Chilling, this one. Reminds me of the Skinnerian bent of modern totalitarians. That humans are infinitely malleable and enough force or terror (behavioral modification) will bend them to our will.
Kelly
Kelly
This message board permanently closed on June 30th, 2020 at 4PM EDT and is no longer accepting new members.
The movie version is also cool, with Alan King.
Yes, indeed. For some reason, I got vibes of the Rock Hudson movie Seconds.Very good, creepy story. Twilight Zone-esque.
Maybe they compared people with weight problems as being addicted to food, much like smokers are addicted to nicotine? I've heard of hypnosis being used to help people stop any bad habit. I've also read that those with extreme weight problems are lacking an "appestat" [for want of a better word], that tells them when they are full or when to stop eating.It's wonderful to see such great commentary! "Quitters, Inc." was fabulous, and I totally agree about the connections with behaviorism and The Twilight Zone. I also got some "Man from the South" (Alfred Hitchcock Presents) vibes from the story's ending.
I am thinking about teaching this one, and was flipping through my notes and found a question:1) why did the program also include weight control? I know McCann's own discussion of weight foreshadows this, but I couldn't quite place the weight loss in my larger reading of the story (in a way that satisfied me) and was interested to know how others interpreted it. My only analysis is that the program created an entire life overhaul and with the psychological elements come the physical?
Maybe they compared people with weight problems as being addicted to food, much like smokers are addicted to nicotine? I've heard of hypnosis being used to help people stop any bad habit. I've also read that those with extreme weight problems are lacking an "appestat" [for want of a better word], that tells them when they are full or when to stop eating.