1. She’s the most knowledgeable about candy. She’s committed to it and knows her stuff. When Wonka holds up a little yellow piece across the room, she recognizes it immediately. She was able to switch to candy bars for the sake of the contest, so we know she has personal discipline and is goal-oriented. Also, two significant projects play directly into her strong suits: the 3-course-meal gum that Wonka failed to make safe (gum) and the neverending gobstopper (longevity).
2. She’s the most fit to run a business. Violet is competitive, determined, hard-working, and willing to take risks. Her father is a small-town car salesman and politician, so she could easily pick up his knowledge and support. (Veruca’s dad is also a businessman and in a compatible market (nuts), but it’s made very clear that Veruca has no respect or knowledge of business practices or hard work.)
3. She’s the most sympathetic to the Oompa Loompas. She critiques Veruca when Veruca demands to buy one. More importantly, Wonka has been testing the 3-course-meal gum that ‘always goes wrong’ on Oompa Loompas while he presumably just watches. Violet is ready to put herself on the front line instead of treating the Oompa Loompas as disposable and would be a better boss.
4. Her personality ‘flaw’ fits the company most. In the moralizing Oompa Loompa song, they just say, ‘Gum is pretty cool, but it’s not socially acceptable to chew it all day.’ We already know she can stop if she wants because she has already done that to win the golden ticket. And yeah, she is defensive about the perceived impoliteness of her hobby (like when her mother tries to shame her about her habit during a televised interview). Still, the obsession with candy and neglect of social norms is EXACTLY what Wonka is all about. This is on-brand.
5. Her misstep in the factory is reasonable. Wonka shows everyone a candy he’s very proud of. Violet says, “Oh sick, that’s gum, my special interest.” Wonka then pulls a “WRONG! It’s amazing gum!” So, in the very moments before she takes the gum, Wonka has misled her just to belittle her. So when he’s like, “I wouldn’t do that,” why should she give a shit what he has to say? She’s not like Charlie over here, who’s all “Sure, Gramps, let’s stay behind while the tour leaves and secretly drink this thing that has been explicitly stated to fill you with gas and is too powerful for safe consumption, and also I just saw what happened to Violet so I actually KNOW what this stuff can be capable of” Also, Violet is not selfish about her experience, she tells everyone what she’s tasting and feeling, and everyone is eager to hear it. Taking a personal risk to share knowledge with everyone.
Violet is Prometheus: fact.
So Augustus contaminates the Chocolate River.
Charlie sneaks around and contaminates the vent walls. Veruca destroys and disrupts the workspace.
Mike knows exactly what will happen to him and deliberately transports/shrinks himself. Violet had no idea what the gum could potentially do to her and caused no harm to anyone or anything but herself.
Lastly, Can you imagine Charlie filling Wonka’s shoes? That passive, naive boy? Violet is already basically Wonka. She’s passionate, sarcastic, candy-obsessed, free-thinking, and a firecracker. She’s even better than Wonka because she doesn’t endanger others.
Violet should’ve been picked to inherit the chocolate factory.
Boromir, the son of Denethor II and the Steward of Gondor, faced a profound crisis of identity and purpose. As the last hope for his people, he was deeply troubled by Gondor’s impending doom and his father’s failure to lead. The weight of responsibility to save his homeland and its people crushed him, leading to a sense of desperation and despair.
Why Boromir Failed
Boromir’s failure stemmed from his inability to reconcile his duty to protect the Ring Bearer with his own desires and motivations. He became obsessed with the idea that the One Ring held the key to saving Gondor, and his sense of duty to his people clouded his judgment. This led him to attempt to take the Ring by force, betraying his vow to protect Frodo and ultimately resulting in his own downfall.
Key Factors Contributing to Boromir’s Failure
Vainglory: Boromir’s desire for recognition and admiration from his people, as well as his own sense of self-importance, drove him to prioritize his own ambitions over his duties as a member of the Fellowship.
Desperation: The dire circumstances facing Gondor and his father’s perceived weakness as Steward led Boromir to feel overwhelmed and desperate, causing him to grasp at any solution, including the Ring.
Lack of Faith: Boromir’s reliance on human efforts and his own strength, rather than trusting in the greater plan of the Valar, led him to underestimate the power of the Ring and the true nature of his quest.
Inadequate Guidance: Boromir’s upbringing and education, while noble and well-intentioned, may not have provided him with the wisdom and spiritual guidance necessary to navigate the complexities of his situation.
Redemption
Despite his failure, Boromir’s bravery and repentance in his final moments earned him a measure of redemption. His sacrifice and loyalty to his companions, even in the face of his own flaws and mistakes, serve as a testament to the enduring power of noble character and the possibility of redemption in the face of failure.
“One does not simply walk into Mordor. Its Black Gates are guarded by more than just Orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep, and the Great Eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland, riddled with fire and ash and dust; the very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly.”
Boromir to Elrond’s council. A testament to the wisdom of Boromir’s education.
