I'd very much appreciate if someone who knows (or has the episode) could check and write out one of Trevor's exceedingly cool lines from this episode. I'm referring to the speech about "understanding the will to evil."

A big thank you to any answers!

-- Joachim Buchert (majordomo@angelfire.com), October 27, 2002

Answers

"The will to evil is like an iron in a forge. There is only one way to shape it aright. With a conscience, which is the fire. My children, Judy, Bambara, it was for them I created the custodian, an artificial conscience, a fire!...for those who have none". It is about a device (the custodian) that once implanted guards ones morality. The episode was the Purge. Aeon's argument was that by grasping at shadows the substance was lost. Do you agree?

-- Barb e. (Suesuesbeo9@cs.com), October 27, 2002.

could you be a litle more specific as to where the line is?

-- yakov grinberg (yakov@griphus.net), October 27, 2002.

This notion has always intrigued me. Not so much the actual meaning (them needing a conscience to conform) but what the fact that Trevor is doing it. He is shaping their society, judging right and wrong. But the way he goes about it isn't like a benevolent dictator but almost god-like. He is changing his world for his children. He might crasp at shadows, but he can and wants to so he does. I don't think there is any right or wrong. If you do change things it is for the good of the people and if you don't change them you are letting people act according to their nature. Another question is whether Trevor does this sort of thing because he honestly believes he is trying to help people or does he wield his power for personal fulfillment. I mean why do any of us do anything? A conscience is something we share with others, it determines how we treat others because it is how we expect to be treated, how we would treat ourselves. Does anyone know Freud? I thought the id was the part that required constant satisfaction/attention but people use the phrase ego-driven (just a side thought really)

-- William (stateofflux@yahoo.com), October 30, 2002.

Trevor does what he does for the society if only because the society is his creation. The criminals are a like this outside force that riuns Trevors favorite work. He stole the society from Clavius to shape it into what he wanted. Trevor wants a working society for his ego. A large penal system looks bad for his society, so he creates a way for the criminals to be re-introduced into society.

-- MArk (nadar@BigPoppaPump.zzn.com), November 03, 2002.

Note the contrasts in language in this dialogue - Trevor speaks of fire, while Aeon speaks of shadows. Are not shadows both created and destroyed by illumination?

-- Charles Martin (bebop432@earthlink.net), March 06, 2003.