Childhood S End Essay, Research Paper
Two Paths Diverge In Human Progress
An Interpretive Paper on
Childhood s End
Can man go any further without assistance? This is the underlying question in the book Childhood s End. From the very start we are introduced to the Overlords who have come to earth in order to save man from self-destruction. Childhood s End is of human progress. In some way or other man journeys to contact with the unknown, and comes face to face simultaneously with the possibility of transcendence and the limits of his humanity (Slusser 155). This transformation is brought about by the Overmind.
A critic describes the Overmind and Overlord interplay as a reworking of the morality-play situation of the Devil trying to steal away from God the souls of men (Samuelson 104). This is a good idea and can a lot of explaining for the reader. The idea that the Overmind is a God-like being makes sense in that this is the reason for converting the children of earth into something greater perhaps so they can enter the Kingdom of God. With the Overlords help man quickly went as far as he could with science and technology, the price man must pay for continued progress is the human form divine (Slusser 153).
But what are the Overlords and Overmind trying to save us from? The way another critic describes it is Salvation is attained by an elaborate process by which man is delivered from the tyranny of matter (Lois and Stephen 104) This would work well with the above morality issue. The Overlords choose the path of technology over the mystery of the Overmind, however the Overlords have only been able to go so far with the technology. Perhaps that is why they represent the devil, they choose the path of technology but that path has only taken them so far and they have not found true happiness by going that path, they are envious of every race of people that gets to join the Overmind. The Overmind is God , true happiness and Salvation is obtained by choosing that path. However since they are not really God and Devils the Overlords work with the Overmind helping people make the right choices and join the Overmind.
The Overlords help us and put us on the other path towards the Overmind by coming to Earth just as we are preparing to penetrate space. By their very presence, Poverty, war ignorance and disease are eliminated: there is even an attempt to erase the resulting boredom by the development of universal education and participation in the arts (Lois and Stephen 104). However we are barred from research in the field of parapsychology. The Overlords contribute greatly to the human race all the while the Overmind is preparing us for the transformation we are about to undergo. The Golden age of mankind is disrupted when a young child begins having dreams which his mind leaves his body and travels to distant planets. Other children begin having similar experiences. The wandering child-minds develop the capacity to manipulate matter. Then as more children are affected, the minds begin to merge beyond the bodies. After a period of using their newfound power, the common mind leaves Earth, destroying it in the process, it ascends into the heaven to merge with the Overmind. The novel does not preach despair in my opinion even though mankind will now ceases to exist; it is more about the miraculous transformation of human into Overmind so that we are seen as mentally the same. The Overmind is both a mysterious transcendence and an expression of qualities potential in mankind (Huntington 105).
The gratuitous nature of transcendence and the fact that it always follows the technological state leaves man no choice but to pursue the technological vision, but with the important awareness that technological progress is not true progress, merely a test of man s moral and intellectual energies (Huntington 105). As we see with the Overlords technological progress alone leads to a dead end. True progress comes only as a kind of reward infused by the Overmind into man s history (Huntington 105). I feel sympathy toward the Overlords. We don t exactly know if the Overlords were given a chance to choose their path of science or transcendence but we see the result. They have all the answers technology can give them, but their shortsightedness for the need of science in their lives has left them feeling empty, because they cannot go any further down that road. Perhaps, as a way to experience a little of what they can never be, is to aid other races at the critical moment of choice between science and transcendence.
Many critics have noticed that Clarke uses the idea of transcendence or evolution in many of his novels, however it only seems to take place when his utopias are in the final stages of heat-death and once collective man no longer struggles or resists (Brigg 151). At this point mankind moves unavoidably toward a point of stasis, but when this happens the moment of transcendence takes place, thus further progress is made in a different form.
Technology accounts in part for the utopian social organization projected in this novel, and also points out the Overlord s failings. The technology brought about a Golden age to mankind but the elimination of real suffering and anguish, combined with the human s sense of inferiority, resulted in mild anxiety, resentment and lethargy (Lois and Stephen 104). To make utopia really utopian, an artist colony is established on the traditionally utopian, locale of an island. Just as technology cannot make everyone happy on Earth, so it has been found insufficient for the supremely rational and scientific Overlords. Their placid orderliness, their long lives, may excite our envy, but they in turn envy those species that can become part of the Overmind.
In closing I draw the following conclusion that science can only take us so far and that idea is personified in the Overlords. We need to be able to make the jump from science to faith so that we can further our progress and through this progress comes true understanding.
Bibliography of Works Cited
Brigg, Peter. Three styles of Arthur C. Clarke: the Projector, the Wit and the Mystic. Taplinger Publishing Co., 1977
Huntington, John. From Man to Overmind: Arthur C. Clarke s Myth of Progress. Taplinger Publishing Co., 1974
Rose, Lois and Stephen. The Shattered Ring: Science Fiction and the Quest for Meaning. John Knox Press, 1970.
