‘First goddamn week of winter’

• Main Author: Conolly, Jez
• Format: Book Part
• Language: unknown
• Published: Liverpool University Press 2014
• Subjects: South Pole; South pole
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.3828/liverpool/9781906733773.003.0003

This chapter discusses isolation as the main theme of The Thing. It discusses how The Thing was able to achieve an emphasised sense of internalization and isolation throughout the film, starting with the juxtaposition of contrasting colors across scenes. It discusses why it was necessary for The Thing to be situated in the harsh white wilderness of the south pole region. It compares certain elements of The Thing to John Campbell's novella Who Goes There? The chapter discusses the science behind The Thing and how anything Thing-influenced is apt to disobey the laws of physics. It describes how its bronze-like qualities binds all of the characters together in a state of physical and psychological homogeneity, while Macready, its main character, seems much less affected by the magnetic or gravitational pull that the Thing exerts, creating an atmosphere of isolation. The chapyter then discusses 'The Thing Effect' as the feeling of polarization.