The X-Files

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Recommended: postmodern literary criticism

The X-Files

The X-Files is generally acclaimed as the television cult hit of the 1990’s. The pilot that aired in September of 1993 introduced FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. Together the two work to uncover the truth behind unsolved cases that defy normal investigation, the cases that the government has buried or ignored, labeling them the “x-files.” The two agents are wonderful examples of modernism and post-modernism world views.
First in order to understand the reasons Scully and Mulder portray the two world views, we must understand what modernism and post-modernism mean. Modernism was the era that was dominated by Freud and Marx, a belief that humans are purely material machines, a belief that we live in a purely physical world and nothing exists beyond what our senses perceive. Modernists believe that people should be rationalistic optimists and depend only on the data of their sense of reason. Scully strongly displays the modernist world view throughout the show even after the two agents have been through many fantastic adventures. In the show as a whole there are modernist aspects because both Scully and Mulder are truth seekers. The shows motto is “the truth is out there” so this produces a strong concept of truth. However the show as a whole is very post-modern because it questions the modernist world view with its themes. It is interesting the show continually suggests that “the truth is out there” but it is hidden under many different interpretations and perspectives. Post-modernism rejects the modernist ideals of rationality, virility, artistic genius and individualism, in favor of being anti-capitalist and scornful of traditional morality. Mulder strongly displays the post-modern world view.
Scully is the modernist in the show, she is constantly doubting Mulder and always making a new plot or rationalization for what is happening. Scully often makes fun of or laughs at Mulder’s insistence of the existence of the supernatural or paranormal. Scully values science and rationality and even though the events seem to be unbelievable she never gives in and believes in Mulder’s theories. The main reason Scully was assigned to the x-files project was because she was a skeptic, they trusted her to write a clear scientific analysis of the cases. In the pilot Mulder asks Scully if she believes in extraterrestrials, she replies with "Logically I would have to say no. Given the distances need to travel from the of reaches of space the energy requirements would exceed a spacecraft's capabilities —".

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