It occurs to me, judging by the Prisoner’s reaction to his resignation, as demonstrated by his anguish pattern during ‘A B and C,’ that, together with his apparent meeting with No.1, the Prisoner known as No.6, needs saving from himself!
Have you observed how the Prisoner has to be at the centre of everything? Well I suppose that would have to be the case, seeing as how ‘the Prisoner’ was written for the character, as well as being played by the leading man, and creator of the series Patrick McGoohan. But lets leave McGoohan out of the equation for the moment shall we, and just deal with the character of the Prisoner.
The Prisoner thinks a good deal of himself. He imagines that he can simply hand in his resignation, and walk away from a top secret, confidential job, and no-one will bat an eyelid. It simply does not work like that, the authorities would never allow such a man to resign. And even if he did, he would be put under close surveillance, watched night and day wherever he went. He would certainly not have been allowed to leave the country as the Prisoner had intended to, if they had not got to him first. It appears to me that it was the Prisoner’s own people who put No.6 away for safe keeping. After all didn’t No.2 tell the Prisoner that a lot of people were curious to know what lies behind his resignation. That in itself suggests that it was the Prisoner’s own people who had him abducted, and placed in the Village. Because what people would be more curious as to why the Prisoner resigned, than his own people?
So, the Prisoner is in the Village, but he’s only prepared to give them his time of birth, he has nothing else to say, and that makes No.6 important. It will keep their attention on him, and the longer No.6 can maintain his resistance against any form of coercion, the longer the Prisoner will be able to hold their attention on him. No.6 has to feel important, and be the centre of attention. At any given time, No.6 has to remain centre stage. That’s why he makes sure that he is involved at every opportunity.
The Prisoner likes to mind his own business, yet he is always more than willing to poke his nose into other people’s affairs. I mean No.6 didn’t need to run for office did he? He could have simply said no, public office is not for me. And then there was that time with ‘the General,’ it just had to be No.6 who found that tape recorder down on the beach, and consequently listen to, and act upon the words of the Professor “The General has to be destroyed,” and No.6 took it upon himself to see the Professor’s wishes were carried out. And what about ‘Dance of the Dead?‘ There he went poking his nose into the body of the dead man he found on the beach. He simply couldn’t have reported finding it to No.2, oh no. And by taking the transistor radio from the dead man’s pocket, well that in itself made No.6 the centre of attention once more. And was that really a good idea to invite No.6 to the Ball in the evening? I know it was so that they could put No.6 on trial. But surely they knew that given half a chance No.6 would try to poke his nose in, and make whatever search of the Town Hall, given the opportunity to enter that evening. I mean that is to say, a damned funny place to hold a Ball, whatever was wrong with using the Recreation Hall? And that trial, what exactly was the point of that? Because it only put No.6 centre stage again.
No.6 was once again the main attraction of ‘Many Happy Returns,‘ the only person in the Village. Once again showing off his skills in navigation, raft building, treating those who were watching to a crash course in survival and endurance. I suppose ‘Checkmate’ afforded No.6 the best stage to show himself off. Once he’d learned from the chess champion No.14 about how to distinguish between the blacks, and the whites. In other words, the prisoners and warders, that was that! No.6 took over completely, and made himself boss of that little enterprise. Because I bet you none of his reliable men had a say as to who should be in charge. I suppose the only other really important member of the group was the Rook-No.58, because he knew how to construct a radio transmitter.
No.2 actually told the Prisoner what a valuable commodity he had become on the open market. All that knowledge inside his head. So No.6 was important, but did they really have to involve him in that plot to execute the retiring No.2. Didn’t they know that any plan that involved No.6 is destined to failure, so why go to all those lengths to involve No.6?
It strikes me at times, that there is no-one in the Village more important than No.6! And at other times, too full of his own self-importance!
Have you observed how the Prisoner has to be at the centre of everything? Well I suppose that would have to be the case, seeing as how ‘the Prisoner’ was written for the character, as well as being played by the leading man, and creator of the series Patrick McGoohan. But lets leave McGoohan out of the equation for the moment shall we, and just deal with the character of the Prisoner.
The Prisoner thinks a good deal of himself. He imagines that he can simply hand in his resignation, and walk away from a top secret, confidential job, and no-one will bat an eyelid. It simply does not work like that, the authorities would never allow such a man to resign. And even if he did, he would be put under close surveillance, watched night and day wherever he went. He would certainly not have been allowed to leave the country as the Prisoner had intended to, if they had not got to him first. It appears to me that it was the Prisoner’s own people who put No.6 away for safe keeping. After all didn’t No.2 tell the Prisoner that a lot of people were curious to know what lies behind his resignation. That in itself suggests that it was the Prisoner’s own people who had him abducted, and placed in the Village. Because what people would be more curious as to why the Prisoner resigned, than his own people?
So, the Prisoner is in the Village, but he’s only prepared to give them his time of birth, he has nothing else to say, and that makes No.6 important. It will keep their attention on him, and the longer No.6 can maintain his resistance against any form of coercion, the longer the Prisoner will be able to hold their attention on him. No.6 has to feel important, and be the centre of attention. At any given time, No.6 has to remain centre stage. That’s why he makes sure that he is involved at every opportunity.
