A Change of Mind
Profiles
Number 2
Male
Height…. 5 feet 11 inches {approx}
Weight…. 230 lbs {approx}
Hair…….. Greying and balding
Age……… late 40’’s {approx}
Nationality…. English speaking.
Chief Administrator
Chairman of the village
Village attire, plain black double breasted blazer, grey polo neck jersey, grey flannel trousers and deck shoes.
Carries about him the furled shooting stick, but does not wear the old school scarf.
The old school scarf being that of St. Hugh’s college Oxford
He finds the domestic scene of Number’s 6 and 86 together so charming, that he would like some tea.
It is quite possible that this sinister and supercilious Number 2 is lurking somewhere in the darkest recess of your mind, ready to appear in your worst nightmare. But perhaps your worst nightmare would be preferable to this number, a dark side to the character of the villager.
His rounded face and chubby features give this man a kindly appearance. But it is his icy piecing eyes and the quiet menacing tone of his voice that one remembers about him. It is enough to freeze the blood of the listener!
He is a man who wishes to possess, your mind, to take from it all that he needs.
He is a deceiver, the welfare committee is a tool which he uses in order to possess the minds of the citizens.
His face is perfect for the ‘Your Community Needs You’ poster, it gives the village a real feel of ‘Big Brother’, and resembles the WW2 poster of Lord Kitchener. ‘Your Country need you!’
He tries to convince the Prisoner that he does not have any say in the dealings of the committee, in fact claims to be powerless where the committee is concerned.
Although a very portly man, he is quite agile and athletic for his size. Perhaps it was the pursuing citizens screaming “Unmutual” that put the sprint in his step!
This Number 2 is a malevolent character, he knows what is best for you, weather you like it or not!
He does not suffer fools gladly, and probably thinks little of the female sex. For once she has drugged Number 6, Number 2 sees that her job is done and so wants Number 6 left to him, so that only he will know the prisoner’s resignation secret.
Number 2 is the father confessor, Number 6 need only tell him the secret of his resignation. But while interrogating Number 6, Number 2 misunderstands Number 6’s meaning. ‘oh time that was it, was it? You couldn’t stand your job, so you needed time to think’.
But then did he get it wrong, was Number 2 partly right, perhaps Number 6 couldn’t stand his job any longer and wanted out!
He has a saying for any occasion such as, ‘the slowest mule, is nearest to the whip’.
He has only one agenda, to find out the reason behind the resignation of Number 6, and will go to almost any lengths to obtain it. Yet having driven Number 6 into real loneliness, he hopes that it will not be for too long, for his own sake. Nor does he want Number 86 to make a mistake.
He tells the Supervisor if that woman makes a mistake, we could lose Number 6, did you hear that, lose him’. Number 2 taps his temple and winks at the supervisor, this suggests that number 2 himself might be a little unstable.
So there is a point which even this Number 2 is not allowed to go beyond.
His plan is a cleaver one, a master of manipulation, Number 2 turns Number 6 into an Uunmutual and the whole village against him, then to make number 6 believe that he has actually under gone the full personality change of social conversion. But all depends upon how convincing the false operation was made to appear the real thing, and how reassurance Number 6 needs in regard to his new state of mind.
But as Number 2’s before him, he makes the one crucial mistake, he underestimates the cleverness and ingenuity of Number 6.
However Number 2 is not without his faults, when Number 6 pays him a call under the pretext of continuing that little chat they were having, and being told by Number 6 that things are much clearer cut now and happier, that he has such peace of mind and that it’s quite simple. Number 2 in his eagerness to believe Number 6, allows himself to be convinced by Number 6, that his public confession could inspire others who have knowledge important to Number 2 to speak out also. This is more than Number 2 could have anticipated, and couldn’t be more pleased of course. This is the sign of an over confident Number 2, who is out to gain more than at first expected.
This arrogance helps lead Number 2 towards his downfall.
So was number 2 really born yesterday, or was it simply a case of Number 6 telling Number 2 what he wanted to hear, and he in turn only too ready to believe in what Number 6 says, in his own eagerness to succeed.
