Professor Weston In Out Of The Silent Planet

In Out of the Silent Planet, Professor Weston is a prominent evil character. He wishes to take the human race to live on Malacandra, the planet that we learn is Mars. Weston originally went to Malacandra thinking there were no life forms living on the planet. He learns of life there and is summoned by the Oyarsa which is the “god” of that planet. Thinking they want to kill him, Weston returns to earth and abducts Ransom to take back to Malacandra as a sacrifice.

First, we notice that Weston has very little value placed on individual rights. If it is for a greater scientific discovery, Weston believes he may break rules to get to that point. In the book he tells Ransom, “You cannot be so small-minded as to think that the rights of an individual or of a million individuals are of the slightest importance in comparison with this.” His knowledge overpowers his heart and care for other people.

It is satanic how little he cares about other people. He even goes so far as to killing innocent Hrossa and doesn’t think twice about what he had done. He has no respect for human life or rights and views himself above all others.

Dick Devine is the sidekick to Professor Weston. It was Devine who chose Ransom to be the person they would abduct and take to Malacandra. Devine was a kind of background character in Out of the Silent Planet. He was always there but there was not a main focus on his character. Devine was mostly interested in finding Gold on Malacandra and not on Weston’s plan for the human race.

Devine doesn’t appear to be as blinded as Weston on the reality around them. Although he abducted Ransom in plan that he would be given as a sacrifice (and possibly killed) even though that was not the case. All Devine cares about is wealth and he does not seem to care about the human race. He is simply a man driven by his own desires and wants in