It's a good question. But I'd like to hear your thoughts on this one with regards to Rapture. I know myself and a few others have decided before we'd much like to see Rapture in it's glory just once before all the downfall and corruption. Seeing what Ryan built and created, free from God and law. So how about it? If Rapture was reborn in YOUR image, would it be paradise? Or perdition?"If the world were reborn in your image. Would it be paradise? Or perdition?" - Sofia Lamb
The interesting thing about this line of thought is that each person's personal paradise is completely different from someone else's. Even in Rapture where Ryan only invited like-minded individuals, it still collapsed (and, from my perspective, Fontaine and Lamb were symptoms of the problem, not the problem itself). In reality, paradise doesn't exist. There have been countless political ideals of utopia, but none have ever succeeded, because it comes down to the constant of human imperfection. We are deeply flawed beings and it is therefore impossible for us to create something that is flawless.
If Rapture was reborn in YOUR image, would it be paradise? Or perdition?
Is this a personal question, that you are asking? It is a bit like asking people if they are, good or bad, happy or sad, right or wrong.
If Rapture was reborn in MY image, it would be a mixed up and complex sort of place.
If you are asking what I would prefer, then Rapture would have to be both paradise and perdition.
There probably never will be such a thing as a total, complete, absolute paradise OR perdition, in the human universe. What is good or bad, and who decides? There are some good articles on Wiki about digital human utopias.
Human society/civilisation is all about balance and diversity. Total conformity will end in stagnation, total anarchy will end in chaos. Perhaps the only possible paradise would be a delusional one.
The following is just my idea of what is happening in the game, I could be totally wrong though.
The builders/founders of Rapture did achieve a sort of delusional utopia, for at least some sections of society. I am not sure how Big Daddies or splicers see the world, but the Little Sisters live in a delusional, beautiful, wonderful, paradise with angels and fairy lights, most of the time.
You can see how the Little Sisters see the world in BioShock 2 in Persephone Outer, when you play a Little Sister. All of the lovely, nice, decor, carpets, furniture, handsome people etc. are totally in the Little Sisters mind. This whole area is in reality, rotten and filthy just like the rest of Rapture. When the Little Sister has to get a part of the Big Sister suit, she has to come out of her delusion and enter the real, filthy world of Rapture.
Perhaps when Rapture was originally built, it was a sort of beautiful utopia for the rich and powerful minority. What about the ordinary workers and people in Rapture, were they brainwashed, hypnotised, drugged, genetically, mentally and socially conditioned (engineered) like the Little Sisters, to live in a delusional utopian world? Would this be a good thing or a bad thing? Good or bad for whom? What about personal freedom, freedom of choice. Did the people volunteer to become experimental lab rats, the Little Sisters did not volunteer, they were kidnapped. Perhaps the kidnapping and experiments only happened when Rapture had fallen.
Better stop now, I could go on and on, this is a good topic though.
We can only try to imagine what Rapture would have been like, when it was all brand new, Persephone Outer gives some idea of the place, but what about the people.
Eleanor quote: ''If Utopia is not a place, but a people......''
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