Sasha Talaie and Collin Friscia
“
Robert A. Heinlein: Starship Troopers and Stranger
in a
Table of
Contents:
-Biography of Heinlein
-Overview of Novels
-Heinlein’s Style
-Moralist read and Heinlein through Structuralism
-Reads (Historical, Biographical and Reader Response)
-25 Question Quiz
-Works Cited
-5 links
-5 images
Biography of Robert Heinlein
Born Roebrt A.
Heinlein on July 7, 1907 to parents Rex Ivar and Bam Lyle Heinlein. As a child, young Robert was immersed in the
culture of the “Bible Belt” area. He
spent his childhood in
Yet his most prominet
influence, other than his upbringing, is in fact his service in the United
States Navy. He attended the
Heinlein first story,
“Life-Line”, was published in 1939 in the magazine
Astounding Science-Fiction. Yet due to the onset of the Cold War,
Heinlein soon turned from science fiction to a more plitical form of the
art. His stories began to include his
own political standpoints, the very same in which he developed when he was
growing up. Heinlein quickly became
well-known and renowned as a science-ficton author. He divorced his second wife and married
Virginia Grestenfeld just as he was becoming a success.
Plot Overview (Starship):
The story is told
through the mind of soldier Juan Rico during the war between Earth and “the
Bugs”; later nammed the Bug War. The
majority of the story is told through flashbacks, beginning with Rico’s high
school graduation. After graduation,
much to his parents dismay, Rico decides to enlist in the Federal Service (the
military). He then goes on to explain
his occupation selection, revealing that Rico was never really meant for
anything besides the Mobile Infantry.
Despite his dismay in his selection and a difficult experience in boot
camp Rico graduates and is then sent off to war. Yet arround the same time of his graduation
and the escalation of the conflict between the bugs Rico’s home town of
Plot Overview (Stranger):
Robert Heinlein’s Stranger in a Strange Land centers on its protagonist, Valentine Michael Smith, and his journey to Earth from Mars, where he was raised for the first twenty-five years of his life. He was originally born on mars by two astronauts who made the first expedition to mars but never returned. Smith was subsequently raised by Martians which made his adaptation to earthly life all the more difficult. Throughout the novel, an underlying social message is given by Heinlein- a message that confronts some of the obscurities and absurdities of life on earth. Some of the more prevalent plot elements deal with Smith’s legal proceedings of being the rightful owner of mars, dealing with Earth’s secretary general, his fascination with earthly religions, and his eventual death- which carries a religious connotation in it of itself as he ascends to heaven where he joins two other religious leader, Foster and Digby.
Heinlein’s Style:
Author Robert Heinlein
uses a myriad of allusions within his writing which has develop into his
style. For example in Starship
Troopers Heinlein alludes to the porminent political occurances during the
Cold War. The atagonists of the story,
the Bugs, resemble Communist in both the fact that every other bug besides the
leader are equally expendable.
Characters in the novel even go as far as critcizing Communism and even
its creator Karl Marx. The is made
evident during a discussion with Mr. Dubois, in which someone labels Marx as a
“pompus fraud” and also begins to critcize his thoughts on labor explaing, “[a]ll the work one cares to add will not
turn a mud pie into an apple tart”
Heinlein also includes biblical allusions within his text Stranger in
a Strange Land. Heinlein alludes to
the appearnce heaven as indeed containing both angels and God. Also the main character Mike resembles Jesus
Christ in every way from his teachings all the way to the method of his
destruction.
Moralist Criticism
Many authors tend to convey their views and ethics through their works. They use their literature as a vehicle in the intent of spreading their ideals hoping to influence their readers. Robert Heinlein, author of both Starship Troopers and Stranger in a Strange Land, uses his novels to convey his personal views on society and government. Through a moralist read of both works one can uncover a vast array of themes and motifs that pertain to Heinlein’s outlook on life. In both Starship Troopers and Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert Heinlein produces many of his own morals within the stories and creates connections between both stories, which provide an accurate overview of the author himself.
