WWordsworth
I am a librarian, sir. That is my occupation. That is my profession. If you people choose to call that obsolete...
ChancellorA librarian. Having to do with books?
WWordsworth
Yes sir, books.
Chancellor
And since there are no more books, there are no more libraries. Therefore,it follows there would be little use for the services of a librarian. Case in point,a minister would say his profession is preaching the word of God. And,of course, since the state has proven that there is no God, that would make the function of a minister somewhat academic as well.
WWordsworth
There is a God!
Chancellor
You are in error, Mr. Wordsworth. There is no God. The state has proven that there is no God.
WWordsworth
You cannot erase God with an edict!
Chancellor
You are obsolete, Mr. Wordsworth.
WWordsworth
A lie. No man is obsolete
Chancellor
You have no function, Mr. Wordsworth. You're an anachronism. Like a ghost from another time.
WWordsworth
I am nothing more than a reminder to you that you cannot destroy truth by burning pages.
Chancellor
You're a bug, Mr. Wordsworth. A crawling insect. An ugly misformed little creature who has no purpose here, no meaning.
WWordsworth
I am a human being!
Chancellor
You're a Librarian, Mr. Wordsworth. A dealer in Books and two cent fines and pamphlets and closed stacks and the musty insides of a language factory that spews out meaningless words on an assembly line. Words, Mr. Wordsworth, that have no substance and no dimension like air, like the wind,like a vacuum that you make believe has an existence by scribbling index numbers on little cards!
WWordsworth
I don't care. I tell you, I don't care! I am a human being! And if I speak one thought aloud, that thought lives, even after I've been shoveled into my grave!
Chancellor
Delusions, Mr. Wordsworth. Delusions that you inject into your veins with printer's ink. The narcotics that you call literature. The Bible, poetry, essays of all kind an opiate to make you think you have a strength when you have no strength at all! You have nothing but spindly limbs and a dream and the state has no use for your kind!
RWRomney Wordsworth
I am a librarian, sir. That is my occupation, and my profession. If you people choose to call that obsolete.....
SSecretary
Request clarification of the term.
Chancellor
Yes, Mister Wordsworth, the term "You People," do you make reference to The State?
WWordsworth
I make reference to The State.
Chancellor
And you persist in declaring your occupation as that of a librarian. Is that correct?
WWordsworth
Yes, sir, that is correct.
Chancellor
(his voice sneering) A librarian! Having to do with books!
WWordsworth
Yes sir, books.
Chancellor
And since there are no more books, there are no more libraries. Therefore, it follows there would be little use for the services of a librarian. Case in point: a minister would say his profession is preaching the word of God. And, since the State has proven that there is no God, that would make the function of a minister somewhat academic as well.
WWordsworth
There is a God!
(The Chancellor is starting to show annoyance at Wordsworth)
Chancellor
You are in error, Mr. Wordsworth. There is no God. [grabbing loudspeaker] The State has proven that there is no God!
WWordsworth
You cannot erase God with an edict!
Chancellor
You are Obsolete, Mr. Wordsworth.
WWordsworth
A lie. No man is Obsolete.
Chancellor
You have no function, Mr. Wordsworth. You're an anachronism, like a ghost from another time.
WWordsworth
I am nothing more than a reminder to you that you cannot destroy truth by burning pages.
Chancellor
You're a bug, Mr. Wordsworth. A crawling insect. An ugly misformed little creature who has no purpose here, no meaning.
WWordsworth
I am a human being!
Chancellor
You're a Librarian, Mr. Wordsworth. A dealer in books and two-cent fines and pamphlets and closed stacks and the musty insides of a language factory that spews out meaningless words on an assembly line. Words, Mr. Wordsworth, that have no substance and no dimension. Like air, like the wind, like a vacuum that you make believe has an existence by scribbling index numbers on little cards!
WWordsworth
I don't care! I am a human being! And if I speak one thought aloud, that thought lives, even after I've been shoveled into my grave!
Chancellor
Delusions, Mr. Wordsworth. Delusions that you inject into your veins with printer's ink. The narcotics that you call literature. The Bible, poetry, essays of all kind an opiate to make you think you have strength when you have no strength at all! You have nothing but spindly limbs and a spindly dream. The State has no use for your kind!
[The Chancellor has just escaped the bomb that destroyed Wordsworth's quarters; now he enters the hall of judgment where our story began]
SSubaltern
[speaking as the new Chancellor] Stand where you are. No further. You have been removed from office; the field investigators have declared you Obsolete.
[The former Chancellor stares incredulously]
Chancellor
Obsolete?
SSubaltern
You have disgraced the State, you have proven yourself a coward, you have therefore no function. You are Obsolete.
Chancellor
But I'm not. I'm not Obsolete.
SSubaltern
You are Obsolete!
JJurors
Obsolete! Obsolete!
SSubaltern
YOU ARE OBSOLETE!
JJurors
Obsolete! Obsolete! Obsolete! Obsolete! Obsolete! Obsolete!
Chancellor
You're making a terrible mistake. A tragic mistake! I'm not Obsolete! I work for the State, I help the State! I help give the State its strength! How can you call me Obsolete!? HOW CAN YOU?! [Silence fills the chamber] Please, I'm not Obsolete.
[The Subaltern snaps his fingers. A guard slowly walks up to the Chancellor, who tries to run, but he finds one side of the crowd rising against him, he goes in the opposite direction, and the same happens, he looks desperately around]
Chancellor
Please... please, I'm not obsolete. I have a function, I have a purpose. Please... I want to serve the State, please! Please, no! I'm not obsolete! No, no, I- I- please, please, I'm not- I'm not obsolete, no! I want to serve the State... Please! Please! NO! I want to serve the State! Please! [the growling jurors close in on the ex-Chancellor, who breaks away with a yell and is chased across the room to the new Subaltern's seat] PLEASE, I'M- I'M NOT OBSOLETE!!! [He is grabbed, pulled down the length of the table, and dragged off to be killed as he screams]
The chancellor, the late chancellor, was only partly correct. He was obsolete. But so was the State, the entity he worshiped. Any state, any entity, any ideology that fails to recognize the worth, the dignity, the rights of man, that state is obsolete. A case to be filed under "M" for "mankind" - in the Twilight Zone.
The Chancellor, the late Chancellor, was only partly correct. He was obsolete. But so is the State, the entity he worshipped. Any state, entity, or ideology becomes obsolete when it stockpiles the wrong weapons: when it captures territories, but not minds; when it enslaves millions, but convinces nobody. When it is naked, yet puts on armor and calls it faith, while in the Eyes of God it has no faith at all. Any state, any entity, any ideology that fails to recognize the worth, the dignity, the rights of Man...that state is obsolete. A case to be filed under "M" for "Mankind" - in The Twilight Zone.
The Twilight Zone (1959) · 373 quotes
