Skip to main content

wall e - Why does Auto wake up the ship's captain when EVE returns?


When EVE returns to the ship, Auto is notified of the findings. He then proceeds to wake up the captain to let him know of the plant. Then they open EVE and don't find anything: Auto got rid of it due to directive A113.


Well then, why did Auto even bother waking up the captain? Why not just dispose of EVE and call it a day?



Answer



My reading was that Auto was deeply conflicted. On the one hand he was attempting to obey his original programming under Operation Recolonize (sending out probes, monitoring for lifesigns, passing that data onto the ship's Captain) and on the other he had directive A-113 (that the ship shouldn't return to Earth under any circumstances).


For about 600 years he was absolutely fine. Since there was no life detected, there was no need to worry about the hidden orders. It wasn't until the Eve probe came back with a plant that his directives suddenly came into sharp conflict. His programming was telling him to return to Earth and to not return to Earth. At that point, like HAL-9000 before him he went insane. Auto decided that the best course of action would be to destroy the offending plant even if it meant taking over the ship, disobeying the Captain and risking of the lives of everyone on board.


In the film's script you can actually pinpoint the precise moment he goes gaga:




Auto detects Eve's plant light.
Goes still...
Begins computing rapidly.
The number "A113" flashes on his lens.
An ELECTRONIC EXCHANGE begins between Auto and Gopher.


Wall-E watches the interchange. Nervous.
Without warning, Auto heads in his direction.
Wall-E boxes up.
A CIRCULAR SECTION OF FLOOR lights directly below him.

Irises open, like a trapdoor.




As to the specific question of why Auto woke up the captain, the answer is that he didn't. He checks on the captain to make sure he's not awake before asking Go-4 to remove the plant. A few seconds later, he goes back to see the Captain as he's awoken by his automated alarm clock:



Auto lowers through the portal. A CLOCK ALARM BUZZER activates.


AUTOPILOT: Captain. You are needed on the bridge.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

futurama - How much time is lost in 'Time Keeps on Slippin''

In time Keeps on Slippin' , Farnsworth creates a basketball team which he matures by abusing Chronitons. This leads to time skipping forward by random, but ever increasing amounts. How much time was skipped in this way? Answer Unfortunately, I don't think a good estimate can be made for this, for two reasons: Many of the time skips move forward by an indeterminate amount of time. At one point, the Professor mentions localized regions of space skipping forward much more than others. We then see two young boys on the street below complaining about having to pay social security, only to suddenly become senior citizens and start complaining about wanting their money. Thus, each individual could have experienced a different amount of time skippage.
Post a Comment
Read more

What is Tolkien trying to say in this letter?

In a draft of a letter, later recorded as #246, Tolkien makes a strange statement. I am interested in the first few sentences of the letter, but I will include the remainder for the sake of context. In the 'Mirror of Galadriel', 1381, it appears that Galadriel conceived of herself as capable of wielding the Ring and supplanting the Dark Lord. If so, so also were the other guardians of the Three, especially Elrond . But this is another matter. It was part of the essential deceit of the Ring to fill minds with imaginations of supreme power . But this the Great had well considered and had rejected, as is seen in Elrond's words at the Council. Galadriel's rejection of the temptation was founded upon previous thought and resolve. In any case Elrond or Galadriel would have proceeded in the policy now adopted by Sauron: they would have built up an empire with great and absolutely subservient generals and armies and engines of war, until they could challenge Sauron and destroy ...
Post a Comment
Read more

tolkiens legendarium - Was Galadriel's temptation of Boromir instrumental to his fall?

We know Galadriel tempted the members of the Fellowship, did she tempt Boromir with visions of taking the Ring and saving Gondor? In the books, Boromir willingly accepts the judgement of the council that the Ring should be destroyed, but after the meeting with Celeborn and Galadriel his personality seems to change. Was the temptation offered by Galadriel in some way responsible for Boromir's fall? Answer It's likely, but not certain I believe it is likely Galadriel tempted him with the ring, and in doing so re-ignited a pre-existing idea to take the ring, but to be clear lets break this down into three parts. Boromir at the Council of Elrond Boromir after setting off Boromir after being tempted Boromir at the Council of Elrond Boromir pleas for the ring to go to Minas Tirith, to help Gondor in its defense against Mordor. “ Why should we not think that the Great Ring has come into our hands to serve us in the very hour of need? Wielding it the Free Lords of the Free may surely...
Post a Comment
Read more

harry potter - What is the difference between Diffindo and Sectumsempra?

In the Harry Potter books, Diffindo is called the 'Severing Charm' and it’s most commonly used to cut ropes and the like. However, in the last book Hermione uses it on Ron but misses, creating a 'slash in his jeans' and his knee gets cut, causing him to 'roar in pain'. We've only seen Sectumsempra used once on screen when Harry directly uses it on Malfoy in the sixth book, but there it's mentioned that he is 'waving his wand wildly'. Wouldn't Diffindo, if used in such a fashion also cause a similar effect? Similarly, if it was able to cut Ron, it would also be able to, say, chop off an ear (George's)? In that case, how are these two spells different, except for Sectumsempra seemingly used exclusively to hurt humans? Answer While Diffindo and Sectumsempra both can be countered by other spells, Diffindo is far more easily countered. Reparo, a relatively common spell, can completely reverse its effect when used once. “He pulled the old cop...
Post a Comment
Read more