A life time fan and Prisonerologist of the 1960's series 'the Prisoner', a leading authority on the subject, a short story writer, and now Prisoner novelist.
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Tuesday, 18 September 2012
Teabreak Teaser
Why did the Professor, a teacher, and his wife, an artist, choose to come to the Village of their own free will?
They were promised something, sufficient ressources for his researches and, to some degree, more influence, an inspiring ambiance for his wife's artistic efforts, even money. Perhaps he was also a bit too idealistic about what he would be able to achieve. We've seen such things a lot. - BCNU!
Nicely put, in both comments. The Professor may have become disillusioned with the educational system in the outside world, and so having devised the revolutionary educational system of Speedlearn, and it seems clear that the Professor came to the Village to test his invention on the good citizens of the Village. And certainly the Italinate Village of Portmeirion has been the inspiration behind several artists, and in turn the same could be said of Madame Professor. They may have come to the Village voluntarily, but the truth of the matter is, Madame Professor is given a certain amount of freedom, enjoys certain privilages, the Professor is controled through his wife, and vice versa, they are both nessecary to each other. I think they made a mistake coming voluntarily to the Village, and Madam Professor knows that.
Add: The Professor, after all, is also a symbol of troubled science in the claws of powers beyond their control, what many believe they could control. - BCNU!
Isn't the Professor of the absent-minded type, a bit of a stereotype, certainly, but nontheless as I wrote a symbolic character? This isn't one of my favourite episodes, so perhaps my memory may have faded. But the Speedlearn technique is also reminiscent of its Orwellian origin as for its intention of mass indoctrination. Today we know that there hasn't to be a centralised control device like TV to "feed" the masses. Given the proper circumstances people will do almost everything voluntarily, and feel free thereby. Isn't that what we call progress? - BCNU!
I'm not so sure that the Professor is of the absent minded type. But certainly he is the face of Speedlearn. When you see the Professor's face on the screen during one of his lectures, it puts me in mind of the face of 'Big Brother' in 1984. And I agree, the technique of Speedlearn is very much Orwellian, mass teaching, mass indoctorination. just like television today, "feeding" the masses by someone who thinks they know what the masses want. I don't watch television too much, and when I do it programmes that I want to see. I don't take any notice of tv commercials either. And that is but one flaw in Speedlearn, it is dependant on students being in front of a television for the lectures. And you are quite right, given almost any circumstance, people will do almost anything voluntarily. It might make them feel free, and they might even be empowered by it....progress indeed! I suppoose it all depends on the circumstances. It could be freedom for some, and oppression for others. For certain citizens in the Village, there was a form of freedom, but for others there was only oppression and coercion.
They were promised something, sufficient ressources for his researches and, to some degree, more influence, an inspiring ambiance for his wife's artistic efforts, even money. Perhaps he was also a bit too idealistic about what he would be able to achieve. We've seen such things a lot. - BCNU!
ReplyDeleteHello Arno,
DeleteNicely put, in both comments. The Professor may have become disillusioned with the educational system in the outside world, and so having devised the revolutionary educational system of Speedlearn, and it seems clear that the Professor came to the Village to test his invention on the good citizens of the Village. And certainly the Italinate Village of Portmeirion has been the inspiration behind several artists, and in turn the same could be said of Madame Professor.
They may have come to the Village voluntarily, but the truth of the matter is, Madame Professor is given a certain amount of freedom, enjoys certain privilages, the Professor is controled through his wife, and vice versa, they are both nessecary to each other. I think they made a mistake coming voluntarily to the Village, and Madam Professor knows that.
Kind regards
David
BCNU
Add: The Professor, after all, is also a symbol of troubled science in the claws of powers beyond their control, what many believe they could control. - BCNU!
ReplyDeleteIsn't the Professor of the absent-minded type, a bit of a stereotype, certainly, but nontheless as I wrote a symbolic character? This isn't one of my favourite episodes, so perhaps my memory may have faded. But the Speedlearn technique is also reminiscent of its Orwellian origin as for its intention of mass indoctrination. Today we know that there hasn't to be a centralised control device like TV to "feed" the masses. Given the proper circumstances people will do almost everything voluntarily, and feel free thereby. Isn't that what we call progress? - BCNU!
ReplyDeleteHello Arno,
DeleteI'm not so sure that the Professor is of the absent minded type. But certainly he is the face of Speedlearn. When you see the Professor's face on the screen during one of his lectures, it puts me in mind of the face of 'Big Brother' in 1984. And I agree, the technique of Speedlearn is very much Orwellian, mass teaching, mass indoctorination. just like television today, "feeding" the masses by someone who thinks they know what the masses want. I don't watch television too much, and when I do it programmes that I want to see. I don't take any notice of tv commercials either. And that is but one flaw in Speedlearn, it is dependant on students being in front of a television for the lectures.
And you are quite right, given almost any circumstance, people will do almost anything voluntarily. It might make them feel free, and they might even be empowered by it....progress indeed! I suppoose it all depends on the circumstances. It could be freedom for some, and oppression for others.
For certain citizens in the Village, there was a form of freedom, but for others there was only oppression and coercion.
Kind regards
David
BCNU