[Frodo wanders in the woods. Boromir comes up behind him, gathering wood]
Boromir : None of us should wander alone, you least of all. Frodo? I know you suffer, I see it day by day. Are you sure you do not suffer needlessly? There are other ways, Frodo, other paths we might take.
Frodo : I know what you would say, and it would seem like wisdom, but for the warning in my heart.
Boromir : Warning? Against what? We are all afraid, Frodo. But to let that fear drive us to destroy what hope we have… don’t you see? That is madness!
Frodo : There is no other way.
Boromir : I ask only for the strength to defend my people!
[approaches Frodo]
Boromir : If you would but lend me the Ring…
Frodo : [backs away] No!
Boromir : Why do you recoil? I am no thief.
Frodo : You are not yourself.
Boromir : What chance do you think you have? They will find you. They will take the Ring. And you will beg for death before the end!
I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off (the) shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die.
Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer) — Blade Runner
Ruter didn’t like the original version of the monologue that director Ridley Scott wrote
I’ve known adventures, seen places you people will never see, I’ve been Offworld and back… frontiers! I’ve stood on the back deck of a blinker bound for the Plutition Camps with sweat in my eyes watching stars fight on the shoulder of Orion… I’ve felt wind in my hair, riding test boats off the black galaxies and seen an attack fleet burn like a match and disappear. I’ve seen it, felt it…!
Early David Peoples Draft
I’ve seen things… seen things you little people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion bright as magnesium… I rode on the back decks of a blinker and watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments… they’ll be gone.
What is the most expansive fictional universe ever created?
The Tommy Westphall Universe. A long time ago, in a fabled era known as the ’80s, there was a TV show called St. Elsewhere. It was about a run-down teaching hospital named St. Eligius in Boston and the doctors who worked there. Dr. Donald Westphall was the director of medicine, a widower who raised his two children by himself. One of those children was his autistic son Tommy. Tommy only appeared in fifteen episodes of the series. St. Elsewhere ran for six seasons and won eleven Emmys, but all anyone cares about today is its final episode. In the final scene of the final episode, Tommy Westphall holds a snow globe that reveals the building of St. Eligius inside it. And his father, who is not a doctor, comes in and says the following:
I don’t understand this autism thing, Pop. Here’s my son; I talk to him; I don’t even know if he can hear me. He sits in his world all day long, staring at that toy. What’s he thinking about?
The entire six seasons of St. Elsewhere were, in fact, a child’s daydream while looking at a snow globe.
Here’s where things get a little complicated. The character Dr. Roxanne Turner from St. Elsewhere appeared in an episode of Homicide: Life on the Street, where authorities accused her of murder. But if Dr. Turner was just a creation of Tommy, how could she possibly be on Homicide? Unless Homicide was also Tommy’s daydream. There is an episode of St. Elsewhere where the doctors of St. Eligius decide to go out for a few drinks at a local Boston bar. That bar is Cheers, the titular bar from the sitcom Cheers. So, Cheers, and Frasier are again products of Tommy’s imagination.
Detective John Munch was a character played by Richard Belzer, who starred in Homicide: Life on the Street, which we know never existed. After the cancellation of Homicide, the character was moved to Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. Detective Munch also appears in The Wire, The X-Files, and Arrested Development. So, Tommy Westphall had to create all those shows.
Cheers spun off Frasier, who crossed over with Caroline in the City, with Friends, who shared a character with Mad About You, who crossed over with Seinfeld. In a few centuries, the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer will be Star Trek, but its distant past (sorry, spoilers) is the reboot of Battlestar Galactica. Doctor Who is canonically taking place in the same universe as I Love Lucy, Hannah Montana, Grey’s Anatomy, and All My Children.
All of it is the creation of one child, which probably explains the continuity errors. For example, no one acknowledges the zombie outbreak in Georgia in The Walking Dead, which is happening at the exact same time as It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Arrow.
If you map everything out, there are at least 419 shows that are in the same continuity with each other and canonically the creation of Tommy Westphall.
The first person to propose the Tommy Westphall Universe was legendary writer Dwayne McDuffie in a blog post criticizing comic book continuity. It was about just how silly it was to try to fit vast and mutually incoherent works all into the same rigid continuity. But he was kind of onto something with that whole Tommy Westphall stuff. They did all crossover with each other.
By the way, the Collector in Guardians of the Galaxy has Tobias Fünke on his ship, which means Tommy Westphall is responsible for the MCU.
In The Matrix, when Morpheus tells Neo that “many are not ready to unplug from the system,” he is speaking to a profound truth about human nature, which reflects both the story’s fictional world and the real-life metaphysical condition of society. The “system” in The Matrix is a metaphor for the Illusion—an artificial construct designed to control and subdue humanity by giving them a false sense of reality, much like how many live today trapped in the illusions of society, unable or unwilling to see beyond the veil of lies, manipulation, and control.
