Something we talked a lot about in class discussion about David Mitchell's "Cloud Atlas" was the concept of cruelty and selfishness found in each of the stories. Not only do these concepts come up a lot in the novel, but society today definitely exhibits these concepts often. It is more than likely that this is what David Mitchell wants the reader to see, that each of the stories in Cloud Atlas exhibit our own human history, present, and future of cruelty and selfishness. Perhaps a never-ending chain that is found in human history.
The first story in the "cloud" of stories in "Cloud Atlas" is that of Adam Ewing. Cruelty here is found in the treatment of the Moriori people by the Maori. The Moriori people are enslaved and treated as animals because they are "savages". However, there is light in the situation found in Ewing's treatment of the Moriori slave Autua. Ewing shows compassion and helps Autua out of slavery.
The second story, Letters from Zedelghem, most of the characters are cruel and selfish and feed off of each other for power. The main character, Frobisher, uses the old composer, Vyvan for power and money. Vyvan uses Frobisher for power and fame as well. Vyvan's wife uses Frobisher, and he uses her. None of these characters have outstanding moral values behind their decisions.
The third story involves murder mystery and nuclear negligence. Unfortunately, in today's society, and in the past, there have been incidents just like this.
Sonmi-451 emulates what are society is on the verge of becoming. Middle and lower class citizens will become the slaves of consumerist society and companies. Such as McDonalds in the novel. This seems to be a representation of the cruelty and selfishness found in consumer society itself.
If this post creates a revolution which puts McDonalds out of business, it is you Jessica who will make me $1.00 ice cream cones which are possessed by a spirit of rapture. But in all seriousness(not to imply I wasn't serious before, I very much was- but rather to imply I simply wasn't serious. The best description of those ice cream cones are ineffable; their bliss can not be weighed down by such horrors as adjectives and poetic phrasing) I like your example of a cycle of selfishness and its consequence. But remember, Frobisher does create something utterly beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI hope our world works in a similar path as the world Mitchell creates. I hope civilization gets morally better. Like the graph Lisa was drawing on the board.
ReplyDeleteI also really hope that our world gets morally better. Unfortunately, in the US at least, it seems as if the farther from the large moral wrongs (like slavery) we get, the more we tend to mistreat people of smaller populations.
ReplyDeleteI agree with lauren and sam
ReplyDeletei like how you related it to everyday society and how cruelty and selfishness in incorporated into everyday life
ReplyDeleteIt really helped me understand how you related it to everyday life.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure that in Mitchell's world, civilization gets morally better. It seemed to me that the cruelty just shifted focus from one time period to another. We "end" with Sloosha's Crossing, which contains an predatory group of people, enslaving, killing and raping another group. For me, Mitchell is reflecting on what we do in the face of that cruelty. That's why for me Zachery is my favorite character (with Sonmi a close second): he finds a path of integrity and friendship within a very cruel world. I role model for us all (in my own opinion).
ReplyDeleteTATY SAYS: I also agree with Lauren. Yet I think we slowly make progress to accept the smaller populations.
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