Alfred Robida’s future society in Electric Life is dramatically different from
the civilization of his time. There are new modes of warfare capable of carnage
on a massive scale. Rapid industrialization has resulted in enormous profits
and wealth unheard of in previous times. Science has propelled the forces of
progress to new heights and as a result a new aristocracy of science is born. Even
females, once relegated to domestic roles, have attained new levels of
advancement placing them equal in status to men. Yet even with all these transformations of futuristic human culture, the
basic human has not changed at all.
Regardless of technological advances of the highest
order, humans continue to suffer from desires. The desire to compete and
dominate is the main basis for war. The greed for fame and wealth encourages
exploitive profits and excessive flattery. Affection and love continue to throw
human reason into the wind bypassing logical analysis.
Warfare
has been industrialized. Armies in Electric
Life are large, comprised of multiple regiments, divisions, and branches.
The coordination of the armed forces requires a solid command structure capable
of quickly communicating between groups. The rapid pace of technology has only
expanded the army into the skies via aerial squadrons.[1]
Infantry are now armed with tube-rifles and machine guns.[2]
Chemical shells have been introduced in artillery batteries allowing entire
areas to be saturated with deadly miasmas.[3]
The battlefield has visibly changed yet the conflict continues to remain
between human beings, each side desiring to defeat the other. Robida, points
out that the reasons behind wars are now for profit and that old ideas of
nationalism and power balance are now rubbish.[4]
However, the battle for profit is still connected to the human desire for
power. The dominance of one nation over another’s economy is now the focus. Protecting
the nation’s economy requires its army to be at the ready prepared for both
offensive and defensive campaigns. Thus, to retain peace the country must
prepare for war.[5]
The human folly of permanent war preparation for peace is seen during Philox
Lorris negotiations with Costa Rica.[6]
Afraid of Danubia’s rising potential, Costa Rica desires Philox Lorris’s
arsenal of explosives and machines. Their fears of being conquered by Danubia
are verified when Philox notifies the diplomats of Danubia’s recent purchases
of the exact same things the Costa Ricans are aiming to buy![7]
Cornered, the Costa Rican diplomats hurriedly accept Philox’s demands in an
effort to keep up with the Danubians. Thus the motivation, human lust for
power, and its opposite, fear of losing power, remains the same even though the
ends (economic dominance) have changed.
The
Electric Life clearly demonstrates
the triumph of capitalism and economic entrepreneurialism. In this era of
unprecedented wealth, the scientist and entrepreneur have been raised to the
top of the hierarchal pyramid. The illustrious Philox Lorris is an example of
the crème de la crème of the new scientific
era. He is a scientist, an inventor, and a businessman with numerous titles and
an equally numerous number of factories.[8]
However, all this amassed wealth is still not enough for insatiable Philox
Lorris. He craves for evermore profits and stands as a perfect example of human
greed. On the opposite end of the spectrum we find those lacking in wealth. The
continuities of human nature for these less wealthy individuals are their fears
of losing what they have and their desires for more. Monsieur Lacombe and
Madame Lacombe are the embodiment of such human emotions. Monsieur Lacombe
fears that his wife’s overspending will ruin them and places heavy emphasis on
his daughter’s education.[9]
He hopes that the family will be able to weather financial disaster with
Estelle’s additional income. Madame Lacombe is the opposite of her husband,
preferring a rather extravagant lifestyle and eager to gain more money to
spend. Her greed for more wealth brings her to excessively flatter Philox
Lorris.[10]
Failing at being a professional sycophant, Madame Lorris turns into a
professional matchmaker. Her new aim is to leech off the Lorris wealth via
marriage. She fully approves of George Lorris’s request to marry Estelle
immediately.[11]
Turning
aside from Madame Lorris and her scheming enterprises, we can see the desire
for fame and wealth in two other characters: Arthur Pigott and Édouard
Malbousquet. Arthur Pigott is a wealthy ex-banker who hopes that history will
write him down as a hero. He goes on and on describing how the historians will crown
him with great achievements.[12]
Édouard Malbousquet is an ex-mining engineer who capitalized on the social
revolution to create his own company. A former low rank, he climbed his way up
by betraying the socialist cause and gathering together new capitalists. All
these individuals demonstrate that despite changes to cultural society the desire
for fame and wealth will continue to plague humans.
