Rebecca's Thoughts

In a class discussion in univeristy we were talking about about Micromegas (a work by Voltaire), one of my classmates mentioned its similarity to the 2008 DreamWorks classic Kung Fu Panda. I think this similarity is interesting (and kind of funny) but the more I thought about it the more I realized the prevalence of the ideas presented in Micromegas in modern (contemporary is maybe a better word?) media. With hindsight, I don’t think many of the ideas presented by Voltaire are new or innovative. Stories about colonialism, human worth, or corrupt institutions although important things to ponder and acknowledge are somewhat tired as tropes and themes in literature and media. The themes that Voltaire criticized and satirized were already part of ongoing conversations before Micromegas, and these discussions will likely continue in the future. Despite this, however, these ideas are widely presented in children’s media where conversations about self-worth, pride, social structures, and people (cars for this paper) are commonplace. In this reading journal, I want to look at a children’s movie that shares a lot more in common with Micromegas than originally thought.

Cars is a Disney Pixar movie released in 2006 and I think a lot of the traits found in the character of Micromegas are also found in the main character of the movie Lightning McQueen. Both characters see themselves on a journey away from home and away from the social conventions they are used to. Their reasons for going on the said journey are a reaction to punishment and are seen as an act against both characters’ hubris. Additionally, both characters see themselves as being superior in some capacity. In Micromegas’ case, he is superior because of his height, lifespan, senses, and general intellect. In McQueen’s case, he sees himself as superior because he is a 7-time world champion race car, the crème de la crème in the cars universe. As the stories go on both of these characters are forced to confront their realities and their place in the universe.

Ironically, I think that both of these pieces of media share many of the same politics and ideas and frame institutions in much of the same way. Outside of Micromegas, Voltaire wrote about the role of the government (monarchy) as being a small, localized body that works to benefit society. Similarly, the government should work to protect freedoms and encourage free economic systems. In the movie Cars, all of these ideas are advocated for and the neglect and corruption of the government and its impacts are shown in the town of Radiator Springs. 

I am not particularly confident that the movie Cars is exactly like Micromegas but I do think that the similarities in their assessment of humanity, pride, and outlooks on life are too similar not to share. Only when both characters can overcome their own biases are they able to see the universe (and the creatures in it) for all its worth. Just like Micromegas learned being from Sirius does not make him better than everyone else, Lightning McQueen learned that just because he’s a race car doesn’t mean that he’s not still a car.