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Popular Culture Review
fiction/fantasy. The main character, MacReady (the pun on readiness is surely
intended), represents the traditional American hero of popular culture. In stature,
he is gigantic, a powerful physical figure with a mane of blonde hair, rugged
good looks, intense seriousness, and complete confidence in his ability, both as a
geologist and as an American. The alien, even with its shape-shifting capability
and vastly advanced science, is simply no match for the brave, resourceful
American hero. Campbell believed that such a hero, through use of science and
bravery, could impose his will on nature. He believed, “It is deadly to adapt to
nature, a lazy, undisciplined way that leads to digestion by the cosmic process;
survival means control of nature. The monster is the opposite of humanity
because it goes with nature, not against it. For curiosity, it has mere cunning, for
pooled mental resources collective imitation . . . ” (Stover 116).
The conflict derives not only from the malevolent alien, discovered as
the apparent sole survivor of a spaceship crash 20 million years ago, frozen in a
block of ice away from the ship, but from the philosophical/scientific
disagreement between the biologist and pure scientist Blair (perhaps
representing the unsympathetic economists of the Hoover Administration) and
the more instinctive, intuitive physicist Norris (perhaps reflecting Roosevelt’s
more humane approach). Blair feels that the threat the alien poses should be
discounted for the sake of pure k nowledge, while Norris feels that its evil
appearance—three red eyes and an expression of extreme anger—indicate that it
is dangerous. Of course, Blair wins the argument, and like many scientists,
opens the Pandora’s box of an alien infection that could end humanity. During
this time period, as war raged in Europe and the memory of the massive
destruction of WW I, readers would have understood all too well the dangers of
science applied to hostile purpose.
As soon as it thaws, the alien immediately fights back with every bit of
the anger shown in its expression. The sled dogs instinctively attack it, and the
men are forced to shoot at it, finding that it can withstand bullets. Only the large
blow torches can finally kill it.
In studying its corpse and the corpse of one of the dogs, they find that
the alien’s cells continue to live and are imitating the dog. At this point, the
theme of paranoia, of not being able to trust friends or colleagues, sets in.
Immediately, Blair realizes the implications of what he has unleashed and turns
in horror from his colleagues, thirty-seven in all, feeling that they have already
been infected and that the only solution is to kill every living thing to preserve
humanity. The others realize that this is an overreaction and confine him, taking
the alternative of filtering out the alien imposters from the still human figures.
Since Garry, the commanding officer, is under suspicion from his
contact with the alien, he turns command over to MacReady, the Chief Pilot and
second in command. MacReady takes immediate, decisive action, killing all the
dogs and burning their corpses, and following suit with the cattle, which had
also been contaminated. He then, using knowledge from his former study of
medicine and with the cooperation of Van Wall, devises the blood test that will