Precise and exact in all Number 2 does, this defeat is not fully down to him, but is the cause of one woman’s stupidity, Number 86.
“Stupid woman” bellows Number 2 “she’ll ruin everything” and of course he was perfectly correct. But does Number 2 not at the same time, have only himself to blame? After all he was almost continuously observing Number 6 himself!
However there is another factor, or perhaps two, which culminated together in the downfall of Number 2, the intervention of Number’s 58 and 16!
However as with previous Number 2’s, it is he who must ultimately answer for this defeat. His is the public disgrace of being proclaimed as an Unmutual by Number 86, the dishonour is his, and it is the citizens themselves who turn upon and exercise this dark spectre of Number 2 from the Village.
The Doctor – Number 86
Female
Height…. 5 feet 9 inches {approx}
Weight….126 lbs {approx}
Hair…….. blonde shoulder length hair
Age…….. mid 20’s {approx}
Nationality….. English speaking
Village attire, black polo neck jersey, orangey/red slacks, colourful stripped cape, and deck shoes. Later a light blue knee length dress and white high heel shoes
This attractive young woman is a doctor, although she is never actually referred to as being, or called by title. Nor does she dress as any other doctor, the usual uniform of white coat, grey polo neck jersey, grey slacks and white shoes.
She is bold and confident, self assured and certainly more feminine in a dress.
But not ruthless as her like before her, she cares for her patient, warning Number 2 that 16 grains of Mytol is quite impossible!
Number 86 herself has had valuable experience of the Committee and is attached to the social group.
She too has at one time, suffered the shame of being posted Unmutual!
She warns Number 6 about his frivolous attitude towards the committee, it is most dangerous as the hearings are televised and as such he stands before the entire community.
So it could so easily be the case that this doctor did not once upon a time agree with the village, rejecting the work that she was called upon to do.
She once resisted, but resistance is only as strong as the coercion that one can bare.
However as a doctor it is she who supposedly carries out the operation known as Instant Social Conversion, the isolation of the aggressive frontal lobes.
But of course this is a feint, the operation did not actually take place and so Number 86 put herself forward to keep an eye on Number 6 herself.
A perfectly qualified doctor she may be, but Number 86 is not so cleaver when it comes to subterfuge. How easily she allows herself to be tricked by number 6, when having been seen dropping a single pill of Mytol in his tea. Not only that, but she allows number 6 to be out of her sight when looking for a rug in the wardrobe of the bedroom.
Then as she returns to ‘6 Private’ in order to administer 16 more grains of Mytol, she allows herself to become the victim of her own tranquilising drug! But even in her drugged state of mind she maintains her both her dignity and duty, she must report to number 2. Even though admitting to Number 6 that she is higher than Number 2, although this could be due to the fact that she is under the influence of a tranquilising drug, that would most certainly put her higher than Number 2, she wants to make him happy!
Through her failure, Number 6 is allowed to turn the tables on Number 2, a failure which she must ultimately pay for.
But where does that put Number 86 now, how will she fair the Village by Number 1? The failure of Number 2’s plan can be much attributed to Number 86, had she not allowed herself to be humbugged by Number 6, the result would possibly have been in number 2’s favour.
Number 6
The Prisoner is skilful, having built himself a home made gymnasium apparatus in the woods. This also demonstrates the certain amount of freedom the prisoner has developed during his time in the village.
How many citizens are free to do as Number 6 does?
We witness his gymnastic skills, as well as his boxing ability.
He likes to keep himself fit, and is more than a match for anyone who sees fit to use him as a punch bag!
The man is as strong as a bull!
He has proved time and time again that he can take care of himself in a fist fight. However he is a man who can see that there are times when ‘discretion is the better part of valour’, especially when he is out numbered, and one of the medics is built like an outdoor privy!
In the woods Number 6 utilises his stone axe ‘The Chimes of Big Ben’ to chop down several young trees.
He has more than adequate sewing skills, having procured remnants of Hessian sacking which he sewn together making a punch bag which he then filled with sand.
