Themes
The major theme of The Manchurian Candidate, the almost complete malleability of human thought and behavior, has been prefigured at the level of the psychological and social preoccupations of the narrative. But Condon is not simply offering an indictment of a particular people and a particular society, his view of social dynamics in general is that they represent a very powerful means of creating "the automatic motions . . . called living." Exceptional individuals may sometimes be able to resist these pressures for short periods, but on the whole one is doomed to be manipulated by forces one at best dimly comprehends and can seldom long withstand. This point is most effectively driven home by the climax of The Manchurian Candidate, which turns upon the hero's ability to completely reprogram the villain's behavior at short notice and with results opposite to what the villain originally intended to achieve. As virtue triumphs and evil is defeated, the reader realizes that this is entirely dependent upon the fundamental pliancy of human nature, and that people are all potential slaves to those who know how to manipulate what one likes to think of as their inviolate, innermost selves.
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