Motifs in Star Trek II

7/29/2019 Motifs in Star Trek II

1/10


2/10

Kirk

Mid life crisis

Friends with elders on the Enterprise

Has never faced death, until Spok dies

Lost his best friend

Khan

Cryogenic sleep kept him from aging

Strong relationships with crew of the Botany Bay

Has experienced a great deal of death

Lost his wife and son

Age, Friendship and Death


3/10

Kirk

Needs glasses to see

Exiled the crew of the Botany Bay to a lifeless planet (he didnt know that)

Khan (anti-heroic)

Lost his wife

Trying to save his people

Becomes obsessed with vengeance

The flawed hero


4/10

Kobayashi Maru Ship cannot be saved

Kirk changed the program (cheated) to escape

Genesis Project

Can create life, but can also take life away and replace it with new life

Kirk narrowly escapes, but loses his friend to radiation poisoning

Khan almost destroys the Enterprise

Kirk knew something about the ships that Khan didnt

Spoks sacrifice

Spok sacrifices himself to save the Enterprise, which leads to his death

No-win situations


5/10

Science has always been a pawn of the military Science creates

Military uses creations intended for good for use as a weapon

Nuclear energy

Ironman Afghan Rebels capture Tony Stark and want him to make the Jericho missile for them

Genesis Project

Starfleet has the power to take control of the project and implement as they wish

Science vs. Military


6/10

Only God has the power to create

Genesis Project allows humans to play God

In the wrong hands, it can be used to destroy

Moral and Ethical implication?

David Marcus vs. Starfleet

David vs. Goliath

Relationship?

Science vs. Religion


7/10

Kirk had a brief interlude with Dr. Carol Marcus Resulting in a son (David Marcus)

Carol wants Kirk to stay away from son

David sees Kirk for what he is, and accepts him after he proves himself

Scotty has a nephew on board

Peter Preston dies in an attack

He remained after everyone else left their post

Khan lost his wife on Ceti Alpha 5

Also lost Joachim (his son)

Joachim tried to reason with Khan Didnt want to go into the nebula

Thought they should abandon their vengeance

Family: Kids are Smarter


8/10

Moby-Dick Khan quotes Ahab

To the last I grapple with thee.

From Hells heart I stab at thee.

For hates sake I spit my lest breath at thee.

Kirk is the whale (always escaping) Khans blind pursuit of Kirk mirrors Captain Ahabs obsession with Moby-Dick

Both Khan and Ahab pursue their quarry against the better judgment of their crew, and

end up killing themselves in an effort to take their foe with them

Tale of Two Cities

Spok gives Kirk a copy for his birthday

Kirk recites the first and last lines of the book during the film

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times

It is a far, far better rest I go to, than I have ever known

In the end, Carlton- a man who wasted his life- goes to the guillotine and his death for

the better man, Darnay.

Other Literary References


9/10

Bifurcated: splitting of something into two parts

Dueling halves of the human condition

Spok

No emotions

Logical and infallible

Kirk

Impassioned

Human reality- prone to error

At odds with self

Bifurcated Hero


10/10

Spoks sacrifice at the end of film allows for Kirks spiritual rebirth

Kirk goes from feeling old to feeling young

Kirk never faces death until Spoks sacrifice

Resurrection

Motifs in Star Trek II

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