Underwater City in Inter Ice Age 4 by Abe Kobo
Keywords:
Inter Ice Age 4, Abe Kobo, Mutated water-breathers, Underwater CityAbstract
The aim of this research is to investigate Inter Ice Age 4 by Abe Kobo in order to study Abe Kobo’s attitude by analyzing roles of the Underwater City.
Inter Ice Age 4 presented the story of Professor Katsumi who was in charge of developing fortune-telling computer. The computer foretold the future Deluge which led to genetically engineered human experiment to allow them to live underwater. Consequently, the Underwater City was created.
The creation of the Underwater City introduced the effects of scientific and technological advancement to human life. Moreover, there appeared social criticism and also the government’s action on handling the disaster. Looking at the scientific and technological advancement effects to human life; even though the genetically engineering succeeded in allowing human to live underwater, those mutated water-breathers were not able to express their emotion – they communicated by gnashing their teeth but could not speak, laugh or cry.
In regard to the social criticism and the government’s modus operandi, it could be seen that the government covered up the fact about the future Deluge – only few authorities who knew and made decision included scientists, government and wealthy people. This reflected the inequality; the general public had no authority to access the information about the disaster; thus, they did not prepare for it. Only few groups of people were able to set foot on resources of the Underwater City before the others.
This study is a part of dissertation “Science and Technology in Abe Kobo’s Novels”
References
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