Star Trek and The American Dream (PDF-Download)

Teil 4

A Conclusion

The historical roots of the American Dream reach back into ancient times.

After the discovery of the new continent, the mythic vision of a perfect utopia and the belief that civilization progressed in a westward pattern resulted in the concept of America’s special destiny.

English Puritans had developed an apocalyptic theological conception based on Calvinism which held that history was progressing toward world salvation and would climax in the Millenium, Christ’s return to reign on Earth for a thousand years.

The Puritan settlers also believed that providence had concealed America until the arrival of the Reformation and that they were chosen by God to go to the Promised Land and build a „Citty upon a Hill“ as a model for the world.

Thus the notion of America as a „redeemer nation“ pervaded its culture long before secularization resulted in the ideal of a democratic utopia, which found expression in the Declaration of Independence.

These mythical, religious and political roots, combined with the geographical realities of the new continent, led to the fascinating vision of the American Dream. Its most important elements are

The twin promises of societal progress and individual success, the inspiring challenge of ever new frontiers to man’s power and ingenuity, the belief in America’s manifest destiny derived from her role in civilization’s westward movement, her function as the home of God’s chosen people and her unrivaled form of democratic government granting liberty and equality to all her citizens, and the myth of the melting pot with its fascinating promise of a new beginning.

However, the splendid promises of the American Dream were during the 1960s increasingly contrasted by the unpleasantly conspicuous shortcomings of its reality.

Its main constituents were overshadowed by their respective opposites and the Dream turned into a Nightmare. Progress resulted in the rape of natural resources, manifest destiny guided the way to the trauma of Vietnam, the melting pot broke, and democracy suffered from Watergate.

America in the late Sixties did not look like the „shining city upon a hill“ the Puritans had envisioned.

At the beginning of the decade, a television series called Star Trek was conceived. Today, almost thirty years after it started, „the little science fiction show that refused to die“ is still being shown all over the world.

Its success is without parallel in the history of television and the Enterprise and her crew have undoubtedly become an important cultural artifact. What is so special about Star Trek?

On a superficial level, Star Trek delivered an optimistic view of the future at a time when optimism was most welcome. It holds that humanity will be able to handle its problems and finally overcome them.

However, if it was not more than just an escape from the gloomy reality of the time it should have slowly faded away. Instead it lived beyond the nightmares of the Sixties.

The appeal of the series is based on something more profound than just an optimistic outlook and there is a deeper mythical structure of meaning, directly related to the myths inherent in the American Dream.

Although set in a future environment Star Trek is, in Selley’s words, „a quintessential American romance“ and reflects the values of the 1960s and not the 23rd century.

Star Trek picks up many of the main elements of the American Dream: the lost challenges of the frontier, the notion of progress, the concern for liberty and equality, the belief in manifest destiny and the concept of a multiracial society.

These myths came apart during the Sixties and left a vacuum which Star Trek readily filled by projecting them into the future and affirming that they will be valid in the 23rd century.

But Star Trek is more than a mere continuation of the American Dream. It did not only reflect its main elements and project their ideal realization into the future – within the limits of television production conditions it modified at least some of them.

Star Trek restores the lost challenges of the frontier and endorses Kennedy’s vision of a New Frontier in many respects.

Although not much is said about the culture of the 23rd century it appears that societal progress toward perfection has continued. Earth is member of a United Federation of Planets and society seems a logical continuation of today’s positive dispositions.

Technological progress has continued and the Enterprise is proof of that, but the series also confronts contemporary anxieties about technology and emphasizes that although technology is important machines will never be able to replace men.

According to Star Trek, women will in the 23rd century not have achieved equality. In the original format, Roddenberry had tried to place a woman as second-in-command, but the network rejected his idea and women are mostly portrayed in traditional roles.

Star Trek’s strongest stance is on racial equality. The crew is multi-racial and racism is quite clearly marked as a thing of the past. Mankind has learned to take delight in differences.

A central part of the United Federation of Planets‘ philosophy is its Prime Directive of non-interference. This is quite different to the American Dream’s belief in manifest destiny. The Prime Directive explicitly forbids interference with the social development of other cultures.

Admittedly, the Prime Directive was more honored in its breach than otherwise, but it was a beginning and even a superficial analysis of Star Trek – The Next Generation shows that Captain Picard of the new Enterprise takes the Prime Directive much more seriously than his predecessor.

At a time when the American Dream had turned into a Nightmare, Star Trek confirmed its validity by showing it as the reality in the 23rd century.

So is Star Trek – The American Dream continued?

In a sense yes, but rather than a simple statement of traditionally nationalistic themes, Star Trek promotes a form of literally universal humanism.