Exploring Ray Bradbury’s Marionettes Inc
If you had an opportunity to create a lifelike robotic clone of yourself that would allow you to escape someone or something that makes you unhappy, would you take it?
This is an idea that American author and screenwriter Ray Bradbury* incorporated in his 1949 short story, Marionettes Inc., a personal favourite that I highly recommend.
The story starts with a conversation between two men of about thirty-five, Braling and Smith, who were walking home after a drink, something that had not happened in a while as Braling’s controlling wife didn’t usually allow it. We find out that this was only made possible as Braling reveals he has purchased an identical android of himself, calling it Braling Two, that was made by Marionettes Inc., a company that has been operating secretly for two years as what they offer has yet to be legalised.
This android has been staying home with his wife, who is completely oblivious to the fact, while he goes about doing things on his own. Braling plans to leave the clone at home while he takes a much-anticipated trip to Rio de Janeiro. Smith, meanwhile, wants one as he has an overly loving and aggressively affectionate wife he would like to get away from. Would this offer both men a way out? And are these androids simply non-human products or are they sentient?
Marionettes Inc. gives you a glimpse of a future where technology has gone into a much more sophisticated stage, which can either be great or terrifying. Bradbury’s writing, his ideas and imagination carries this story to great heights. Some readers may find the idea of a company making robotic clones outlandish, but when you consider the rapid advancements in technology that the world is at right now, one might even say that it isn’t really impossible down the line.
It is a story that might leave one questioning certain morals or ethics that are presented within it, even making you wonder how far you yourself could go to escape bad circumstances. With the androids made to look, feel and act human, it makes me wonder if it would feel like passing a burden to another living human being and if it would be guilt free. And being so human and sentient, are they simply just another product? Upon having these in mind and reading the story, this excerpt from Braling Two, who cannot be turned off and is kept in a toolbox when he isn’t in use, might stir up feelings:
“We’re pretty new. And we’re sensitive. I hate the idea of you going off and laughing and lying in the sun in Rio while we’re stuck here in the cold.”
One might also question if the lies and deception will be truly worth putting one’s own benefit before anything else, leaving readers wondering if we too would be capable of doing the same thing given the same opportunity. Moreover, how one would feel if you were the one who was being deceived or can’t even distinguish how many people are deceiving you.
Marionettes Inc. ticks all the right boxes in a good short story. With just a few pages, it manages to make an impact that will stick with readers despite its short length. I think it really makes one wonder if people would want to do the same thing if given the chance, how it can affect anyone, and, given today’s context and with the rapid advancements in modern technology, if this will ever be more than just a concept.
*Ray Bradbury (1920-2012) is one of the most celebrated 20th -century American writers. He worked on a variety of genres such as fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, and realistic fiction, according to Wikipedia. Some readers might know him best for his 1953 dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451.
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