Samuelson, David. Childhood s End: A Median Stage of Adolescences. New York: 1974.
Slusser, George Edgar. The Space Odysseys of Arthur C. Clarke. The Borgo Press, 19
Другие работы по теме:
My Life As A Poet Essay Research
Paper Are the philosophical, educational, and sociological theories of childhood reflected in literature for children? If so, how? To what extent does Aesop contribute to our understanding of many early children’s books?
As A Child Essay Research Paper As
As A Child Essay, Research Paper As a child, I was no exception. Three games that I especially enjoyed were Freeze Tag, Hide and Seek, and Truth or Dare. When I was little I used to play all three
Gorky Essay Research Paper The painter Arshile
Gorky Essay, Research Paper The painter Arshile Gorky was born Vostanig Adolan in eastern Turkey. Raised in a poor Armenian farming family, Gorky’s childhood was shaped by two disasters: the first being the massacres of 1896, the second was the genocide of 1915, that affected the entire Armenian population, and which claimed the life of Gorky’s mother.
Near Death Experiences Essay Research Paper It
Near Death Experiences Essay, Research Paper It all begins for us at birth. We are thrust into a world of constant activity from childhood all the way up to adulthood. Life is busy and we tend not to think about the fact of our inevitable death. It doesn?t seem to make any sense that we will no longer exist as we know it.
Dianne Day Essay Research Paper Dianne Day
Dianne Day Essay, Research Paper Dianne Day isn t as famous as Mary Higgins Clark but she had a childhood similar to her. When she was a baby in Mississippi her father died. Dianne went on to live with her grandparents and they also were not a well-financed family. When Dianne was seven she rejoined her mother was now remarried.
Under The Influence Essay Research Paper Under
Under The Influence Essay, Research Paper Under The Influence This story begins as a man in his forties reminiscing about his childhood. He and his siblings had to live with a family secret. The fact that his father was an alcoholic was tearing the family apart. His mother extracted pressure on them by making them watch their father’s every move when they went out.
Pediatrics Essay Research Paper Pediatrics branch of
Pediatrics Essay, Research Paper Pediatrics, branch of medicine, that comprises the care and treatment of the diseases of childhood and the study of normal growth. Pediatrics became a specialty in the 20th century. In the 1980s some pediatricians began a subspecialty called adolescent medicine, which deals with the special medical and emotional needs of persons between the ages of approximately 12 and 20 years.
Children 2 Essay Research Paper ChildrenChildhood and
Children 2 Essay, Research Paper Children Childhood and innocence, one in the same in many options. Two young friends playing in the back yard, running after butterflies in the meadow, watching Cinderella or Winnie the Pooh in the living room covered with a blanket. These are some of the pictures that may come to mind when you think of young, innocent child.
Childhood Memories Essay Research Paper Childhood Memories
Childhood Memories Essay, Research Paper Childhood Memories “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke and “Piano” by D.H. Lawrence are two poems in which grown men recall memories of their childhood. “My Papa’s Waltz” has a quietly sad, almost resigned tone as Roethke relives his nightly dances with his father as a young boy.
Those Winter Sundays Essay Research Paper Guilt
Those Winter Sundays Essay, Research Paper Guilt is the central theme of the poem, “Those Winter Sundays.” Upon reading this emotionally steering poem, it leaves the reader reminiscing of one’s own childhood.
The Affair Essay Research Paper The AffairIn
The Affair Essay, Research Paper The Affair In this paper I will try to explain to you why Deborah Bronski had an affair with Christopher de Monti when she knew it was wrong. Deborah and Christopher are both
Julius Caesar Essay Research Paper Born in
Julius Caesar Essay, Research Paper Born in Rome on July 12 or 13, 100 BC, Caesar belonged to the prestigious Julian clan; yet from early childhood he knew controversy. His uncle by marriage was
BakerS Childhood Essay Research Paper The excerpt
Baker?S Childhood Essay, Research Paper The excerpt explains Baker?s childhood growing up in the 1930s. He lived in Belleville, NJ with his younger sister Doris, and his single mother. This story to talks about Russell growing up and how his mother pushed him to work and be responsible as a young adult, but all he wanted to do is listen to ?Dick Tracy meets the Stooge Viller? on the radio reading his book.
How Charles Dickens Childhood Affected His
Writing Essay, Research Paper How Charles Dickens Childhood Affected his Writing Throughout his Life It is said that what you learn and experience in your childhood will reflect upon your attitude and actions in the future. Charles Dickens who is one of the most popular writers in the history of literature, reflected his childhood and his upbringing in most of the works that he wrote.
Jane Eyre Childhood Essay Research Paper HOW
Jane Eyre Childhood Essay, Research Paper HOW DOES OUR CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES AFFECT OUR LIVES Certainly every experience we have not only in our childhood but also in our entire life affects it either in a positive or a negative way. Experiences in our childhood are more important because those are the ones that bring up our character and personality.
