Prepared by
HEURISTIX
Laurie Blass and Pam Elder
Instructional Designers
"The Old Man in the Cave" - Synopsis
BACKGROUND
Writer: Rod Serling; Director: Alan Crosland, Jr.; Cast: John Anderson, James Coburn, John Marley, Josie Lloyd, Frank Watkins, Lenny Geer, John Craven, Natalie Masters, Don Wilbanks; Original air date: Fifth season, 11/08/63.
It is 1974 and only a few small groups of people from Albany to Atlanta have survived a nuclear blast and subsequent radiation fallout. One group has done so only because "The Old Man in the Cave", an unseen oracle or sage, has delivered directions to them via a messenger, Mr. Goldsmith. Goldsmith has made certain that they have followed the directions to the letter. When a marauding squad of military "authorities" usurps control, they convince everyone that while they may have survived, they haven't "lived". The group then loses all reason: they eat contaminated food, enter the cave, and destroy their protector, which turns out to be a mainframe computer. Everyone but Mr. Goldsmith dies, and he alone remains to ponder whether humankind's "chief method of execution, faithlessness," is its true destiny.
Focus: Faith, Humanity, and Machines
Discussion
Discussion
Before viewing "The Old Man in the Cave", think about the following:
1. What prevents most people from committing unspeakable acts of destruction and cruelty?
2. Throughout history, how has technology changed humankind's ability to destroy?
3. Which technologies currently in development raise ethical questions?
ACTIVITIES
During Viewing:
Think about the following:
1. How did the survivors find themselves in the situation described in this episode? Who was responsible? Does it matter?
2. How might the "Old Man" have gotten into the cave? What do you think it might represent?
3. What myths and/or traditional religious stories, if any, come to mind as you view this episode? Do any of the characters resemble each other?
After Viewing:
1. In the early '60s when Rod Serling wrote this episode, the Cold War was raging: the superpowers' standoff and nuclear capabilities seemed to threaten everything on earth. In small groups, discuss whether the situation has changed, and if so, how. Do you think the world is safer now? Why or why not?
2. Find out about today's nuclear threat. Though perhaps not as palpable as in the 1950s and '60s, it is ever changing. Find out which countries currently have the means to create nuclear armaments and how they are monitored and regulated. Make a chart that shows the changes over the past fifty years and share it with the class.
3. Interview as many family members as possible about their memories from the age of the Atomic Bomb. What were their fears? Are they more or less fearful now, and why? Summarize your findings in a report and present it to the class.
4. Who controls who - humans or machines? Think about our interdependence with machines, and how we continue to create an ever more complex world that depends upon them. Recall the recent so-called "Y2K problem" and how it affected people. Using the Reader's Guide or online search engines, find news articles that reported the feared consequences and ultimate outcomes following the millennial change. How valid were people's fears of chaos and disorder? Write a story or design a comic book that explores the Y2K problem, or another major machine-related glitch of your own imagining.
5. Can an individual influence the direction of technological development? Read about Tim Berners-Lee, developer of the World Wide Web. Consider the choices he made. What does he believe about people and their rights and responsibilities regarding Internet technology? Read Esther Dyson's views on these matters. In an essay, compare their ideas in view of some of the current commercial trends that you see taking shape.
See the following online sources for this activity:
Journal
If you don't already have one, start a Twilight Zone theme journal and write an entry about one of the following topics:
Think about the faithlessness Mr. Goldsmith alluded to at the end of the episode. Is it the destiny of humankind to destroy hope and compassion over and over again? When you experience despair and powerlessness in this increasingly complex world, what gives you strength? Write about what you can do to find additional sources for yourself and to make them more available for others.
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