What Makes Us Human
There are various aspects of true humanity displayed in the film that demonstrate how humans think and act in demanding situations. Specifically, Tom and Murph demonstrate opposing thinking strategies that determine how their lives play out. Pulling information from my final source, I learned about one-dimensional thinking versus multi-dimensional thinking within Interstellar. Cooper’s children, Tom and Murph, display these diverse ways of thinking that make up the core of interstellar.
Tom displays one-dimensional thinking by reflecting a logic-rooted life with immediate solutions. While Murph thinks multi-dimensionally, blending emotions with science, which is necessary for humanity’s future. Tom is stuck in the mindset of hanging onto the past, living on the farm, and risking the life of his family just to remain with the history of his father and grandpa. As he grows up in the film, he turns extremely simplistic and conforms with society to be a farmer and work just like everyone else in the dust, as everything deteriorates. Remaining governments on earth had also given up on searching for solutions and simply worked to survive as long as possible. Murph, on the other hand, stands for multi-dimensional thinking and rule-breaking. She fights for change and towards a better solution to the problem. Her ways of thinking lead her to solve the extinction of humanity by communicating across dimensions with her father.
From the source filmcolossus, Chris Lambert explains the human instincts that lead to survival, “Coop leaves his kids. Brand never got to have a meaningful relationship with Edmunds. Miller, Mann, and Edmunds all gave their lives to discover potential new worlds. The team loses Doyle. They lose decades. But the sacrifices were not in vain. Everyone contributed to the eventual survival of the human species.” (“Interstellar explained - Film Colossus”) This proves that humanity works together towards collective survival for everyone, not just themselves. The truths of human nature displayed in Interstellar connect deeply to our everyday lives and choices. Most problems that we need to overcome are bigger than ourselves. As humans, facing obstacles that require looking beyond can help us achieve a better world for everyone.
