Okay, the story is set in Germany right before WWI. Something like 1911. Except it's called Amestris, and it's in an alternate dimension where science progressed differently. Instead of furthering technology, Amestris has progressed much faster in terms of Alchemy (the science of turning substances into another substance. Most well known example is lead into gold). Actually, on second thought, the most known example is probably now harry potter and the philospher's stone... Anywho, it's about 2 brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric. Ed is older, but they're both around 9. They start off with a happy family, al +ed+mom. Dad is only shown in photographs, but the glare of the light is always conveniently hiding his face. Ed and Al both like studying alchemy, and Ed is a prodigy at it.
One day, their mother falls ill and the doctor said that she's had it for a very long time. Ed blames it on his father, who we learn left them years ago. Eventually, she dies and the brothers are forced to bury her. Ed tells AL that there's a forbidden art called "human transmutation".
Alchemy is introduced as the science that brings us as close to the gods as we can possibly get. We are also introduced to the "Law of Equivalent Exchange", which Al states: Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in exchange. However, even though science has pinpointed every last element in the human body, alchemy cannot bring a person back to life. But the brothers try anyway.
The mother is revived as some grotesque mutant, Ed loses his arm as exchange, and Al loses his entire body. Ed then sees "the gate" in which he sees "truth". Ed gives up a leg and attaches Al's soul to a metal suit in the corner. The two then realize that they can't play with human life, and instead go on a journey to seek the philosopher's stone which is said to be able to bypass the law of equivalent exchange. In other words, Ed and Al can get their body's back without giving up something else.As the story progresses, it becomes more and more clear that the journey to find the stone is a journey towards death itself. Many, many people die, and this huge conspiracy plot twist is revealed. They later find out (spoiler alert):
that it takes hundreds of thousands of lives in order to create the stone. And that there are homonculus, artificial human beings created by alchemists every time they commit the taboo, who wish to use it to become human. WWI and WWII are started (implicitly) by the homonculus in order to cover up mass death.
In the end, Al gets his body back with the stone. But, on top of the people who were killed, Ed loses his ability to use alchemy, and Al lost all of his memories of their years traveling together even with the power of the stone.
I wouldn't say that this is a happy ending, but it enforces the law of equivalent exchange. Not only a scientific concept, but an idea that could apply to almost anything. Ed continuously stresses that although he walks on fake limbs and his brother doesn't even have a body, they continue on because they're hard work will be rewarded.
Does Kurt think this? No. He thinks everythign is predestined, and we should all suck it up and deal with it. Really? Billy can only suck it up and deal with it because he can see the future. Take a hypothetical situation. Let's say I have some terminal illness. If I were Billy, i'd be accepting because I'd know already if I lived or not. If I live, well then yay. If I die, well then, it was meant to be but there's nothing I can do. Now, let's say I'm a normal human being, and WHAM, I learn of this unfortunate situation. What do I do? I can't remain calm because there' s just too much unknown. So, I console myself. I tell myself that there's HOPE.
Which leads me to my next rant. BILLY PILGRIM LACKS ANY TYPE OF HOPE WHATSOEVER. What about Pandora's box? What about that unflinching emotion that carries people through so much??? It;s like Billy has all the hope sucked out of him when he acquired the ability to travel through time. It's because he longer needs it. He KNOWS what's gonna happen.
What i'm trying to say is, at first, I thought Vonnegut was very right. Accept, and move on. Don't dwindle on the pain. But in effect, he's also saying, don't hope, because things are already set in stone. I do not agree with this at ALL. I'd rather not know and still be able to dream.
~ceci
But if science and technology had progressed differently, would't history also have progressed differently? ie, WWI and WWII would not have happened in the alternate dimension?
ReplyDeleteOkay, I was trying not to spoil it, but what happens is, the homonculus try to start a war (they succeed btw), but Ed loses his alchemy because he exchanged his life to get AL's body back. Ed then "went through the gate" into our world. When Ed goes to our world, it's after WWI and Hitler is trying to amass an army of Nazi's.
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