In one Robert Heinlein’s most
controversial novels, Starships Troopers, he manifests many of his
ethics within the story. Such as when he
uses his characters to attack the idea of Communism, and has them give their
(or rather his) insight of the political ideal.
This is made evident when one of the characters comments on the
Communist theory of labor by explaining, “[a]ll the work one cares to add will not turn a mud pie into an apple tart”
(1Heinlan 92). Heinlein is eloborating
on the thought that though through Communism one is equal, one is only equally
poor with the rest of society. Thus
Heinlein is showing that equality means nothing when everyone is equally
misreable. The main antagonists of the
book, the Arachnids, can also be seen as Communists. Further more Heinlein protrays them as a
mindless, and completley enslaved race.
By doing so Heinlein is able to protray Communists as the same, mindless
followers of an ineffective political ideal.
Heinlein also shows his great admiration for the democratic process by
creating his own requirements for voting in his story. In the story one needs to be a citizen to vote and to gain
citizenship one must enlist in the military; then and only then will they gain
the privilege to vote. By doing so
Heinlein is showing the readers the sacrafice that is required to gain and
perserve liberties such as the right to vote.
This is further specified when the protagonist, Juan Rico, explains “[t]he difference lies in the field of civic
virtue […] soldier[s] accept responsibility for the safety of the body politic
of which he is a member, defending it, if need be, with his life […]
civilian[s] do not” (1Heinlein 26). Yet
through Heinlein’s created government he fashions a somewhat fascist
dictatorship. By having only those who
enter the military service able to vote Heinlein denies the right to vote to
civilians. Thus it is no longer the
“people’s vote” but the “military’s vote”; and therefore the military will
always be in power. Though Heinlein does
voice an immense adoration for Democracy he contradicts himself by having this
democracy overshadowed by Militarism.
In contrast with Starship Troopers, and Heinlein’s conveyance of
his political ideals Stranger in a Strange Land contains some of his
more personal ideas. One major aspect of
this story is Heinlein’s intentional connection between protagonist Mike and
Jesus Christ. This is first shown at the
very beginning of the book where the title of the first chapter reads “His Maculate
Conception”, which is an obvious reference to Jesus’ immaculate conception
(2Heinlein 1). Also the entire story of
Mike’s life parallels to that of Jesus’; beginning with Mike preaching to the
people of Mars, the growth of his teachings, his formation of disciples, his
persecution and finally his death. His
death especially occurs in a very Christ-like fashion, with Mike permitting
himself to be killed; and even when he dies a beam of light shines upon his head
resembling a halo. This connection is
one of which that shows Jesus’ more human side, rather than the Jesus shown in
the bible performing miracles. Therefore
allowing the readers to better connect with Jesus and truly understand him as a
human being; all done through the connection with the character of Mike. He also produces his view of sex as a
liberating and beautiful act through his character Mike. Heinlein’s Martian society lacks any form of
sexuality and therefore Mike’s excursion to Earth opens his mind in a sense to
human sexuality. There Mike soon learns
of the bonding and togetherness experience that occurs through during sex. Heinlein’s conservative views and morals
exhibited in Starship Troopers come into contrast with his liberal ones
in Stranger in a Strange Land.
Though both novels are used as a method for Heinlein to provide his
insights to society, the messages within them contrast with one another. In Starship Troopers Heinlein
expresses his idea for a sense of order and control within society. He creates a society in which the military is
and forever will be in control due to the voting laws. Heinlein also expresses his views on personal
sacrifice being the most pure form of heroism and should be rewarded with
citizenship. The story portrays Heinlein as a strict and patriotic man with
extremely conservative ideals shown through his militaristic society. Yet his ideals seem to change in Stranger
in a Strange Land, becoming more liberal views. This is seen through his “open-ended”
interpretation of Jesus showing his more human connotation, through his
character of Mike. Also, Heinlein’s view
of human sexuality is made evident as being a prolific union between two human
beings whom have deep admiration for one another. Though Heinlein’s ideals contrast on an
ideological level, they only show the reader what a truly deep and profound man
he was.
