ENG 200 Blog 4

I will be discussing an episode of Star Trek that we have already watched for class and that i will be using for my essay.  In star trek enterprise season 2 episode 22 named cogenitor, commander tucker is intrigued by the vissian’s. The vissian’s use a cogenitor to reproduce and that is all they are used for. The vissian’ s believe in a third gender “The cogenitor”. This opens up the door to cultural commentary by discussing a different gender and do they still have equal rights as the rest of the population. Since the cogentior is treated as an animal and has virtual no rights but as a reproductive system on the vissian ship tucker decides to try and teach her how to read. By doing this tucker is battling the social problem of equal rights for all not just some of the population. Tucker even goes as far to take brain scans of all the vissans that broad the Enterprise including the cogentior and there is no difference in how the cogentior thinks or learns from the rest of the vissans. This proves that the cogentior should not be locked up like an animal but should receive the same rights as everyone else. This is the big cultural problem that this episode tries to tackle. Commander tucker believes that everyone should be treated as equal no matter social status or gender. In the end the Vissians do not see eye to eye with tucker and take the cogenitor back to their ship after trying to seek asylum in the Enterprise. Through later radio transmissions tucker finds out the cogenitor has committed suicide.  

Blog Entry 1

Carson McCain

I believe that Science Fiction is used for cultural commentary because it can give us insight of what the future will be like. Science Fiction novels can also let readers live through the characters as if they were in the book. Science Fiction gives the reader a break from reality and lets us explore. It is used as cultural commentary to also bring awareness to political or global events, like the end of the world and how it was caused. Science Fiction explores the unknown and possible futures through imagination. Sometimes Science Fiction can even influence society to change how we behave or develop new technologies for better or worse. I believe that Science Fiction definitely goes hand and hand with culture. It opens up a door for us to think outside the book and explore what could be. It is used to explore our universe and what could be out there. It is also lets us question reality and mind. In a science fiction novel one can be and do whatever they want . Science fiction is very effective in its mission to influence cultural commentary. For example marvels Avengers is watched and followed by millions of people world wide. Through this work of science fiction people are allowed to dream and question our reality and place in the universe. That definitely influences culture and our out look on space and time. the same is true with other woks of science fiction like Star trek. Sure science fiction could be more efficient in there ways by exploring more cultural mysteries and contemplation philosophical questions but they are endless. As time goes on science fiction will continue to grow and tempt to explain and explore the unknown to give its readers peace of mind and promote imagination.