History Recap / TheTwilightZoneS2E65TheObsoleteMan

* CommieNazis: What little we learn of the State's ideology apparently takes inspiration from both Communist and Nazi philosophy. They ban books and religion, eliminate anyone who's deemed "obsolete" (either formerly having been things like librarians, or simply unable to work), and when denounced by Wordsworth, the Chancellor freely admits that Stalin and Hitler were both precursors for them, but they have gone ''even further''. Their militant state atheism echoes that of Communist states, including forbidding ownership the Bible on pain of death (along with other {{sacred scripture}}s, one presumes) and exterminating weak, old, or sickly people who can't provide use to them, echoing Nazi practices (though in neither case exactly).

* AnAesop: A totalitarian state deems people "obsolete" for not adhering to its rulers' agenda. In the end, the Chancellor himself falls victim to this fate after breaking one of the rules he holds so dear. As Rod Serling points out, the Chancellor and the State are themselves obsolete, as does any government or order that fails to recognize the value of humanity.

In the distant future, in a totalitarian society, Romney Wordsworth (Creator/BurgessMeredith) is arrested for being "obsolete". The reason for this sentencing is his profession, that of a librarian. As the State has banned books, he is therefore considered obsolete. He is put on trial, with the Chancellor (Creator/FritzWeaver) serving as judge. It is revealed that Wordsworth also believes in God, whom the State declares does not exist. He is held to obsolesence and sentenced to death. Wordsworth makes three requests before the Chancellor: only his assassin know the method of his death, he die at midnight the next day, and his execution be televised. The court allows his requests to be granted.

In this totalitarian society, Romney Wordsworth (Creator/BurgessMeredith) is arrested for being "obsolete". The reason for this is his profession, librarian. As The State bans all books, he is therefore obsolete. He is put on trial with The Chancellor (Creator/FritzWeaver) serving as judge. It is revealed that Wordsworth also believes in God, whom The State declares does not exist. This does not of course make The Chancellor more fond of him. He is held to be obsolete and sentenced to death. Wordsworth makes three requests: that only his assassin know the method of his death, that he die at midnight the next day, and that his execution be televised. These requests are granted.

Roughly an hour before his execution, he invites The Chancellor to his room and says that he chose to be killed by a bomb set to explode at midnight. He then locks the door, trapping them both in. Wordsworth reminds The Chancellor that they are on TV, and now they will prove which is stronger, the will of The State or that of the individual.

At first, The Chancellor is unflappable, but when he realizes that no one is coming to save him since it would make The State seem weak, he slowly begins to panic. In contrast, Wordsworth quietly reads a Bible. Finally, The Chancellor screams "In the name of God, let me out!" Wordsworth hands him the key and The Chancellor dives out of the room, just as the bomb explodes and kills Wordsworth.

The Chancellor returns to his court, but finds his old subaltern in his usual seat. He demands an explanation, and is informed that due to his cowardice and invoking God, he has been judged obsolete. He begs for a second chance, citing his previous accomplishments, but they are unmoved. He tries to escape, but the court members assault him and drag him away.

->'''Creator/RodSerling''': The Chancellor, the ''late'' Chancellor, was only partially correct. He ''was'' obsolete. But so was the State, the entity he worshiped. Any state, any entity, any ideology that fails to recognize the worth, the dignity, the rights of man, that state is obsolete. A case to be filed under "M" for mankind... in the Twilight Zone.

* AnAesop: "The Obsolete Man" is about a totalitarian state that deems people "obsolete" for not adhering to The Chancellor's agenda. In the end, The Chancellor himself falls victim to this fate after breaking one of his own rules, as Rod Serling points out that The Chancellor and the whole state are obsolete for not recognizing the value of humanity.
* AssholeVictim: The Chancellor. On the one hand, he ends up brutally executed by a mob. On the other hand, he took part in the executions of people whose only crime was "being obsolete", e.g. believing in God and/or reading books, so, it's hard to feel bad for him at the end.
* BadassBookworm: [[MeaningfulName Wordsworth]]. In the moments before his death, he calmly takes out his Bible, and reads the Psalms. He's also a former librarian, with illegal books literally all over his room in stacks.
* BatmanGambit: Wordsworth has truly an awesome one. He locks himself and The Chancellor in the same room as a bomb that is set to kill him. Knowing that The Chancellor is a coward, he keeps him there until he freaks out... at which point he sets him free to face a HumiliationConga.
* BittersweetEnding: Wordsworth dies, but not before exposing The Chancellor for the pathetic coward he really is. Despite The Chancellor being executed, The State still stands, but it is implied Wordsworth's final stand will eventually lead to its downfall.