Heinlein’s
principles, which are conveyed via his novels, do indeed clash with one
another. They range from his
conservative views within Starship Troopers to his more liberal views in
Stranger in a Strange Land. Yet
this contrast is not meant to eclipse the actual views themselves. Like most authors Heinlein wrote in his
morals within his novels to have them read, understood, and possibly
embraced. And he obviously succeeded in
doing so, for they have been noticed.
Heinlein through Structuralism
Structure,
defined as, “anything composed of parts arranged together in some way; an
organization”, applies to novels in the same sense. A novel’s structure can
either entice, or discourage the reader depending on the various literary
elements, or “parts” an author chooses to use in a novel’s basic structure, or
“organization”. A plethora of novels are comprised of similar basic plot
structures from which the author can use to mold a story’s character
development and overall message. In reading author Robert Heinlein’s novels Stranger in a Strange Land and Starship Troopers in a structuralism
based read, one will find similarities in the overall plot structure and social
messages conveyed through the elements of science fiction and extraterrestrial
life, while discovering differences in how these messages are delivered.
In both of Robert Heinlein’s novels, he uses science fiction, and more specifically, conflicts with extraterrestrial life, to convey his own message and societal critique of life on earth. By using the unknown of extraterrestrial life, Heinlein is able to create his own reality, thus more effectively controlling and portraying his message. Both Starship Troopers and Stranger in a Strange Land attempt to portray what mankind will be like in the future, and through its description, whether intended or not, provides the reader a warning of how contemporary actions can affect the future of humanity. These messages and themes of the state of humanity, in both novels, are not given directly by Heinlein himself, but rather through lectures and speeches by the characters in the novel. Both of the novel’s thematic structures lend itself to weak character development, as this literary element is seemingly sacrificed for Heinlein’s overall purpose for writing- offering a social critique of humanity’s future. Because Heinlein’s works were completed over forty years ago, some of what he predicts has come to fruition in modern times, for example the “Super Church” he describes in Stranger in a Strange Land is evident in modern times, but may have seemed like a phenomenon when first written. The literary structure of exploiting the impeding faults of mankind’s future to convey a social message for contemporary times is readily evident in both novels and is the most common and comparable entity seen through a structuralism based read.
Although
both novels are justly comparable in their basic structures, political messages
and science fiction elements, their differences are highlighted by the novel’s
structured length and types of political messages that are foisted upon the
reader. Both novels do indeed carry an overlying message; the specificity of
the message is where these novels differ. Starship
Troopers relies heavily upon commentary of military and political
philosophies, while Stranger in a Strange
Land focuses more on the psychological mindsets, gender roles, and sexual
liberation of a future society. One example of the political messages given in
starship troopers is explicitly evident when it is suggested that democracies
on the 20th century had proven unsuccessful because the"people had been led to believe that
they could simply vote for whatever they wanted […] and get it, without toil,
without sweat, without tears”. Political messages such as these in Starship
Troopers are also intermingled with harsh criticism of the communist party and
Karl Marx. While Starship Troopers
major thematic and underlying structure is focused mainly on the critiquing of
political and military philosophies, the thematic criticisms in Stranger in a Strange Land relate
domestic quandaries, such as one’s sexuality. Evidence of this is the
protagonists, Valentine Michael Smith, adaptation to life on Earth and his
introduction to homosexuality as one the characters, Jill, explains “homosexuality [to mike], after Mike had read
about it and failed to grok — and had given him rules for avoiding passes; she
knew that Mike, pretty as he was, would attract such”. This theme of sexuality,
as well as gender roles, is what separates the thematic structure of Heinlein’s
Stranger in a Strange Land from his other novels, such as Starship
Troopers.
