Olivia Clifford: Week 1 Analysis

I chose to rewrite a scene from the first episode of the 2004 SyFy series, "Battlestar Galactica." In the original scene, Gaius Baltar - a famous scientist, waits to have his number called in hopes of escaping the planet Caprica after it was attacked by Cylons. When the third number is called, an elderly woman asks him to read her paper, since she doesn't have her glasses. At that moment, Baltar is faced with an ethical decision: take the woman's number and escape to safety or let her keep her number and wait for his death.

The first episode of "Battlestar Galactica" introduces an important theme of the series: humanity. After the attacks of Cylons, humans become an endangered species. The series follows those who escaped their doomed homes and were able to seek shelter aboard the Battlestar Galactica. As life goes on, they are forced to make decisions they never thought they would have to make, all while remembering who they once were.

In my poem, I chose to write from the perspective of a person on Earth, witnessing the start of the destruction of humanity after an attack by the Cylons. At the end of the poem, the protagonist is hoping his life will be spared. After losing the lottery to board the rescue ship, he witnesses a man stealing the paper of an elderly woman. The protagonist is then faced with the decision to expose the man's actions or to remain silent. After choosing the latter, he accepts his fate, knowing he will die at the hands on the Cylons on Earth.

The poem shows the lengths humans are willing to go in order to save themselves. The man who stole the woman's number was willing to cheat and make the choice to end another human's life in order to save himself. The protagonist could have easily done the same thing, yet he chooses not to, and follows the rules, just as humans are taught to do so. However, he also remains silent when he sees the other man unjustly board the ship. Perhaps he is in shock of what he just witnessed. Perhaps, the protagonist admires the man, wishing he could have done something to save himself. Both people were faced with the same difficult situation, yet one chose to stick to his morals while the other made an unethical decision that ultimately saved his life. From this point forward, people are faced with the tough decision of clinging onto or abandoning the humanity they have known their whole lives.