The Prisoner likes to mind his own business, yet he is always more than willing to poke his nose into other people’s affairs. I mean No.6 didn’t need to run for office did he? He could have simply said no, public office is not for me. And then there was that time with ‘the General,’ it just had to be No.6 who found that tape recorder down on the beach, and consequently listen to, and act upon the words of the Professor “The General has to be destroyed,” and No.6 took it upon himself to see the Professor’s wishes were carried out. And what about ‘Dance of the Dead?‘ There he went poking his nose into the body of the dead man he found on the beach. He simply couldn’t have reported finding it to No.2, oh no. And by taking the transistor radio from the dead man’s pocket, well that in itself made No.6 the centre of attention once more. And was that really a good idea to invite No.6 to the Ball in the evening? I know it was so that they could put No.6 on trial. But surely they knew that given half a chance No.6 would try to poke his nose in, and make whatever search of the Town Hall, given the opportunity to enter that evening. I mean that is to say, a damned funny place to hold a Ball, whatever was wrong with using the Recreation Hall? And that trial, what exactly was the point of that? Because it only put No.6 centre stage again.
No.6 was once again the main attraction of ‘Many Happy Returns,‘ the only person in the Village. Once again showing off his skills in navigation, raft building, treating those who were watching to a crash course in survival and endurance. I suppose ‘Checkmate’ afforded No.6 the best stage to show himself off. Once he’d learned from the chess champion No.14 about how to distinguish between the blacks, and the whites. In other words, the prisoners and warders, that was that! No.6 took over completely, and made himself boss of that little enterprise. Because I bet you none of his reliable men had a say as to who should be in charge. I suppose the only other really important member of the group was the Rook-No.58, because he knew how to construct a radio transmitter.
No.2 actually told the Prisoner what a valuable commodity he had become on the open market. All that knowledge inside his head. So No.6 was important, but did they really have to involve him in that plot to execute the retiring No.2. Didn’t they know that any plan that involved No.6 is destined to failure, so why go to all those lengths to involve No.6?
It strikes me at times, that there is no-one in the Village more important than No.6! And at other times, too full of his own self-importance!
Be seeing you
Hello David,
ReplyDeletehe's an individual, they're always trying.
I like this Prismatic Reflection. It's quite thought-provoking. I think primarily he want's to mind his own business, but so do they. He exploits every conceivable opportunity to do so, including other people, and so do they. They match quite well, don't they?
But what makes me think, too: what would have happened if he hadn't been in the centre of the events? Would he have fought to get there? It's a little bit ironic...
I think, without him being an individual and Sir we wouldn't have had a series like this, but for him, couldn't this have meant the opportunity to mind his own business? I have to admit, I'm glad that he didn't.
Kind regards,
Jana
BCNU
Hello Jana,
DeleteI think we've hit on a slight disagreement here, for possibLy the first time. Personnally I feel No.6 cannot help himself from not minding his own business, despite what he says. Even at the end of the General, No.6 cannot resist going back to the Professor's house to have a final look around, leaving the grieving widow outside. Well that's my own personal interpretation, it could be the wrong one.
I suppose one has to ask oneself, like I have just done, if No.6 had not always been at the centre of events, who would have been? But in 'Checkmate' it should have been the "man with the stick."
If Patrick McGoohan, after resigning from 'Danger Man,' could have simply slipped into private life, and he could have then minded his own business. He could have gone to portray the role of James Bond, but then we might not have had the series we have. And besides I think McGoohan's James Bond would have made the character more like John Drake, and even if he hadn't, we would have seen him as John Drake, even if he was supposed to be James Bond. Corr! That's a bit complicated for a Sunday morning!
Like you, I'm rather glad he didn't.
Very kind regards
David
BCNU
Hello David,
ReplyDeleteyou really made me think! Yes, I see that there are several occasions when Sir pokes his nose into other peoples business. I also see his overweening sense of self-importance. But I think his need to poke his nose into other peoples business might be a result of the point that he cares. In a way I'd like to think that his resistance and his need to make others be resistant, too, are his business.
But I also like to think that his need to mind his own business not prior to the business of the sheep but prior to that of the village is genuine. I guess you put it right: He cannot help himself from not minding his own business.
Very kind regards,
Jana
BCNU
Hello Jana,
DeleteNo.2 once asked No.6 why he cares, to which No.6 replied "You'll never know." No, I don't think we ever will now. Perhaps the reason No.6 cares, is because he could be the buffer between the Village, and No.1. But then that would predispose that No.6 knew he was No.1's alter ego before his encounter with No.1 in 'Fall Out.'
No.6 does have a caring side to his nature, after all he was helping No.24 with her mind reading act. And before that he took Nadia under his wing. Yes Nadia was a plant, but No.6 could have refused to have anything to do with her. But she became a damsel in distress and No.6 cannot resist a damsel in distress, as we see with Monique the Watchmaker's daughter. With No.73, he becomes her avenging angel.
Generally speaking, when No.6 pokes his nose in, it usually leads to his own advantage, or to work against the Village.
It's the old adage that everyman's terrorist is someone elses freedom fighter. And the same can be said of No.6. He's a troublemaker, a saboter, but on the other side of the coin he's fighting for his freedom.
When it comes to No.6 poking his nose in where it's not wanted, well really I cannot see No.6 just sitting back and allowing things to happen. In the way he put a stop to Speedlearn and the General. But in that instance I feel there are more reprocussions than what we see at the end of 'The General.' I feel that No.6 did something to save the world that day. Because in the Village Speedlearn was an experiment, the citizens being used as guineapigs. Then if successful, Speedlearn would have been used on a much wider scale, a world-wide scale!
No.6 cannot help himself from poking his nose in, perhaps just as well in some cases!
Very kind regards
David
BCNU