The Myth of Human Rationality in the Face of the Unknown
This theme deconstructs the human assumption that events are explainable, controllable, or safe through reason. Characters like Morton (who rationalizes the TARDIS and Daleks as a Hollywood hoax) and Barbara Wright (who initially seeks to hold the Doctor accountable) are repeatedly forced to confront the limits of their understanding. The Daleks exist outside human logic, rendering rational discourse obsolete. The Doctor's attempts to reassure or exploit these beliefs (e.g., hiding the truth from tourists, manipulating Morton's delusion) become moot as the Daleks' relentless pursuit invalidates all human frameworks for problem-solving. The theme underscores the irrationality of the universe and humanity's desperate need to impose order on chaos.
Events Exemplifying This Theme
Morton, a wide-eyed tourist from Alabama, becomes an accidental observer of the TARDIS’s materialization on the Empire State Building observation deck, initially dismissing it as a quirky New York oddity. …
Cornered by Morton’s growing suspicion, the Doctor seizes on his assumption that the travelers are filming a movie—awkwardly improvising a cover story to deflect scrutiny. The TARDIS’s sudden dematerialization during …
Morton, already fixated on the TARDIS’s impossible materialization and dematerialization, escalates his investigation on the Empire State Building’s observation deck. His behavior—stamping on the floor, feeling the air, and muttering …