** The Chancellor claims that the State has disproven the existence of God. Wordsworth, however, doesn't believe a word of it - and their interactions hint that such a declaration wasn't fact so much as it was a means for The State to remove religion from its equation. It's not as if declaring that "God does not exist" is going to convince people who believe it anyway.
** The Chancellor claiming that The State has decreed that books no longer exist, whilst [[FailedASpotCheck reading from]] [[SelectiveObliviousness a ledger]]. Furthermore, Wordsworth's room is stacked high with various books, further proving this is not the case at all (though Wordsworth later says he's hidden his Bible, so presumably they might not have searched his house-it does seem a bit of an oversight however).

* CommieNazis: What little we learn of the State's ideology apparently takes inspiration from both Communist and Nazi ideology. They ban books, religion and eliminate anyone who's deemed "obsolete" (either formerly having been things like librarians, or simply unable to work). When denounced by the protagonist Wordsworth, the Chancellor freely admits that Stalin and Hitler were both precursors for them, but they have gone ''even further''. Their militant state atheism echoes that of Communist states, including forbidding the Bible on pain of death for possessing it (along with other {{sacred scripture}}s, one presumes) and exterminating weak, old or sick people who can't provide useful labor, echoing Nazi practices (though in neither case exactly).
* CoolOldGuy: Wordsworth is the oldest character in the episode and is by far the bravest. As mentioned before and after, he turns his execution into a trial against The State to show their true colors.
* CulturePolice: The State has banned all books, which leads to Wordsworth being declared obsolete.
* DidntSeeThatComing: The idea Wordsworth would turn the tables on them never occurred to The Chancellor or The State.
* DirtyCoward: The Chancellor is called such by his replacement and The State.
* DoNotGoGentle: A more pacifistic version, but Wordsworth goes down in glory. He fights for his right to live, to be seen, to think at his trial. Then he sets up the whole gambit and while on national television, shows no fear in the impending doom compared to the terrified Chancellor who is breaking under the pressure. All Wordsworth does is read from his Bible passages that could help people find courage in themselves to resist The State further. And when he could have escaped all along, he stays as one final lesson of courage against a supposedly unbeatable force like the State.
* DoomedMoralVictor: Wordsworth. Even when he opens the door for The Chancellor, he remains within his room to be killed on live TV, to show them all how a supposedly weak man dies.
* DragonAscendant: The subaltern who aides The Chancellor in Wordsworth's trial becomes the new Chancellor after the former one's disgraceful actions in Wordsworth's room.
* DyingMomentOfAwesome: This episode is all about Wordsworth's.
* DystopianEdict: Anyone who does anything The State declares wrong or useless (here being a librarian, believing in God) is judged "obsolete", with the penalty being death.
* EngineeredPublicConfession: When Romney Wordsworth (Burgess Meredith) was sentenced to death by the [[BadFuture totalitarian State]] for "obsolescence", he requested that his death be administered by a time bomb and that his death be televised. When The Chancellor, who had ordered his death, visited him before his execution at his request then, Wordsworth secretly locked him inside with him, so The Chancellor would be executed with him. Seconds before the bomb went off, The Chancellor [[VillainousBreakdown cracked]]:

