essai West World

« In this essay, we will see to what extent there can be a link between fiction and reality. Fictions generally don’t boil down to imagining scenarios that are completely disconnected from the world and that distort reality.

Quite the contrary! There are indeed some fictional stories (like the one of West World) that have succeeded in connecting reality and fiction through resemblances to the real world. First and foremost, fiction generally portrays ordinary and endearing characters with whom one can easily identify.

In West World for example, although the characters are mainly robots, they still have a human side that is similar to ours.

Indeed, what is remarkable is the fact that the hosts are also designed to have been influenced by their back story, in the same way as humans are said to be emotionally influenced by their past.

Thus, this harmony in the way of thinking and acting is an element that can connect reality to fiction. In addition, some fictional stories come to grips with reality by highlighting the discrimination and inequalities that women face today.

In several series women are depicted as sexual objects, either prostitutes in a saloon or romanticized pioneer women that are raped, bullied and physically abused or even maimed.

To this is usually added a lack of representatives in decision making characters which is unfortunate in accordance with the sad reality of today. Furthermore, what could also be at stake to get caught up in reality is the treatment and the vision of time.

Indeed, the characters of a fiction usually experience moments of "deja vu" or a kind of routine similar to ours.

In West World for example, the story jumps between different timelines, which involves flashbacks, visions, mixed with mystery and metaphors.

The hosts themselves live in loops saying the same scripted lines over and over.

This repetitiveness is greatly reminiscent of human life: a life that can be seen as being totally aimless and repeating itself in vain. Finally, Fictions can be related to reality by raising questions about key elements of humanity.

The relationship between men and violence or immortality is largely interwoven in fiction as in reality.

Still in West Worlds, Creators and creatures are at a loss to understand the world they are living in or the meaning of their actions, the outcome of their endeavour.

Also, through these characters, the series echoes our concern for free will.

Indeed, like the hosts in West World, humanity has always wondered to what extent an individual enjoys total freedom of decision.. »