Westworld and Ideological Commentary

            Something that makes Westworld different than other shows is that it’s more driven by the beliefs that its characters represent than by the characters themselves. One way they do this is by setting up dichotomous ideologies in their coupled characters. In these instances, two related characters, who often spend most of their screen time together and who converse with each other more than with other characters, represent two opposing views on various issues—the status of personhood within the hosts, what it means to be free, the meaning of life, etc. This can be seen in the storylines of Ford/Arnold, Clementine/Maeve, Logan/William, and Felix/Sylvester. 

            Ford and Arnold offered differing motives concerning what they wanted for the hosts. Whereas Arnold wanted to make the hosts as conscious and close to humans as possible, Ford believes that their freedom lies in their ability to be controlled and kept safe from the negative effects of consciousness (worry, fear, stress, etc.). Clementine and Maeve represent ignorance and knowledge and their effects; Logan and William, opposing moralities; and Felix and Sylvester differ in their beliefs regarding their roles and responsibilities in the park.
            This relates to Pearson’s observations in her essay on Star Trek about television’s ability to participate in a rhetoric of discussion, rather than on simply promoting ideology. Westworld commits to this in that it does not present any ideological notions as “correct”. Although it presents many views on freedom, consciousness, personhood, rights, morality, responsibility, gender, race, sexuality, among many other topics, all of the beliefs are presented on fairly equal grounds, leaving the audience to search for answers instead.