The Obsolete Man

"The Obsolete Man" is an episode of the television series The Twilight Zone.

Opening Narration

"You walk into this room at your own risk, because it leads to the future, not a future that will be but one that might be. This is not a new world, it is simply an extension of what began in the old one. It has patterned itself after every dictator who has ever planted the ripping imprint of a boot on the pages of history since the beginning of time. It has refinements, technological advancements, and a more sophisticated approach to the destruction of human freedom. But like every one of the super states that preceded it, it has one iron rule: logic is an enemy and truth is a menace. This is Mr. Romney Wordsworth, in his last forty-eight hours on Earth. He's a citizen of the State but will soon have to be eliminated, because he's built out of flesh and because he has a mind. Mr. Romney Wordsworth, who will draw his last breaths—in the Twilight Zone."

Synopsis

In a future totalitarian society, Romney Wordsworth (Meredith) is a man put on trial for the crime of being obsolete. Publicly, he's a carpenter. Secretly, he is a librarian (punishable by death), and religious (also punishable by death). He is prosecuted by the chancellor (Weaver), who expresses in detail that he is not needed by society.

Eventually, Wordsworth is sentenced to die, and is given the choice of method of dying. He chooses an assassin and an undisclosed method of killing, additionally requesting that his death be broadcast live.

A camera is installed in Wordsworth's room to broadcast live to the nation, so they can see the condemned in his final hours. He summons the chancellor, who shows up at 11:15 PM. After some discussion, Wordsworth reveals that he has locked the door, and that his chosen method of death is by bomb, hidden in the room and set to go off at midnight. He intends to show the nation how a spiritual man faces death, and proceeds to read verses from his Bible, ownership of which is punishable by death, and thus is his only valuable possession. He also points out that, as the events are being broadcast live, the State will not risk losing face by trying to rescue a high-ranking chancellor. As the time winds down, Wordsworth’s calm acceptance of death stands in sharp contrast with the chancellor’s increasing panic.

Moments before the bomb explodes, the chancellor finally begs the old man to let him go: “In the name of God, let me out!” Wordsworth immediately obliges, but not without repeating the mention of God—which the State had "proven", through an edict, to not exist.

The chancellor bursts out of the room and down the stairs just as the bomb explodes, killing Wordsworth.

In the final scene the chancellor, now stripped of his rank, is put on trial for none other than the crime of being obsolete.

Closing Narration

"The chancellor, the late chancellor, was only partly correct. He was obsolete, but so is the State, the entity he worshipped. Any state, any entity, any ideology that fails to recognize the worth, the dignity, the rights of man, that state is obsolete. A case to be filed under "M" for mankind—in the Twilight Zone."

Production information

Both the shirt uniform of "The Chancellor" and Wordsworth's shirt have an "X"-like insignia (actually a double-diamond) on the collars, possibly a reference to a Nazi swastika. Likewise, the name of Burgess' character — Wordsworth — is intended to be taken literally, i.e. the worth of the written word. A name apropos for a librarian, and a man of the "Word" (i. e. the Bible).

Themes

As the introduction from Serling indicates, the episode is intended to show the foolishness of fascism and other forms of authoritarianism. The episode also shows martyrdom as Wordsworth dies for his belief of religion.

There are a number of cultural references to specific, at the time contemporary, cases: in addition to the SS-esque uniforms, the chancellor's vigor in his speech about the value of the state is highly reminiscent of the vibrant public speaking of Adolf Hitler; references to "the State" as a proper noun, the emphasis on its importance, and the claim to have proven the nonexistence of God and therefore the declaration that "the State" is an officially atheistic society, point to Communist Russia; placing the good of the state over that of the individual is a focal point of fascism as preached by Benito Mussolini.

A clearer reference to the Nazis is a scene in which Wordsworth steps back, out of the spotlight, and the chancellor angrily yells at him to step back into it. When stepping out of the spotlight is to the chancellor's advantage, Wordsworth demands that he step back in. Serling would have intended this as an allegory to the Nazi show trials, where the judge would ridicule defendants -- even going so far as to take away their belts so that they would be constantly fiddling with their pants. While comparisons could be made to any passionate speaker, the episode specifically mentions Hitler and Stalin as having the right ideas.

External links

Twilight Zone links