WI:Dystopian Surburbia

[Phaeton]

From Madeleine L'Engle's ''A Wrinkle in Time''

The planet Camazotz represents the dangers of a world devoid of creativity and individuality. Unlike the creative geniuses mentioned in the previous chapter--Einstein, Picasso, Bach, etc.--everyone on Camazotz is exactly like everyone else. The architectural uniformity and total synchrony do not allow for any individuality or freedom of expression. Camazotz, then, is the extreme realization of Meg's desire for conformity: there are no "oddballs" on this planet. Meg must find a happy medium that is neither the extreme conformity represented by Camazotz nor the alienation of her own high school experience, but somewhere between the two.

Camazotz is named for a malignant Mexican deity worshipped as a dark and evil vampire. Critics have suggested that the planet represents Cold War totalitarianism, much like the mechanical, robot-like creatures that inhabit Orwell's 1984. Other critics interpret Camazotz as a comment on the burgeoning American suburbia, with its rows of identical houses. However, L'Engle herself never suggests her novel be read historically; rather, she intends her book to portray the timeless struggle between good and evil.

Not only is Camazotz a parody of Meg's personal desire to be like everyone else, but the evil planet is also a parody of her hometown, in that both communities are devoid of love. Faced with an unconventional situation such as Mr. Murry's mysterious disappearance, the gossipy postmistress cruelly assumes the worst, spreading rumors that Mr. Murry has run off with another woman. Yet this woman differs little from the mothers on Camazotz who consider the "Aberration" of the dropped ball a cause for horror. In both worlds, there is no room for love amidst an overwhelming demand for conformity, order, and logical explanation. Although Meg does not recognize these parallels now, her ultimate understanding of them will enable her to rescue her brother from the clutches of IT.

**********

Could an society like this one on planet Camazotz, Under what circumstances could an country like this exist. Please feel free to disscuss.

P.S
This has inspired me to write an fiction/Timeline about it.

[Flocculencio]

Originally Posted by Phaeton

Could an society like this one on planet Camazotz, Under what circumstances could an country like this exist. Please feel free to disscuss.

P.S
This has inspired me to write an fiction/Timeline about it.

It probably couldn't exist in real life to such an extreme without the influence of a mind controlling being like the one in the book IIRC (if there was no mind controlling being then forgive me- it's been ages since I've read it).

Maybe a fascist style government dedicated to indoctrinating the middle classes?

[Gedca]

[QUOTE=Flocculencio]It probably couldn't exist in real life to such an extreme without the influence of a mind controlling being like the one in the book IIRC (if there was no mind controlling being then forgive me- it's been ages since I've read it).[QUOTE]

I haven't read it in awhile either. But I rember a boy who wasn't bouncing a ball in perfect uniformity going to a room where he was giving electric shocks when he didn't bounce it right.

[Flocculencio]

Originally Posted by Gedca

I haven't read it in awhile either. But I rember a boy who wasn't bouncing a ball in perfect uniformity going to a room where he was giving electric shocks when he didn't bounce it right.

Yeah I remember that. And that scene where all the mothers came out at exactly the same time to call their kids in simultaneously

[Phaeton]

What about and Binding religious preset ? Could it be after Centuries of practice that everything is just instinctive ? Can anyone comeup for an possible scenario for me to be able to start my timeline

[Alois]

It's been almost 40 years since I read "A Wrinkle in Time" myself. Let's see - It controlled everybody's thinking, forced them to total conformity. But IT wasn't able to monitor the thoughts of all those people all the time. If someone broke away, like the little boy, IT didn't find out right away.

IT's vulnerability was love. Loving one of the people IT controlled (Meg's brother Charles Wallace) killed IT.

The little boy did not get completely free. He was trying to do what the other children were doing, instead of making his own decisions. In that sense the urge to conform was instinctive. In the book IIRC once IT was dead everyone began trying to think for themselves, but a timeline could easily be created where they *liked* conformity and did it of their own free will.