mattbennett4
New Member
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2011
- Messages
- 8
- Gender
- Male
- HSC
- 2012
I'm planning on doing Half-Life 2 as my related text for belonging, and my prescribed text is Romulus, My Father.
I was just looking for some ideas about belonging in Half-Life 2, though I have a pretty good grounding for an essay. I just hope there isn't something obvious that I've missed.
So far, here's some ideas I've come up with:
- Alien invasion is a common symbol of a disturbance of a group (human kind) by the 'Other'
- Sense of belonging to humanity and notions of the strength of the human spirit (e.g. continual reference to science/ human advancement)
- Sense of alienation brought about by the settings (most extreme in Ravenholm and the Citadel)
- Continual depiction of dehumanisation (e.g. facehuggers remove identity by covering face; prisoners carried around in pods in the Citadel; stalkers)
- Unwilling belonging, possession, enslavement (G-Man control's Freeman's every move; settings are narrow and claustrophobic; Combine roadblocks and doorlocks cut player off from exploring wherever they want to go)
- Lack of identity of Freeman: he isn't a character, he is an absence of character that is expecially isolating for the player. He is always talked at, he never contributes to conversation.
- Breakdown of western culture in dystopian setting
- Deep connection with the characters (e.g. relationship with Alyx)
There is so much, that is some of what I've come up with. Any further discussion of these, such as examples from the game that support them, is great. Also, any new ideas entirely, and thoughts about using video games as related texts.
I was just looking for some ideas about belonging in Half-Life 2, though I have a pretty good grounding for an essay. I just hope there isn't something obvious that I've missed.
So far, here's some ideas I've come up with:
- Alien invasion is a common symbol of a disturbance of a group (human kind) by the 'Other'
- Sense of belonging to humanity and notions of the strength of the human spirit (e.g. continual reference to science/ human advancement)
- Sense of alienation brought about by the settings (most extreme in Ravenholm and the Citadel)
- Continual depiction of dehumanisation (e.g. facehuggers remove identity by covering face; prisoners carried around in pods in the Citadel; stalkers)
- Unwilling belonging, possession, enslavement (G-Man control's Freeman's every move; settings are narrow and claustrophobic; Combine roadblocks and doorlocks cut player off from exploring wherever they want to go)
- Lack of identity of Freeman: he isn't a character, he is an absence of character that is expecially isolating for the player. He is always talked at, he never contributes to conversation.
- Breakdown of western culture in dystopian setting
- Deep connection with the characters (e.g. relationship with Alyx)
There is so much, that is some of what I've come up with. Any further discussion of these, such as examples from the game that support them, is great. Also, any new ideas entirely, and thoughts about using video games as related texts.