Although plot structure is shared in both of
these novels, Heinlein’s pursuit to make social and political commentary
somewhat outweighs and overshadows the overall plot and thematic flow of the
story. Heinlein does in fact base his story’s structure upon societal critiques
through the characters dialogue, although these critiques may vary- as made
evident in Starship Troopers and Stranger in a
Historical Read:
-Having
been written in the 1960’s, ideas of love and togetherness, which were tenants
of the “hippie” movement, are expressed in Heinlein’s novel
--“Love is the
condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.
--Jealousy
is a disease, love is a healthy condition.
-References
to communism and Karl Marx are evident in Heinlein’s novel, especially in
Starship Troopers, as this was considered the “enemy” of this time period in
--Compares marx to a “pompous fraud”
--"correct morals arise from knowing what man is—not
what do-gooders and well-meaning old Aunt Nellies would like him to be."
-Heinlein echoed the idea of society’s morality and the innate ability
for humans to “survive” in both Stranger in a
--“Morals — all correct moral
laws — derive from the instinct to survive. Moral behavior is survival behavior
above the individual level”
--“There comes a time in the life of every human when he or she must decide to risk 'his life, his fortune, and his sacred honor' on an outcome dubious. Those who fail the challenge are merely overgrown children, can never be anything else”
Biographical Read:
-His
views on Democracy are shown through his character Dubois as being erroneous
--“people had been led to believe that they
could simply vote for whatever they wanted... and get it, without toil, without
sweat, without tears”
-His exuburant adoration of military service by
giving them certain rights
--““[t]he difference lies in the field of civic
virtue […] soldier[s] accept responsibility for the safety of the body politic
of which he is a member, defending it, if need be, with his life […]
civilian[s] do not”
-His belief in religion shown when Mike dies
--“[t]he sky held scattered clouds; at that
instant the sun came out from behind one and a shaft of light hit him”
-Ideal of human togetherness
--“[h]is idea is that whenever you encounter any other grokking thing—man, woman, or stray cat you are meeting your other end”
-His belief of the emptiness of churchs’ spiritual
motives, shows what churches really do
--“[t]hat's showmanship, son, whether you're a
politician, a preacher pounding a pulpit—or a magician […] [f]
Reader Response:
-Contains allusions to Christ
--"[l]ook at me […] I am a son of
man"
-Allusions to Communism
--“[a]ll the work one cares to add will not
turn a mud pie into an apple tart”
-Heinlein’s belief as a being a soldier himself to
never leave a man behind
--“doesn't
matter whether it's a thousand — or just one, sir”
-Ideal that humans and Earth are insignifficant
within the spectrum of the universe
--“the rest were pebbles, concealed in the fiery
skirts of the primary or lost in the black reaches of space”
-Glorifying military service by allowing soldiers
certain rights civilians do not receive
--“soldier[s] accept responsibility for the
safety of the body politic of which he is a member, defending it, if need be,
with his life […] civilian[s] do not”
25 question Quiz:
1) Valentine Michael Smith was born and raised in/on _________.
a) Earth
b)
c)
d) Mars
2) Smith was _____ yrs. old when he was found and returned.
a) 2
b) 17
c) 32
d) 25
3) Smith was raised by ________.
a) Martians
b) Wolves
c) His brother
d) His grandfather
4) The viewpoint of the novel _________.
a) If from one perspective
b) Fluctuates
c) Changes from character to character
d) Both B&C
5) When Smith dies, he ascends to ________.
a) Hell
b) Heaven
c) Both
d) None of the above
6) After Smith dies, he joins ________.
a) Foster and Digby
b) Jesus
c) Jubal
d) His Parents
7) Smith Becomes fascinated with________.
a) Earthly religions
b) Religions of mars
c) Both
d) None of the above
8) Smith’s a member of the Church of all ________.
