Post by Melifeather on Apr 6, 2020 17:11:10 GMT
Westworld S03-E04 - the Mother of Exiles
Good day! Sorry I'm late, but I didn't get a chance to watch this episode until this morning.
Welcome to this week’s analysis of Westworld S03-E04 The Mother of Exiles, with the episode summary: “the truth doesn’t always set you free”. The episode appears to be inspired by the Statue of Liberty, nicknamed the Mother of Exiles, and designed by French sculptor Frederic Bartholdi with its metal framework built by Gustave Eiffel.
The fundamental question asked throughout Westworld is, have you ever questioned the nature of your reality? William, aka the Man in Black, struggles throughout the episode to remember who he is, what is real, what was fake, all the while haunted by his dead daughter. Deemed unfit and institutionalized, control over his Delos stock is wrested away by “Charlotte” in a very physical, hostile takeover.
This analysis could go in many different directions from dissecting the symbolism of the statue, to the politics behind its installation, and even analysis of the poem written roughly 20 years after the statue’s dedication, but I don’t think any of that is necessary. Last night’s episode demonstrated Incite Inc’s desire to acquire majority ownership of Delos Corp and Westworld. William wasn’t even aware of Serac’s maneuverings. It took Dolores/Charlotte to bring it to his attention and bring him out of his confused state, only to remove him from the situation completely. The only thing made clear as mud is that Dolores replicated herself four times: she’s Dolores, Charlotte, Martin, and Musashi.
I was surprised to learn that the poem, The New Colossus written by Emma Lazarus, forever changed the symbolism behind the gift from France which was originally intended to celebrate the liberation of slaves after the American Civil War’s end in 1865. The statue was a joint project between France and America. For our part, we were to build the platform and install the statue, but the project needed funding. One of the fundraisers, William Evarts, solicited Lazarus to write a poem. Lazarus was an American of Portuguese Jewish descent, and she was a well-known advocate for Jewish immigrants on Ellis Island. When she was first approached to write a poem for the fundraising campaign she declined, but she was persuaded that the statue could have great significance to immigrants sailing into the harbor.
I think many Americans today associate the Statue of Liberty with immigrants. We are completely ignorant of its original purpose, the symbolic aspects of the statue, and even blot the word “liberty” from registering. The statue is a likeness of Libertas, a Roman liberty goddess. She holds a torch in her right hand above her head while her left hand carries a tablet inscribed with July 4, 1776 - the date of the Declaration of Independence. A broken shackle and chain lie at her feet as she steps forward, commemorating the recent national abolition of slavery in 1886. It’s this confusion over what Lady Liberty was originally intended for versus what it means to us today, that is being used as a metaphor for why Delos Corp built Westworld versus what Incite Inc wants to turn it into.
What was Westworld originally intended for? I think we all have a pretty good idea what Incite wants with the data, but did Delos Corp build Westworld simply to collect data, or was that only added later as a way to fund the park? If William’s experiments are anything to go on, it seems his goal was to learn how to live forever. If a human consciousness could be downloaded into artificial intelligence, then people could live forever just as art lives forever. Da Vinci’s, Michelangelo’s, and Raphael’s work still “lives” today thanks to the Catholic church that sponsored the art and continues to care for it today. Westworld, and all the other worlds (Shogun, Medieval, India, etc) are glamorous places for the downloaded consciousnesses to “live” and play. The downside was that no one is rich enough to fund an unlimited lifespan so alternate sources of funding would have been necessary. This is where Incite comes in. William Evarts solicited Lazarus, …er, wait a minute! It just now occurred to me how Emma’s last name is the same name as the man Jesus raised from the dead! I tell ya, the writers of this show never fail to amaze me with their expansive knowledge and creativity! The parallels between raising Lazarus from the dead, finding the funding to raise the statue, and Delos's mission to raise human consciousness from the dead and resurrected to a new life in artificial intelligence, are now quite obvious! William Evarts solicited Lazarus just as William solicited Engerraund Serac at Incite. Each had their own motivations for funding their "art" projects, but it's become clear that data and controlling the message are more important and priceless than a free and everlasting life. Serac intends to change the purpose of Westworld much like the funding campaign for the platform of the Statue of Liberty changed our iconic Lady Liberty into the Mother of Exiles.