Morpheus understands that, for many, the comfort of the system is preferable to the unsettling and often painful process of awakening to the truth. People have become conditioned, through years—sometimes generations—of indoctrination to accept the world as it is presented to them. To unplug from this system is to face a harsh, sometimes unbearable, reality that everything they thought was real is, in fact, a lie. This requires courage, a willingness to embrace discomfort, and, most importantly, the readiness to let go of what one thought to be the truth. Morpheus also knew that those still plugged into the system were often its most ardent defenders. Why? Because the system has become their identity. Their sense of self, beliefs, and values are all tied to that system’s illusions and constructs. To threaten it is to threaten everything they hold dear. For many, it is easier to defend the system than to confront the possibility that they have been deceived.
Defending the System: A Psychological Reaction When Morpheus says that “many will fight to protect it,” he’s speaking to a psychological truth: cognitive dissonance. When presented with information that contradicts deeply held beliefs, people experience discomfort. Instead of questioning the faith or the system, they often reject the new information to protect their ego and sense of security. This is why people still plugged into the system will vehemently defend it, even when evidence suggests it is corrupt, failing, or based on lies. The system represents safety, order, and familiarity for those not ready to unplug. It’s the comfortable prison of the mind, and to face the truth would mean losing not only this sense of safety but also their role within the system. The Illusion provides them with structure and predictability, and they will fight to preserve it, even at the cost of their freedom and truth.
Clinging to the Illusion in Today’s World In today’s world, this concept is strikingly relevant. The system can represent various elements of modern society—political ideologies, economic structures, societal norms, and even religious dogma. Those who cling to the system often do so out of fear, ignorance, or a desire for control. Through media, education, and government institutions, the system programs people from an early age to accept what The Matrix presents as reality. The Matrix offers a narrative: if you work hard, follow the rules, and accept your place within it, you will succeed, be happy, and be fulfilled. But we know this is not true for everyone.
The awakening process requires breaking away from these narratives and questioning the foundation of what is accepted as truth. This is the essence of Hermeticism—the practice of questioning the surface to find the deeper truths hidden beneath. However, those who cling to the system will often ridicule, attack, or ostracize anyone who dares question its authority. Why? because to question it is to question the very fabric of their own reality.
Unplugging: A Difficult but Necessary Process Unplugging from the system, much like in The Matrix, is a metaphor for waking up from the collective dream that has been sold to the masses. It’s about peeling back the layers of Illusion to see the world as it truly is rather than how we’ve been told to see it. Yet, this process takes work. It involves dismantling years of conditioning and societal programming. It means facing uncomfortable truths about the world and, more importantly, about ourselves.
For those ready to unplug, the journey is one of liberation—of freedom from the mental and spiritual bondage that the system imposes. But for many others, the fear of the unknown, the discomfort of confronting deep-seated beliefs, and the pain of letting go of long-held illusions are too overwhelming.
The Nature of the Matrix as a Metaphor for Control In the context of Hermeticism, the system represents more than just societal control—it represents the materialistic, limited, and external focus that keeps people trapped in ignorance of their true nature as divine consciousness. The system fosters division, fear, and separation. It teaches people to focus on external validation, material success, and power over others. But in truth, as Hermeticism teaches, we are all connected, and the real power lies in knowing and mastering the self. To unplug from the system means transcending these lower, ego-driven desires and awakening to the deeper spiritual truths that govern the universe. It’s about recognizing that the external world is a reflection of the internal state. When we unplug, we reclaim our sovereignty and align ourselves with the higher principles of wisdom, truth, and love. But those who cling to the system remain blind to this truth, often because the system rewards conformity and punishes deviation. They see anyone who unplugs as a threat, not because those individuals are dangerous, but because they challenge the false security the system provides.
Defending the Illusion: The Role of Fear The most potent weapon of the system is fear—fear of the unknown, fear of losing status, fear of being wrong. This fear causes people to defend the Illusion vehemently. They project this fear outward, attacking anyone threatening to disrupt the Illusion they’ve built their lives upon. This is why Morpheus says they will fight to protect it. They are not fighting for the system because they believe in it—they fight because they fear what lies beyond it. They fear the truth.
In Hermetic philosophy, fear is rooted in ignorance, and the antidote to fear is knowledge—gnosis, the direct experience of truth. When one begins to see beyond the Illusion, the fear starts to dissolve. The system’s control weakens because its power lies in keeping people in the dark, disconnected from their true essence. Those who cling to it do so not because the system serves them, but because they do not know who they are without it.
Moving Beyond the System For those who have unplugged or are in the process of doing so, it is crucial to remember that only some are ready. Much like Neo, we must navigate the world with the awareness that many are still prisoners of their minds, held captive by the Illusion. But the task is not to force anyone to awaken; instead, it is to continue living in truth as beacons of light, planting seeds for those ready to see beyond the veil.
Morpheus’s words hold an eternal truth: many are not ready to unplug because they are not ready to face the chaos of the real world, where their perceptions, beliefs, and identities must be re-examined. And those who cling to the system will continue to defend it until they find the courage to look beyond it.
