Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom - Assessment
1. What is your reaction to the test you just read?
I found the premise of a world without death fascinating as a worldbuilding exercise. In my opinion, the setup was a bit too overwhelming in the amount of ideas and new terms it was trying to convey. I appreciated that the story was being told through an experience of meeting a very old and respected character, as if to introduce a world through its past in order to reflect on its present. In my opinion, some of the terminology could have been more straightforward, or at least explained a bit more in depth, as I found myself coming across the same unfamiliar words again and again with the slight need to go back and re-familiarize myself with them a few paragraphs earlier. I think the technique of diving into a world, and explaining it through dialogue is a fun and engaging way to go about worldbuilding, but it could have been done in a more seamless way.
2. What connection did you make with the story? Discuss the elements of the story with which you were able to connect.
I connected with the story's premise, as the idea of a world without death is one I've toyed with in the past myself. I am of the strong belief that life needs to be balanced and sprinkled with good and bad. I believe that the bitter gives the sweet its purpose, and pain is crucial for joy and happiness. Therefore, the idea of a world without death, were people can turn themselves on and off for eternity, is an unbearable existence. I connected with the statement that "A junky doesn't miss sobriety", as I found it to be an effective and interesting metaphor for how fragile the balance of life is, and how delicate perspective is. Through the lens of a world where there is a cure for death, I believe there is no sense of perspective at all, and the point to life is lost as soon as death is eliminated from the equation. In that way, I relate to the societies that chose to disconnect themselves from this world of eternal "life", as I would not be interested in unnaturally disturb the balance of existence in such a way.
3. What changes would you make to adapt this story into another medium? What medium would you use? What changes would you make?
If I had the opportunity to adapt this story into another medium, I would make it into a film. I think a world where a cure for death has been found is ripe with visual storytelling potential, and I think the story would benefit from a solid acting performance to carry the abundance of ideas it attempts to convey. I could see the campus in my mind's eye, and the characters interacting and explaining their world through the tools of cinematic storytelling. Some of the changes I would make to adapt the story into film would be to focus on one sub-society and one main society as the opposing ideologies of this world, and not get into to many ideas right off the bat. I feel like the very idea of a deathless world is enough to wrap one's head around, and stripping away some of the details, as well as introducing them in a more organic way through character would be a simpler and more efficient choice. More specifically, I really liked the idea of currency through respect and interpersonal interactions, and I think that concept could have been elaborated on more in the setup.
I found the premise of a world without death fascinating as a worldbuilding exercise. In my opinion, the setup was a bit too overwhelming in the amount of ideas and new terms it was trying to convey. I appreciated that the story was being told through an experience of meeting a very old and respected character, as if to introduce a world through its past in order to reflect on its present. In my opinion, some of the terminology could have been more straightforward, or at least explained a bit more in depth, as I found myself coming across the same unfamiliar words again and again with the slight need to go back and re-familiarize myself with them a few paragraphs earlier. I think the technique of diving into a world, and explaining it through dialogue is a fun and engaging way to go about worldbuilding, but it could have been done in a more seamless way.
2. What connection did you make with the story? Discuss the elements of the story with which you were able to connect.
I connected with the story's premise, as the idea of a world without death is one I've toyed with in the past myself. I am of the strong belief that life needs to be balanced and sprinkled with good and bad. I believe that the bitter gives the sweet its purpose, and pain is crucial for joy and happiness. Therefore, the idea of a world without death, were people can turn themselves on and off for eternity, is an unbearable existence. I connected with the statement that "A junky doesn't miss sobriety", as I found it to be an effective and interesting metaphor for how fragile the balance of life is, and how delicate perspective is. Through the lens of a world where there is a cure for death, I believe there is no sense of perspective at all, and the point to life is lost as soon as death is eliminated from the equation. In that way, I relate to the societies that chose to disconnect themselves from this world of eternal "life", as I would not be interested in unnaturally disturb the balance of existence in such a way.
3. What changes would you make to adapt this story into another medium? What medium would you use? What changes would you make?
If I had the opportunity to adapt this story into another medium, I would make it into a film. I think a world where a cure for death has been found is ripe with visual storytelling potential, and I think the story would benefit from a solid acting performance to carry the abundance of ideas it attempts to convey. I could see the campus in my mind's eye, and the characters interacting and explaining their world through the tools of cinematic storytelling. Some of the changes I would make to adapt the story into film would be to focus on one sub-society and one main society as the opposing ideologies of this world, and not get into to many ideas right off the bat. I feel like the very idea of a deathless world is enough to wrap one's head around, and stripping away some of the details, as well as introducing them in a more organic way through character would be a simpler and more efficient choice. More specifically, I really liked the idea of currency through respect and interpersonal interactions, and I think that concept could have been elaborated on more in the setup.
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