Good day! Sorry I'm late, but I didn't get a chance to watch this episode until this morning.
Welcome to this week’s analysis of Westworld S03-E04 The Mother of Exiles, with the episode summary: “the truth doesn’t always set you free”. The episode appears to be inspired by the Statue of Liberty, nicknamed the Mother of Exiles, and designed by French sculptor Frederic Bartholdi with its metal framework built by Gustave Eiffel.
The fundamental question asked throughout Westworld is, have you ever questioned the nature of your reality? William, aka the Man in Black, struggles throughout the episode to remember who he is, what is real, what was fake, all the while haunted by his dead daughter. Deemed unfit and institutionalized, control over his Delos stock is wrested away by “Charlotte” in a very physical, hostile takeover.
This analysis could go in many different directions from dissecting the symbolism of the statue, to the politics behind its installation, and even analysis of the poem written roughly 20 years after the statue’s dedication, but I don’t think any of that is necessary. Last night’s episode demonstrated Incite Inc’s desire to acquire majority ownership of Delos Corp and Westworld. William wasn’t even aware of Serac’s maneuverings. It took Dolores/Charlotte to bring it to his attention and bring him out of his confused state, only to remove him from the situation completely. The only thing made clear as mud is that Dolores replicated herself four times: she’s Dolores, Charlotte, Martin, and Musashi.
I was surprised to learn that the poem, The New Colossus written by Emma Lazarus, forever changed the symbolism behind the gift from France which was originally intended to celebrate the liberation of slaves after the American Civil War’s end in 1865. The statue was a joint project between France and America. For our part, we were to build the platform and install the statue, but the project needed funding. One of the fundraisers, William Evarts, solicited Lazarus to write a poem. Lazarus was an American of Portuguese Jewish descent, and she was a well-known advocate for Jewish immigrants on Ellis Island. When she was first approached to write a poem for the fundraising campaign she declined, but she was persuaded that the statue could have great significance to immigrants sailing into the harbor.
I think many Americans today associate the Statue of Liberty with immigrants. We are completely ignorant of its original purpose, the symbolic aspects of the statue, and even blot the word “liberty” from registering. The statue is a likeness of Libertas, a Roman liberty goddess. She holds a torch in her right hand above her head while her left hand carries a tablet inscribed with July 4, 1776 - the date of the Declaration of Independence. A broken shackle and chain lie at her feet as she steps forward, commemorating the recent national abolition of slavery in 1886. It’s this confusion over what Lady Liberty was originally intended for versus what it means to us today, that is being used as a metaphor for why Delos Corp built Westworld versus what Incite Inc wants to turn it into.
What was Westworld originally intended for? I think we all have a pretty good idea what Incite wants with the data, but did Delos Corp build Westworld simply to collect data, or was that only added later as a way to fund the park? If William’s experiments are anything to go on, it seems his goal was to learn how to live forever. If a human consciousness could be downloaded into artificial intelligence, then people could live forever just as art lives forever. Da Vinci’s, Michelangelo’s, and Raphael’s work still “lives” today thanks to the Catholic church that sponsored the art and continues to care for it today. Westworld, and all the other worlds (Shogun, Medieval, India, etc) are glamorous places for the downloaded consciousnesses to “live” and play. The downside was that no one is rich enough to fund an unlimited lifespan so alternate sources of funding would have been necessary. This is where Incite comes in. William Evarts solicited Lazarus, …er, wait a minute! It just now occurred to me how Emma’s last name is the same name as the man Jesus raised from the dead! I tell ya, the writers of this show never fail to amaze me with their expansive knowledge and creativity! The parallels between raising Lazarus from the dead, finding the funding to raise the statue, and Delos's mission to raise human consciousness from the dead and resurrected to a new life in artificial intelligence, are now quite obvious! William Evarts solicited Lazarus just as William solicited Engerraund Serac at Incite. Each had their own motivations for funding their "art" projects, but it's become clear that data and controlling the message are more important and priceless than a free and everlasting life. Serac intends to change the purpose of Westworld much like the funding campaign for the platform of the Statue of Liberty changed our iconic Lady Liberty into the Mother of Exiles.