Post a short description of a particularly compelling version of utopia from a text, film or other work of art. How does it align with More’s description?
The 2018 film, Black Panther, depicts the Kingdom of Wakanda as the most scientifically and technologically advanced country in the world.
The view of Wakanda as a utopia stems mostly from its history and its present. The Kingdom of Wakanda has remained hidden from the outside world for years, avoiding colonization from and conflict with the western world in the process. Colonization and conflict are two major factors that many attribute as the reasons for why many African countries haven’t prospered in the way European and North American countries have. The fictional country of Wakanda, an African country that because it remained hidden from the outside world was able to prosper in a way that surpasses the world powers of today, becomes a utopia for many for those exact reasons.
The Kingdom of Wakanda not only offers a possible glimpse into what could’ve been for the other African countries, but also what could be of any country in respects to social norms, culture, and government.
One similarity between Wakanda and Moore’s description of a utopia includes the concept of respect and how that relates to the elders of the nation. Throughout the text, Moore touches on how “elders are honored with a particular respect” (82). Moore describes the way elders should be respected in a utopia in the dinner scene he depicts. According to Moore, in a utopia, elders are to sit at the head of the table, they are to be served first, and are the ones who lead the conversation at dinner. In Black Panther, a group of advisors to the King known as the Tribal Council are composed of elders from the different tribes within Wakanda. In Wakanda, the elders are viewed as wise due to their age. For this reason, the King consults them and respects their input on how Wakanda should be run.
Another similarity between Moore’s description of a utopia and Wakanda would be the division of the country and how different areas are assigned with different jobs and tasks. In the film, different tribes exist within Wakanda that are tasked with providing different kinds of goods and services to the country and its people. This ensures that everyone has a job, but also, as discussed by Moore, that specialties are created.
The overall concept and image of Wakanda fits the outline for a utopia that Moore has created. Wakanda, at least in the beginning of the 2018 Black Panther film, depicts a rich and prosperous country that has found success due to the harmonious and peaceful nature of its people.