A Visit to a Small Planet Question
Q1. How does Kreton prove his extraordinary powers?
Ans. Kreton, an alien visitor from outer space, who is fascinated by human beings and determined to make his visit everlasting and memorable. He possesses extraordinary powers, which are being displayed at the time of threat from the army or personnel of General Powers. The prominent traits of his power are as below:-
He creates an invisible fortification (defence wall), surrounding his spaceship, when General Powers orders his personnel to penetrate into it. Kreton has used his powers of mind to levitate or cease all of the rifles and weapons in the world for fifteen seconds.
He has a highly technological way of operating his spaceship without instrument or control panel. He has the ability of reading the minds and behaviour of the people before revelation. He is strong and advanced enough to take the control of the whole world.
Q2. What do you know about Kreton and what is the purpose of his visit to the earth?
Ans. Kreton is a visitor from other planet. He is forty years old, mild, pleasant looking man with side whiskers, dressed in the fashion of 1860. He is cool-minded. He possesses high intellectual and has the ability to read the mind dressed. He self-dependent and represents an ideal civilization. He is the man of extraordinary powers and above human ill-will and malice. On General Power inquiry regarding the purpose of his arrival, he reflects his interest in the human beings and their behaviour. He also says to Speldings, “ You are my hobby” and “I am going native”. He means to say that he has come to earth for everlasting visit. When General Powers questions him regarding his intention to capture America, he replies that he will take the charge of the whole world including America and intends to reform it.
Q3. What is the theme of the play “A Visit to a Small Planet?
Ans. Using Kreton as a satiric personification of American‟s ugly underbelly (cunningness), Vidal’s play employs a common science-fiction scenario to explore not alien but American‟s life and directly the hollow and materialistic nature of all the human beings, who are uncivilized and good at nothing except wars. The writer has aptly employed the character of Kreton to expose the real face of human beings i.e. hypocrisy, selfishness, callousness, cruelty, violence and war crime against humanity. Here, Kreton also acts as writer‟s mouthpiece and through his satirical remarks like “Here civilization is just beginning” and “You fragile butterflies”, Vidal has put forward the idea that the people on the earth are inferior in civilization and technology to the other inhabitants of other planets. Moreover the elements of violence, hatred and the fever to expand one‟s territories are the characteristics of ancient civilizations. Kreton says that the people of earth seek satisfaction by hurting others even in 20th Century and consider themselves more civilized than other nations or their enemies. Kreton, who is the representative of both an alien nation and the future man, is free of human emotions of hatred, hostility and prejudice including all other evil emotions. He plans to live on earth for ever to reform the human civilization, which has gone worse.
Note: Usually, adults who already have work experience in this profession come to study in the correspondence form of education. They are serious and demanding, they know what they want, set goals and achieve them quickly. Correspondence education is an education that does not require separation from the main activity. Such training presupposes self-preparation. The part-timers themselves master the curriculum. Two exams are held in the school year. This is the period when students attend lectures, then pass tests and exams, corresponding to the schedule of the educational process. Distance education is much cheaper than full-time education. On the correspondence form of training everyone can be trained, irrespective of age (while, on the internal form of training there are restrictions). Today, correspondence education is very convenient, because students need to earn a living. With the help of this form of training they can not skip classes and independently engage in education at a convenient time.