The fact that he uses his apparatus in the woods, rather than the gymnasium itself, could be condoned as an anti social act.
His attitude is one of disharmony.
He is accused of being a rebel and a reactionary.
Then again comes the question of the prisoner’s resignation. Did he, as Number 2 suggests, resign prematurely? And could the reason be that he could no longer stand his job? Always at other people’s beck and call and at any time of day, being called upon by others on to clean up other peoples mess. No wonder the prisoner resigned!
He shows a frivolous attitude towards the committee. He tears up the written questionnaire of confession in front of the committee members and when told that they {the committee} are here to deal with his complaints, Number 6 replies “Well done, I have several!”
Number 6 has no chance of defending himself against this, impartial committee.
Long before his being declare Unmutual, Number 6 is treated by his fellow citizen’s as though he has the plague and in time the entire community turns against him.
But then under the impression that Number 6 has undergone the treatment known a s instant social conversion, the citizens only too gladly welcome him back into the fold.
Number 6 is a courteous man.
His greeting of “Beautiful day Number Sixty-one” is ignored by the woman. And citizens turn and walk the other way. Number 6 is already judged as an outcast and is being treated accordingly by his fellow citizens.
Number 6 is to all tense and purposes, a loner, likes to keep himself to himself, preferring his own privacy to the company of others. But no man is an Island , and number 6 feels his loneliness as he watches Cormorants flying together over head.
The Cormorants appear to be free, while he remains a prisoner. But yet even Cormorants, must return to the roost!
Number 6 is a tea drinker, as well as coffee drinker.
He cannot stand girls who do not know how to make a decent cup of tea, and goes on to give the perfect demonstration on how to make the perfect cup of tea.
The kitchenette of ‘6 Private’ is fully equipped as we have seen on many occasions. But here we see the ornate designs upon the cups used by Number 6, and the strange brown tea pot, with its spout on the side. This is in actual fact, a Swiss tea pot, only Number 6 would be so individual as to have one of these in his kitchen!
He can appreciate the feminine form, especially when number 86 wears a dress and not slacks.
There maybe a kind of rapport developing between number’s 6 and 86, but he merely uses her to achieve his own ends.
Does the prisoner really care for anyone, does he have feeling for anyone?
He certainly borrows one of Number 2’s sayings “The butcher with the sharpest knife, has the warmest heart,” meaning, that with one sharp cut, and its all over quickly.
For the provoked attack upon Number’s 58 and 16 he brought before the committee, and in time due to his disharmonious attitude is pronounced as being “Unmutual”.
This frivolous and disharmonious attitude is demonstrated when he disrupts the social group meeting.
He mocks those ladies of the appeal sub committee, whose only aim is to help him.
His medical sees that he is fit for any contingency, that life in the village suits him!
Number 6 believes that Number 2 is behind the committee, but to the village he is merely Number 6 who has to be tolerated and if necessary ‘shaped to fit’.
And this is demonstrated to him in the most severe manner, when the entire citizenship are turned against him, he has failed to co-operate and that has made him an outcast.
If as Number 6 states, that ‘they are sheep’ then it must surely follow that Number 6 is a ‘goat’ and when a goat comes amongst us, things begin to happen and then there can be nothing but trouble!
The Prisoner misses very little, noticing that number 86 has drugged his tea, he out manoeuvres her once Number 86’s back is turned, not once but twice he gets the better of her.
Further to the attributes of Number 6, he is also an accomplished hypnotist.
He is also a master of manipulation, with the aid of the hypnotised Number 86, he manipulates the citizens, turning them against Number 2.
He sees himself being used as a scapegoat, citizens unite to denounce this menace in our presence!
No more credit, no more taxis. At one point Number 6’s telephone is cut off, and that could only be the beginning!
But his anti social behaviour will not be indefinitely. He is threatened with ‘Instant Social Conversion’, dislocation of the aggressive frontal lobes. However Number 6 is important to then, others are expendable, but not number 6. And so the operation is not carried out upon this subject, but simply kept heavily tranquilised by the use of the drug ‘Mytol’, but this is not enough, to dampen Number 6’s aggressiveness.