The
new world of Electric Life has
changed the gender roles of society. The women are equal to men in terms of
career opportunity and toil away at jobs once held exclusively by men.[13]
This new gender equal society has also introduced the new custom of engagement
voyages. The engagement voyages allow the new couples to deal with possible
future problems immediately as the marriage contract has not been signed yet.[14]
With the power so firmly on the consent of both
parties, the sexes are more equal than ever. However, one of the most powerful
emotions incapable of being altered despite changes in gender dynamics is love.
The highlight of the entire story is George’s love for Estelle despite the
shortcomings of the latter. Based on the facts, Estelle has no real beneficial
factors that make her a suitable marriage candidate. She is shy and has
difficulty with understanding scientific concepts. Her family is one of modest
background with no ties to major political figures. In spite of these
deficiencies, George finds himself slowly becoming addicted to Estelle’s
presence.[15]
His love develops throughout the story despite efforts by Philox Lorris to
sabotage the couple’s engagement voyage.[16]
Their marriage concludes the story proving that love is capable of reaching
across knowledge and class boundaries.
An
even more impressive show of the preservation of human love in this new society
is Sulfatin infatuation with Sylvia. Sulfatin, an artificial human being with
perfect mental capabilities and pristine health, would appear to be the last
individual to fall to the temptations of love.[17]
Yet upon looking at Sylvia for the first time he launches himself at her.[18]
He starts getting jealous and even begins to spy on Sylvia. His desires
overwhelm his cool logical nature and border on obsession.[19]
He finally has a climatic argument with Sylvia and proceeds to throw a violent
tantrum.[20]
What better evidence of consistent human behavior than Sulfatin, literal man of
science, having a fit like an adolescent boy over love!
Human desires and behavior are
eternal and impossible to stamp out. Human greed for more is constant and never
satiated. Regardless of the massive empire of wealth developed in Electric Life there will always be the
cry for more as citizens themselves try to live up to new Parisian standards.
Philox Lorris will most likely continue to expand his Lorris Enterprises, even
after his national medicaments and national medical corps schemes.[21]
Human aspirations of greatness and glory are contrasted to human fears of
destitution and obscurity. Countries in the Electric Era are placed in
indefinite preparations for war due to fears of other countries. Game theory
logic dictates that powerful nations prepare for war as a deterrent for war. For
with increased wealth and power comes the fear of losing that wealth and power.
Love brings forth passions that break the rules of logic and drive even the
most rational of individuals insane. While much of society has changed with the
technology of the times, human nature remains the same.
[1] Alfred Robida, Electric Life, (La Librairie Illustrée,
1892), 117.
[2] Ibid., 120.
[3] Ibid., 123.
[4] Ibid., 112.
[5] Robida refers to this idea
as an old adage. Ibid., 112.
[6] Ibid., 154-156.
[8] Ibid., 16.
[9] Ibid., 37.
[10] Her efforts are blunted by
communication via phonograph. Ibid., 53-55.
[11] Madame Lacombe is prone to
quick turnabouts in attitude. Ibid., 59.
[12] Funny enough to be
referencing to him in a history class. Ibid., 132.
[13] Ibid., 152.
[15] Ibid., 51.
[16] Ibid., 86.
[17] Ibid., 78-79.
[18] Comically hurting himself by launching himself at the
tele. Ibid., 103.
[19] Sulfatin records Sylvia’s voice and has listening and
photographic devices follow her. Ibid., 175.
[20] Ibid., 200-202.
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