a) Religions
b) Worlds
c) Faiths
d) Regions
9) Stranger in a strange land was written in _______.
a) 1950
b) 1951
c) 1960
d) 1961
10) Smith is supposed to inherent the vast fortune of _______.
a) His parents
b) Mars
c) The church of all worlds
d) Jubal
11) While
reading Starship Troopers and Stranger in a
a) Plot Structure and Social Messages
b) Characterization and Social Messages
c) Setting and Tone
d) Plot Structure and Setting
12)
The quote "people had been led to believe that they could simply vote for
whatever they wanted […] and get it, without toil, without sweat, without
tears” can be found in __________.
a) Stranger in a Strange Land
b) Starship Troopers
c) Both
d) None of the Above
13) ______ is the main character of Starship Troopers.
a)
Robert
Heinlein
b)
Virginia
Heinlein
c)
Smith
d)
Juan
Rico
14) The enemy Bugs in Starship Troopers represent.
a)
Democrats
b)
Republicans
c)
Fascists
d)
Communist
15) The plot for Starship Troopers is
told through a series of.
a)
Metaphors
b)
Similes
c)
Literary
Devices
d)
Flashbacks
16) “All the work one cares to add will not turn a mud pie into an apple tart” is found in.
a) Stranger in a Strange Land
b) Both
c) None
d) Starship Troopers
17) Robert Heinlein’s death was caused by.
a) AIDS
b) Car accident
c) Lung cancer
d) Congestive heart failiure
18) At the end of the novel Juan Rico applies for.
a) Discharge
b) Medical Leave
c) To become a pilot
d) Officer Training
19) Robert Heinlein’s first published story was.
a) Stranger in a Strange Land
b) Starship Troopers
c) Niether
d) Life-Line
20) “The difference lies in the field of civic
virtue […] soldiers accept responsibility for the safety of the body politic of
which he is a member, defending it, if need be, with his life […] civilians do
not” is in which story.
a) None of the below
b) Starship Troopers
c) Both
d) Stranger in a Strange Land
21) Robert Heinlein grew up in the
a) South West
b)
c)
d) “Bible Belt” area
22) Robert Heinlein’s first published work was in
a) Astounding Science-Fiction
b) Scince Fiction weekly
c) Reader’s Digest
d) Time magazine
23) Heinlein’s following was later named as the.
a) Starship Troopers
b) Heinlein Juveniles
c) Beats
d) Aquaris Generation
24) Heinlein enlisted himself in the.
a) US Marine Corps
b) Coast Guard
c) US Navy
d) Mobile Infantry
25) In Starship Troopers civilians enlisted in the military to not only become citizens but also to gain what right?
a) Freedom of Speech
b) Social Security
c) Run for Office
d) Right to vote
Works Cited
“Dean of Science Fiction Writers”. Robert A. Heinlein. 21 March 2002. http://www.wegrokit.com/ (11 April 2008). P. 1.
Heinlein, Robert A. Starship
Troopers.
Heinlein, Robert
A. Stranger in a Strange Land.
“Robert Heinlein”. Fantastic fiction. 13 April 2008. http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/h/robert-heinlein/ (11 April 2008). Pp. 1-7.
“Robert Heinlein”. The Quotations Page. 2007. http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Robert_Heinlein/ (11 April 2008). Pp. 1-3.
“Stranger in a Strange Land”. SprakNotes. http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/strangeland/ (11 April 2008). P. 1.
The Heinlein Society. 21 February 2008. http://www.heinleinsociety.org/ (11 April 2008). Pp. 1-7.
“Welcome to site: RAH!”. site:RAH Robert A. Heinlein. 9 April 2008. http://www.nitrosyncretic.com/rah/ (11 April 2008). P. 1.
5 Iamges:
5 Links:
http://www.heinleinsociety.org/
http://www.nitrosyncretic.com/rah/
http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Robert_Heinlein/
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/h/robert-heinlein/