But this is not simply not enough, or at least it would have been, had Number 86 done her job correctly.
This is for Number 6, a fight for survival, the entire community against him. He is at one point, brutally manhandled and dragged and beaten through the streets of the village to the hospital by the citizens.
But then as soon as the citizens believe that he has undergone the full personality change through instant social conversion, he is quickly welcomed back into the fold by the entire community, in fact the citizens couldn’t be more happy for him.
As Number 6 is driven home in a taxi, he receives a hero’s welcome as citizens line the streets, cheering and waving.
Number 6 is now confused, but there are still signs of suspicion, doubt, and of aggression. He still has some impatience, impulsiveness, even though he is heavily tranquilised. Underneath the plaster upon his temple, there is scar tissue, supposed proof that he has undergone the operation did in fact take place.
When he returns to his gymnasium in the woods, he lacks the strength to jump up to the high bar. Not the aggression to deliver a punch to his home made punch bag!
But then another factor emerges, Number’s 58 and 16, who return to torment him, to revenge themselves upon him, he seems not to have the stomach for a fight.
But a few blows delivered to Number 6, has a reverse effect, as once again Number 6 emerges the better man, his tormentors lie defeated before him, lying prostrate upon the ground.
The Prisoner has once again over come coercion, returning to his old confident self once more, the effects of the tranquiliser beaten, as are his opponents, as will be Number 2 as Number 6 manages to turn the people against the man s who deceives then all so well.
This then is the community which the prisoner strived to protect, now turned against him. For the prisoner, there is no question of escape, merely survival in a community which does not deserve him!
Supervisor – Number 28
This supervisor still survives his position within the village, he sees the new Number 2’s come and go, but he himself is a constancy within the community.
Working close with Number 2, but keeping his own council, and obeying his instructions to the letter, he can appreciate his superior’s quirky sense of humour at the possibility of losing number 6 mentally.
The Doctor – Number 10
Male
Height….5 feet 7 inches {approx}
Weight….155 lbs {approx}
Hair……..dark
Age…….. late 40’s {approx}
Nationality…. English speaking, but with an accent
Village attire, white coat, grey polo neck jersey, white shoes
This man seems to one of the few doctors in the hospital who care’s about his patient’s.
Giving Number 6 his medical, he pronounces Number 6 fit for any contingency, whatever that may be!
He thinks that Number 6 is a lucky fellow and that it is wonderful what he has gone through, this social conversion.
He wouldn’t think it so wonderful it the operation was to be carried out upon him!
He appears to be the kind of man who is not one to speak out, but sees it alright to go along with the orders of the Village authorities. Just as long as they are not doing it to me, that’s alright.
This man has been recruited from some medical establishment or other, probably from some eastern European country, judging from his accent.
The Committee Chairman – Number 118
Male
Height…. 5 feet 1 inch {approx}
Weight….125 lbs {approx}
Hair……..grey
Age…….. 50’s {approx}
Nationality….. English speaking
Village attire, black top hat, black and white stripped jersey, black trousers and deck shoes
Not only is he the Chairman, but is the only voice of the committee, which would imply that the committee only had one voice, that of Number 18. This much like the town council during the village elections, they were nothing more than a bunch of tailor’s dummies!
He and his supposed fellow committee members, have full powers to deal with any Unmutual brought before them, and that includes Number 6.
He asks the Prisoner if he has completed the written questionnaire, and shows no sign of any emotion when number 6 slowly and deliberately, tears it up in front of him.
He and his fellow members of the committee are quite unconcerned with Number 6’s files, any information is with number 2.
But he does council number 6 with discretion.
However when called upon, he does not flinch his duty when called upon to pronounce number 6 as being Unmutual, and that is as far as he and his committee are concerned with any Unmutual’s case. After proposing Number 6 for the treatment known as Instant Social Conversion, the committee’s job is done.
A Change of Mind continued next time
Be seeing you
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