Reading Jonathan Swift’s most famous work, Gulliver’s Travels, one finds a supremely convincing critique of the two most common assumptions of our alien films. These films assume, without justification, two things about the creatures with whom we share the universe:
1. They are stronger than we simple humans.
2. They will try to kill us all.
This is first-rate foolishness. Why should something more powerful than ourselves seek our destruction? Do we not encounter small things and smile? Do not the French address their girlfriends as “mon petit ami?” Are not our hearts warmed by the smiles and simplicity of children? The case of Swift’s Gulliver is particularly instructive, for he could have burst the cords that bound him to the sand of Lilliput and trampled the palace of the king (a scant 18 inches tall) to splinters. Yet, he did not. He consented to love the little men, not because he was weak, but because he was strong. For strength is shown in clemency; supreme strength in sacrifice. Gulliver sacrificed his freedom for friendship with the natives.
Thus the two assumptions of our alien films stand as contradictions to each other. If the aliens are stronger than ourselves, they will perhaps find us amusing, even enchanting: the way a child finds the model train set and the model city enchanting. If the aliens will seek to destroy us, it will be because of their deep and abiding weakness. That is the lesson of every bully who ever lived. Billy beats up Tommy because Billy is scared of Tommy. We try to kill bears because we are scared of bears. Do not confuse killing out of fear with strength. Fear exists where strength does not.
We do not know if Gulliver will fall out of the sky tomorrow. I, myself, hope that he will. And if this should come to pass, I assure the reader that we will not see the ridiculous events of Independence Day, or Pacific Rim, or Cowboys and Aliens, or even The Avengers. We will either meet a strong race that stoops and smiles at our amusing ways – or a weak race whose fear feeds their aggression; we shall not see both. In the case of the former, and perhaps the latter, one thing is for certain: they will probably love Pope Francis; after all he has already welcomed them into the arms of Christ.
