Hopi Kachina Figures and Maeve

Published November 17, 2016 · Updated July 6, 2022

Gentlemen,

I have been listening to your Westworld podcast since day one have to say that you continue to present some of the most well-rounded and thoughtful analysis of the show. However, as a guy that knows a little about a lot of things (but not a lot about a most things) I think that some blatant clues have been dropped in recent weeks that point to the show’s deeper meaning.

As the season progresses and more plot points of power struggles and corporate espionage start to pop I still can’t help but think that this show remains, at its core, an exploration of human creation and is a

Hopi Kachina Figures and Maeve

meditation on the state of modern man and evolution. Ford, in episode one points out to Bernard that thanks to modern medicine and technology humans have essentially stopped evolving. The “mistakes” that Ford speaks about that are the catalyst for evolution have been eliminated thanks to modern technology and medicine. I think Ford showed his hand very early in the series and he is attempting to create a new humanity from the hosts in the park. He is trying set in motion his own version of Darwinian evolution.

I am also surprised that nobody has commented on the striking similarity between the drawings of the Delos workers that Maeve produced and the doll that the seemingly Native American girl dropped to the Hopi Kachina dancers and figures (see attached image). For those not familiar with Kachina dancers and their significance in Hopi culture, here is a brief explanation of what they are:

Kachina dolls are figures carved, typically from cottonwood root, by Hopi people to instruct young girls and new brides about katsinas or katsinam, the immortal beings that bring rain, control other aspects of the natural world and society, and act as messengers between humans and the spirit world.

By this definition, the role of the Kachina is eerily similar to how a Delos or Westworld employee might be perceived by a Host. The employees and Kachinas both have complete mastery of the “natural” world and literally function as the go-between for the Hosts and the humans visiting the park.

I think as we keep watching and the story develops, after one strips away the power struggles within the leadership of Delos and Westworld, this is a story of creation. At its core, Westworld is a rumination on the origins on human life that borrows from and attempts to synthesize the creation myths from multiple cultures and religions. While it leans heavily on Hopi creation stories it also blends elements of Christianity and the struggle between Lucifer (people like Arnold and the Man in Black that want free will and knowledge for their creations) and a God that wants control over his creation, Ford. To that end, it would not surprise me if we do not see Dolores or Maeve or Teddy actually eat an apple or some other fruit before their conscious awakening is truly realized.

Keep up the great work and I cannot wait for Sunday! – Tom

Subscribe Now