Patricia Lynch
’s Childhood Essay, Research Paper Patricia Lynch was born in Fairhill in Cork on June 4th, 1894. Patricia’s mother, Nora Lynch, a noted storyteller, filled Patricia’s early childhood with fascinating stories and folklore.
Elian Gonzales Essay Research Paper My opinion
Elian Gonzales Essay, Research Paper My opinion on the Elian Gonzales controversy is to return him to Cuba with his father. People are very passionate on both sides but clearly those who say Elian should stay in the United States are too sentimental. My reason for saying he should be returned is fairly simple: it is illegal to let Elian stay in the U.S.
Blackberry Picking Essay Research Paper In Seamus
Blackberry Picking Essay, Research Paper In Seamus Heaney’s “Blackberry-Picking” the use of vivid diction, juicy imagery, infantile rhythm, and simple form conveys to the reader the deeper meaning of life’s own mortality and childhood’s innocence through the literal description of a memorable adolescent experience.
Edgar Allan Poe Essay Research Paper Poe
Edgar Allan Poe Essay, Research Paper Poe’s Never Ending Loneliness “From childhood’s hour I have not been/as others were; I have not seen/ as others say I could not bring/ my passions from a common spring. From the same source I have not taken/ my sorrow; I could not awaken/ my heart to joy at the same tone;/ and all I loved, I loved alone.”
Allen Ginsberg Essay Research Paper What exactly
Allen Ginsberg Essay, Research Paper What exactly does it mean to be American? What are the boundaries of freedom and liberty? Do we have the freedom to speak from the heart? Allen Ginsberg believed so, and he did just that.
An American Childhood Essay Research Paper Based
An American Childhood Essay, Research Paper Based on Peter S. Hawkins’ Review An American Childhood, by Annie Dillard, is a happy memoir of Annie’s own life, a child of a well-to-do Pittsburgh family.
The Childhood Essay Research Paper It has
The Childhood Essay, Research Paper It has been noted that people consider their childhood as a nostalgic period. The childhood is one of the three main stages of life: childhood, adolescence, and adult age. Childhood might be the nostalgic period but is it the happiest? In this paper we shall demonstrate that childhood could be considered as the happiest period.
Childhood Toys Essay Research Paper Wham bang
Childhood Toys Essay, Research Paper Wham, bang, hay-ya! Those were probably the kinds of sounds you might have heard if you passed by my room as a child. All of those greatly preformed sound effects came from none other than myself, unless I had a friends help who was of course only allowed to be the villain in whichever toys we were playing.
David Mamet And Amy Tan Essay Research
Paper In David Mamet?s essay ?The Rake: A Few Scenes from My Childhood? and Amy Tan?s story ?Jing-Mei Woo: Two Kinds,? the authors describe their personal
Marilyn Monroe Essay Research Paper Marilyn Monroe1926
Marilyn Monroe Essay, Research Paper Marilyn Monroe(1926–1962)- Her stage was Norma Jean Mortenson she was a movie star. After a childhood spent in foster homes, she became a model in 1946. Following small movie parts, she starred as a beautiful, sexy “dumb blonde’ in movie+s like How to Marry a Millionaire and, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes both in 1953.
Essay Topic A Realization Essay Essay Research
Paper Sometimes I think about all the things that have happened to me in my life and I wonder… what would the kids at school think if they knew that (Name)- straight A+ student, (Name) the Brain whohastopgradesandherparentsneverbughersowhatmorecouldshewant- spent most of her childhood crying and feeling inferior because no one ever wanted to play with her or go to the mall or do normal kid things or be her friend and that the reason those grades were so important was that they were all she had? What would people say if they knew that my mom got divorced because she was a manic depressive and had to be hospitalized leaving little me and my baby sister in the care of Nana, who never liked Mommy and said mean things and made me cry into my pillow at night?
1St Confession Essay Research Paper The story
1St Confession Essay, Research Paper The story ?First Confession? is a story about a troubled boy who is tormented by his sister and his grandmother and is forced to go to confession for his first time and he just refuses to go. He plots to kill his grandmother and tries to kill his sister with a butter knife and this is why he is scared to go to confession, because he is scared to be judged.
Childhood Essay Research Paper We were then
Childhood Essay, Research Paper We were then Children with nothing but Childhood. We played kiss Tag and suicide which Was merely a game with Throwing, and running, and Touching the side of the
Toys Essay Research Paper ToysWhen I was
Toys Essay, Research Paper Toys When I was a child I could only have dream of having toys like they do today. With the technology advancements and new inventions that they have today the toy companies can make toys that walk, talk, and learn all on their own.
Fifth Business Essay Research Paper Fifth Business
Fifth Business Essay, Research Paper Fifth Business In the essay Fifth Business, each of the main character traits is developed more and more clearly throughout their lives. Childhood characteristics are evident in the characters of Dustan Ramsay, Percy Boyd Stauton and Paul Dempster. All paranoia, and memories of the town of Deptford are resurfaced in each of them after they all had left to start lives on their own.