dark and filled with shadows. Wordsworth will soon be liquidated as a penalty because he is made of flesh and has an independent mind that does not conform to the State. Serling indirectly uses various points of elevation to give power to Weaver. In the first scene, the viewers attention is drawn to the towering podium where the Chancellor asserts his power and dominance. "It is important, therefore, to develop a podium presence from the beginning-with confidence, authority and always in good form" (Commanding A Podium Presence).
Since "The Obsolete Man" was filmed in black and white the producers were not able to use color to their advantage. They were however able to utilize shadows to create a mood in the production. "Shadows look more distinct in black and white than they do in color. When shooting a dark story that is going to get a lot of its mood from the shadows you should consider shooting in black and white to achieve the feeling you wish to evoke" (Production: How To Use Shadows To Evoke Mood). As seen in the episode, many shadows are utilized. There are the shadows of the two gigantic doors in the judgment chambers. These may be alluding to the power of the state with the size of the shadows. In addition to the tall podium there is an irrationally long table at the base of it. The table could be insinuating the long reach that the State has over the public.
In the production "The Obsolete Man" in the Twilight Zone series, Rob Serling demonstrates how the American government is similar to the State in that "authority" is the ultimate decider on whether or not citizens are of value or obsolete. He proves that the State itself is obsolete if it does not recognize the value of man and their inalienable rights to free will. Many governments try to create a dystopian world such as that in the Twilight Zone, but citizens of these governments must realize that they ultimately have the last say. This is evident in the final scene where Wordsworth proved his worth to the State prior to his execution. Serling allows the audience to conclude that Americans too can use their jingoism to fight for what they believe and not let the government dictate their lives.
Works Cited
"Commanding A Podium Presence." Healthcare Executive 27.2 (2012): 48. MEDLINE
with Full Text. Web.20 Oct. 2014.
"Production: How To Use Shadows To Evoke Mood." Steve's Digicams. N.P., n.d.
Web. 16 Oct. 2014.
"The Obsolete Man." The Twilight Zone: Second Season. Writ. Rod Serling. Dir. Elliot
Silverstein. 1961.
"The Obsolete Man" is set in a dystopian world, where the State is given the authority and power to determine what it logical, true, important and meaningful. Once a State is given this commodity there is no stopping the slippery slope into tyranny. In a totalitarian society, "logic is an enemy and truth is a menace." Librarian Romney Wordsworth is facing the final hours of his life; he has been charged with obsolescence, a crime worthy of the death sentence. He also believes in God which is also cause for the death penalty in the Twilight Zone. "The Obsolete Man" portrays ideas about the rights of man, the power of free will, the importance of faith, and the elemental corruption of a State that attempts to dominate and debase the human spirit. Rod Serling uses lighting, scene design, color, character development, and social historical context to support these ideas.
The social historical context of this episode gives the reader a very real look into the inspiration for this video. The original air date of "The Obsolete Man" was June 2, 1961. This was the era of the Cold War and the Civil Rights movement. Many Americans were fearful during this time. There was not only the fear of a nuclear war but also the fear of being wrongly accused of being communist. During this time in our nation's history it was the African Americans who were considered to be obsolete. Our state denied inalienable human rights to African Americans during most of the 1960's. The Twilight Zone broadcast, "The Obsolete Man" empathizes with diverse demographics of the American public.
The rights of mankind have always been a struggle and the power of free will is a right that will always trump any state or government. In this episode of the Twilight Zone, Romney Wordsworth's rights as a human being are not only challenged but ultimately taken away. The State chooses who is valuable and who is obsolete to the society. Wordsworth is guilty of obsolescence because he is a librarian and works with books. Serling uses this as an example of our own government here in America. The United States government is in a way like the ruling power in this episode. They control many aspects of our country and they alone determine the laws and regulations.
