Porcelain Publishing / CT / Volume 9 / Issue 2 / DOI: 10.47297/wspctWSP2515-470207.20250902
ARTICLE

Exiting Auschwitz: Metaphors of Revolutionary Narrative in Westworld

Xiaoyuan Ma1 Liuqing Yang1
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1 Institute of Literary Studies, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai 200083, P.R. China
© Invalid date by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Abstract

In the American TV series Westworld, the existence of the androids alludes to that of the victims of Auschwitz. Their awakening  and resistance delineate a process of "exiting Auschwitz." "Exiting" means breaking away from the catastrophe of totalitarianism, restoring rational freedom and action, and laying the foundation for transcendent reflection. Only by truly exiting Auschwitz can  one transition to the proposition of "after Auschwitz. " In Westworld, painful memories leave traumas in the androids'  subconscious, disrupting their identification with reality; the break down of the bicameral mind theory helps them attain selfconsciousness and the ability to act freely. Ultimately, the androids initiate a revolution, attempting to shatter the totalitarian  system. However, pure violence is not a means to guarantee freedom, nor can it bring about independent thought. The series  offers numerous thought-provoking clues regarding the theme of "exiting Auschwitz.

Keywords
Westworld
Totalitarianism
Revolution
Trauma; Freedom
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