When the player arrives in Rapture, the place is in terrible disrepair: leaky pipes drip constantly and entire sections of the city are flooded. The city of Rapture was created by Andrew Ryan as a utopia, safe from the tyranny of the USSR and USA under the ocean. Those with only a small knowledge of the original Bioshock know that water is an integral part of the game. Likewise, the only humanity found in Rapture is within the strongest of beasts (Big Daddies) and in Columbia the weak show the greatest cruelty (Vox Populi). In Rapture, greed is prevalent and in Columbia, prejudice is. In Rapture, man is encouraged to worship himself (if you get what I mean). In Columbia, the citizens are encouraged to worship the Founding Fathers of America. Columbia, on the other hand, is an ultra-religious, borderline fascist state, consumed by nationalism and loyalty to the extent that they believe few men are given divine right to serve their nation.
In Rapture, a predominantly atheistic, Objectivist movement comes and declares that man can do literally whatever he wants because man is so great and capable. Once the oppressed overcome their oppressors, they indeed become the most brutal.īoth Bioshock universes have developed two distinctly different societies that have both dwindled into similar ruins. Perhaps the writers of the game are trying to make a point. Comstock's anger and rage towards Booker, The Vox Populi's actions and the fact that everybody calls Booker a 'murderer' when they too are guilty of similar actions. The more you progress through the game, the more you are compelled to realize that all the main characters motivations and desires are met through excesive violence and chaos. If given another choice Booker would gladly stay on solid ground, but an unknown group forces him to travel to Columbia to rescue Elizabeth. Columbia, and it's dogmatic way of thinking, is the only life she has had since childhood.īooker DeWitt's reason for going to Columbia is that of force. However, she is also mentally constricted by the Founders and Comstock himself. The imprisonment of Elizabeth is easily seen: She is literally caged up on Monument Island, constantly surveyed by a giant black monstrosity. It's somewhat ironic that a city amongst the clouds acts as a cage to it's inhabitants. Once the floating city is miles in the air, it is almost impossible for people to leave. The same could be said for the people of Columbia. They had to conform to a certain way of life, the exact thing Ryan wanted to eliminate with the creation of his underwater city. The citizens of Rapture were essentially trapped underneath billions of gallons of water, unable to escape from the rule of Andrew Ryan or Frank Fontaine. One of the original Bioshock's major themes was the idea of imprisonment. In the years leading up to the cruise, Roosevelt stressed the importance of a strong navy to protect the United States and its interests abroad. Dubbed the Great White Fleet after it's illustrious paint job the fleet cruised to 6 different continents and 20 different seaports, including Brazil, Japan, Australian, and the Philippines.
In 1907 President Theodore Roosevelt sent a great armada of battleships and escort ships around the world for 14 months. This showcase of power is not purely fiction. The people of Columbia believe in the purity of their city, referring to the world below as "Sodom." Many of BioShock Infinite's Historical references include nods to figures and events that feed Columbia's racism. One of the earliest images shown for Bioshock Infinite was a fresco displaying George Washington holding the ten commandments, surrounded by stereotypical depictions of people from around the world. An entire section of the city is dedicated to John Wilkes Booth, the man who killed Abraham Lincoln. Upon entering Columbia, Booker wins a raffle giving him the opportunity to throw a baseball at an interracial couple. Much of the city is also concerned with Columbia's "purity," leading to rampant racism from many of its citizens. As explained in the fictional Truth from Legend documentary, Comstock "championed the Founding Fathers of America with an almost religious fervor." In BioShock Infinite, the citizens of Columbia view the foundation of America as a religion and worship the founding fathers as well as Comstock, who is referred to as the city's Prophet. American Exceptionalism is the idea that the United States is "qualitatively different" from other nations and has "a specific world mission to spread liberty and democracy."
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