Faith is one facet of life that government or state cannot take away from anyone. Faith is an expression of hope for something better and is rooted in the heart. Faith gives us strength in difficult times. Wordsworth uses his faith in God to be strong until the very end. Faith helps Wordsworth endure all the prosecution. In the episode, Romney reads from his bible during the last hours of his life, showing that he is at peace with his sentence. However, the Chancellor is not in the same state of mind as Wordsworth. He tries to put on a face for the televised event of death, but in the end he fails for keep his composure. "In the name of God let me out!" (The Obsolete Man, 1961) These are the words the Chancellor calls out as he realizes that he has only minutes left to live before the bomb goes off in the room. By crying out in desperation the Chancellor disproves the States belief that there is no God. Ultimately Wordsworth accomplishes his goal and proves that the State "cannot erase God, with an edict!" (The Obsolete Man, 1961)
In "The Obsolete Man" the State dominates and controls the public with their ideology. The purpose of this is to ensure that no one creates resistance against the State. Similar to "The Obsolete Man" our own government attempts to create their own "Twilight Zone". Through social media the government persuades viewers to conform to their own ideas and preferences. Many citizens succeed to the
government's ideals and propaganda. When in reality, a democracy like the United States should have the power and control in the hands of the people. In the episode the jury, followers of the State, act as robots. It is as if they had been brain washed to think exactly like the State. Through these actions, the viewer can see the extreme jingoism from the officials of the State. Their intent is to obey and enforce the rules and regulations that have been enacted into law by the State. However, the State does not realize the corruption that it is exerting on the citizens such as Wordsworth. The narrator states "The Chancellor, the late chancellor, was only partly correct. He was obsolete, but so is the State, the entity he worshiped. Any state, any entity any ideology that fails to recognize the worth, the dignity, the rights of man,
that state is obsolete" (The Obsolete Man, 1961).
The episode captures the attention of the viewer from the opening scene. The Chancellor (Fritz Weaver) stands at the top of a tall pyramid-shaped podium. Wordsworth is called in to face the charges against him in a courtroom that is dark and filled with shadows. Wordsworth will soon be liquidated as a penalty because he is made of flesh and has an independent mind that does not conform to the State. Serling indirectly uses various points of elevation to give power to Weaver. In the first scene, the viewers attention is drawn to the towering podium where the Chancellor asserts his power and dominance. "It is important, therefore, to develop a podium presence from the beginning-with confidence, authority and always in good form" (Commanding A Podium Presence).
Since "The Obsolete Man" was filmed in black and white the producers were not able to use color to their advantage. They were however able to utilize shadows to create a mood in the production. "Shadows look more distinct in black and white than they do in color. When shooting a dark story that is going to get a lot of its mood from the shadows you should consider shooting in black and white to achieve the feeling you wish to evoke" (Production: How To Use Shadows To Evoke Mood). As seen in the episode, many shadows are utilized. There are the shadows of the two gigantic doors in the judgment chambers. These may be alluding to the power of the state with the size of the shadows. In addition to the tall podium there is an irrationally long table at the base of it. The table could be insinuating the long reach that the State has over the public.
In the production "The Obsolete Man" in the Twilight Zone series, Rob Serling demonstrates how the American government is similar to the State in that "authority" is the ultimate decider on whether or not citizens are of value or obsolete. He proves that the State itself is obsolete if it does not recognize the value of man and their inalienable rights to free will. Many governments try to create a dystopian world such as that in the Twilight Zone, but citizens of these governments must realize that they ultimately have the last say. This is evident in the final scene where Wordsworth proved his worth to the State prior to his execution. Serling allows the audience to conclude that Americans too can use their jingoism to fight for what they believe and not let the government dictate their lives.
Works Cited
"Commanding A Podium Presence." Healthcare Executive 27.2 (2012): 48. MEDLINE
with Full Text. Web.20 Oct. 2014.
"Production: How To Use Shadows To Evoke Mood." Steve's Digicams. N.P., n.d.
Web. 16 Oct. 2014.
"The Obsolete Man." The Twilight Zone: Second Season. Writ. Rod Serling. Dir. Elliot
Silverstein. 1961.
Outmoded - Not acceptable by present standards; no longer usable; obsolete.