Analysis: Soylent Green

In the quote provided by Glotfelty, she states that in order for human beings to effectively

overcome a global crisis they must first analyze how their ethical systems function.

Exemplifying an understanding of ethics, the human code for right and wrong, gives better

weight of being able to propose an idea for reformation. Ethics is the moral code and philosophy

that dictates and systemizes the rules of conduct for many societies, without it society would

be lurched into turmoil. Soylent Green, for example, illustrates a Dystopian world where food

shortages is a major environmental issue, it’s due to the lack of resources that people’s overall

sense of morality and sense of ethics is being called into question. Over the course of the

film, we’re given

In this world people are not buried, they’re not celebrated, instead their remains are

collected and converted into a product to be ignorantly sold and consumed by the masses. We’re

not given any insight to a grieving process. The line

In order to spark change in a global crisis you have to first recognize the ethical issues at

hand. How do these issues play into the crisis and can they be changed? Soylent Green proposes

many issues, mostly pertaining to basic human rights. Poverty, hunger, oppression and equality

are all common themes that are represented at least once throughout the film. Glotfelty had stated

that it is ultimately up to us, the people, to reform our ethical systems. Our ethics and sense of

morality is what easily shapes and influences how we perceive society. Soylent Green proposes a

potential future of what could happen if we don’t pay attention to our citizens and regard to our

natural resources. To this day, Soylent Green serves as a blatant example of what could

potentially happen to human society if we don’t take the precautionary steps to preserve

the world around us, including our most moral and basic