Essay Questions

Who was Nobody and what does he represent?

Nobody was a Native American who was abandoned by his tribe. He is an epitome of a human being who embarks on a journey of spirituality but he doesn't give up his human urges. He doesn't demonstrate himself as a sacred being, who gives up on the world. Instead, he had a girlfriend with whom he makes love but along with this he saves Blake many times irrespective of the racism. He saves Blake from dying by removing the bullet and takes him along with him on a journey towards spiritual enlightenment. On their way, he introduces Blake to various shades of life. He acts as a shield for Blake and gives away his life for saving him. He was killed by the contract killer who came to kill Blake.

Whom does Dickinson hire for killing Blake, and how are these characters important?

John Dickinson hire Cole Wilson, Conway Twill, and the Kid for killing William Blake. The three men were contract killers but instead of killing Blake, the Kid and Twill are killed by Wilson. Cole Wilson also killed his parents and then ate them. He also eats the hand of his companion after killing him. Apart from these murders, he also killed Nobody and was killed himself by Nobody. Cole Wilson was a ruthless man and he traced Blake until the end of the movie.

Who was Thel Russell and what is her importance in the story?

William Blake keeps on running throughout the course of the story and Thel was somehow the reason behind his continuous escapement. Blake moves to Machine for a better job and after reaching there he gets to know about the hiring of some other person. Thel was the girlfriend of the factory owner's son where Blake goes for job. Blake meets Thel in a bar and gets indulged in a relationship with her. John Dickinson's son catches them while making love in a hotel room and shoots Thell because he was her ex boyfriend. Blake in return shoots him and runs away. When John Dickinson gets to know about the incident, he hires three contract killers for killing Blake.

How has the director portrayed the place 'Machine'?

Machine has been described as hell in the movie. William Blake moves to Machine for becoming successful in his life but during his journey, he hears from a man that the place is devastating. After reaching there, Blake realizes that the man was right. When the train stops, people were killing the buffaloes with guns just for seeking pleasure. The atmosphere was harsh and the air was polluted because of industrial smoke. The scorching heat was hurting Blake and the noise of machines was also deafening. The name of the place is also Machine, which foreshadows the life and atmosphere there.