Castaway Technology Symbolism Essay Example
Castaway Technology Symbolism Essay Example

Castaway Technology Symbolism Essay Example

Available Only on StudyHippo
Topics:
  • Pages: 4 (1021 words)
  • Published: December 31, 2016
  • Type: Essay
View Entire Sample
Text preview

Chuck Noland, a FedEx worker, is completely devoted to his job and has become obsessed with it. He focuses on managing time, control, and organized strategies and is always competing against time. His career has become more important than anything else in his life, even his engagement to Kelly. He dedicates all of his energy and time to work. Additionally, Chuck has difficulty forming social bonds with colleagues and instead maintains a distant relationship as their superior rather than nurturing friendships.

Chuck's plane crashes on a Pacific Ocean island, leading him on a journey where he learns the importance of prioritizing quality time with Kelly and his personal life over constant business trips. It takes him four years to understand that life is more than just work, but once he does, he can find his way back home.

">
While on the island, Chuck's evolution from being overly career-focused to becoming more well-rounded is demonstrated through his skills in crafting essential items and using technology. Prior to the plane crash, Chuck was detached from the chaotic Dionysian lifestyle that can erode one's identity, instead embracing the structured Apollonian lifestyle that fosters individuality.

This term represents the active and potent aspect of human nature, which hinders him from maintaining personal connections with his partner and colleagues. He believes that if he deviates even slightly from his strictly regimented timetable, he will become disoriented in an undetermined schedule. He always ensures that he has a timepiece and pager conveniently accessible on his person. If someone, whether a subordinate or friend, manages to disrupt his itinerary, he will respond irrationally as it disrupts hi

View entire sample
Join StudyHippo to see entire essay

precisely scheduled routine.

Before the plane crash, Chuck is depicted as being self-absorbed, wearing ear plugs and a blindfold, solely focused on his sleep and arrival time. His sole concern is himself. However, upon awakening and realizing he lacks control over anyone or anything on the plane, he goes to the cockpit to investigate the situation and exert authority over certain equipment. Despite lacking qualifications, he still possesses a strong drive for power that has been amplified by technology.

He is disconnected from reality and connected to a fantasy of flawless timing and organization. While on the island, Chuck understands that he must adapt to the technology available to him and can no longer depend on his previous corporate lifestyle. He recognizes that he will no longer receive necessities like food and clothing without earning them through work. Occasionally, he must align himself with the unpredictable and fateful nature of time. His pager is now inoperative and the numbers on his watch have disappeared. He must discover a fresh method of establishing a calm daily schedule and framework.

Initially, he is unfamiliar with the process of fulfilling his own needs. For instance, when he attempts to open coconuts for the first time, he approaches it with the same method used to open a FedEx box, from front to back. This attempt proves unsuccessful. However, realizing that his previous way of life is unsustainable on the island, he discovers a more primitive and uncivilized method of crushing open coconuts, by applying force up and down. This approach proves effective. Another parallel can be drawn from the novel Lord of the Flies, wherein the

boys face a similar predicament of having to generate their own source of fire.

Additionally, both characters on the islands must perform various tasks such as constructing shelter and acquiring food. Surprisingly, the rope initially intended for suicide becomes Chuck's salvation. Acknowledging that he cannot surrender due to the absence of familiar technology like timepieces and communication devices, Chuck is forced to adapt to new necessities like coconuts and tree bark. Moreover, he must rely on his ingenuity to create novel resources such as shoes and an axe in order to survive and escape from the island.

After returning home, Chuck has become more humble and less obsessed with his schedule as a result of having to independently make progress in the industrial sector that he previously took for granted. He now understands that it is not always simple to glance at a watch and determine the time or prepare a meal within a five-minute timeframe. Furthermore, he has realized that it is not the corporate world of time and organization that holds the greatest significance in life, but rather his relationships with friends and his fiancee Kelly.

Chuck is rediscovering his old Apollonian world of time, structure, and business, but he no longer wears his once ritualized watch and pager. He now understands that constantly checking the time and latest information is no longer necessary for his well-being. In one scene, Chuck's friend informs him that everyone believed he was dead and held a funeral. The coffin contained articles that Chuck used to be obsessed with, such as watches, old pagers, timers, and other gadgets. However, Chuck has been reborn and

no longer depends on these watches, pagers, and timers.

All his previous concerns about structure have now been left behind, along with the old Chuck. Chuck underwent various technological challenges on the island, where he had to utilize tree trunks to create something remarkable like a raft. Meanwhile, he discovered a softer, calmer, and more caring side of himself. Chuck transformed a regular pair of ice skates into an axe and built a raft using trees, rope, and a port-a-potty door that washed up on the island towards the end of his journey. He also learned how to catch fish and crabs by crafting his own spear.

He is now capable of apologizing to his friends and family, including his fiance Kelly, for always prioritizing his job. He recognizes that his obsession with work caused him to neglect the people who are important to him. Every occasion where he had to find basic necessities like shoes or a meal in a challenging environment transformed him into a more balanced individual who is no longer consumed by work and time. This transformation marks the emergence of a humble, serene, and less technology-obsessed Chuck Noland who managed to survive four years on an island.

Get an explanation on any task
Get unstuck with the help of our AI assistant in seconds
New