'''Wordsworth''': Yes, Chancellor. In ''the name of God'', I will let you out.
* EurekaMoment: The moment Wordsworth is told he can arrange the details of his own execution, he begins smiling. The wheels for his own gambit are immediately in motion.
* EvilIsHammy: The Chancellor. He loves to prostrate his voice and movements in big declarative actions.
* EvilGloating: The Chancellor smugly proclaims that The State executed more than 1300 people in under 6 hours. [[KarmicDeath He's added to the number in the end.]]
* TheEvilsOfFreeWill: The State doesn't believe in anyone thinking for themselves, that's for sure. It's implied to be why they have forbidden all books and religion.
* EvilWillFail: The closing narration is all about this trope, saying any state's obsolete that denies human rights and dignity even before it falls. And since The State was exposed and humilated on National Television, on top of creating a Martyr in Wordsworth, it wouldn't be farfetched to assume that its only a matter of time before it falls.
* FaceDeathWithDespair: Try as he might to keep a stiff upper lip in the face of death, the Chancellor falls to pieces when he figures out the regime would rather prefer him dead over showing Wordsworth (and the world) any weakness. [[LaserGuidedKarma Begging Wordsworth to let him out is what gets the Chancellor declared "obsolete".]]
* FaceDeathWithDignity: Wordswoth's gambit set up a nice test to see who would will face death with dignity: A lowly librarian or a member of The State:
** Wordsworth retains his dignity. He calmly reads his Bible, waiting for the bomb to explode. Even when he frees The Chancellor, he remains resolute and in his room.
** The Chancellor continues to prowl the room, looking for the key. He finally breaks down, begging in the name of God to be freed. Once the door is open, The Chancellor runs out of the room in a panic.
* FacingTheBulletsOneLiner: Combined with IronicEcho. "Yes! In the name of God I WILL let you out!"
* GoodIsOldFashioned: The title man, Romney Wordsworth, is prosecuted for being an (illegal) librarian and (illegally) believing in God, which is deemed obsolete and thus wrong. He on the other hand upholds them to the point of death (everyone "obsolete" is killed). Wordsworth's a courageous martyr who stands up against this tyranny even if it means his life.
* TheGovernment: The State. They also have shades of TheEmpire.
* GuileHero: Wordsworth is a man on his way to die, fighting every moment. When given the chance to plan his own execution, he takes this one token means to break him further and sets up a whole gambit to show the true character of The State as cowards when placed in certain doom. He does this in about under a minute once the EurekaMoment occurs.
* HiddenDepths: Wordsworth built all of his own furniture. It was this skill in carpentry that allowed him to remain alive for so long, since they deem the trade useful (presumably he's no longer young enough to work efficiently in their view, hence his condemnation for being obsolete since they no longer allow his former work as a librarian).

** The ending implies that while his cowardice disgraced The State, it was his frantic pleas for "God" to let him out that was the final nail in his coffin. After all, he said himself, "God does ''not'' exist", according to The State. Earlier there is also a lesser example, when The Chancellor tries to call for help, but Wordsworth points out that there's no one around to "isolate the prisoner", demoralizing them, which is a rule ''he'' enacted.
** The entire public execution blows up in The State's face. Not only did The Chancellor humiliate them, he proved them to be {{hypocrite}}s and NotSoInvincibleAfterAll. The ending narration implies they will inevitably fall as a result.
* HollywoodAtheist: The Chancellor (and by extension The State) are pretty extreme examples, given that they not only declare God does not exist, but run a murderous totalitarian dictatorship which outlaws religion entirely, along with killing anyone whom they deem "obsolete" (people who believe in God presumably are included) especially in contrast with the saintly Christian character Wordsworth. Given this was in the Cold War era, it may have been a TakeThat regarding the officially atheist communist states, who persecuted religious people... and everyone else who didn't obey them.

** The "For the love of God!!" exchange is mostly likely a nod to The Cask of Amontillado, where Fortunato screams this at Montresor as he is bricking him up. Wordsworth's response mirrors Monstresor's.
* IllegalReligion: The State claims to have determined that Main/{{God}} does not exist and therefore has banned any form of religion. Possessing a [[Literature/TheBible Bible]] is a crime punishable by death. Wordsworth, being a devout Christian, has kept his hidden for twenty years.

* IronicEcho: Wordsworth and The Chancellor have this conversation before Wordsworth reveals his plan.

* KangarooCourt: At the beginning, Wordsworth is brought before a tribunal charged with "obsolescence", as he's a librarian but books are banned. The "obsolete" are put to death. While there's mention of him having counsel, none appears at the trial, with only a brief period of questioning. Once it's established that he was a librarian, his fate is sealed, and there's no appeals, with his only right being choosing how to die (as Wordsworth sarcastically observes, he's very "rich" with such choices).
* KarmicDeath: The Chancellor is declared obsolete and condemned to death. Doubly karmic when he brags about how many people The State has executed in six hours, only to become one of them in the end.

* MakeAnExampleOfThem: This is The State's intention with televising Wordsworth's execution. It backfires on them spectacularly, and he turns the tables to make an example of ''them'' via The Chancellor.
* MeaningfulBackgroundEvent: When The Chancellor enters the room and steps into the foreground, Wordsworth can be seen quickly locking the door behind him and pocketing the key.

* MortonsFork: By choosing a bomb as his execution method and inviting the Chancellor into his room while locking the door afterward, Wordsworth forced the Chancellor into a situation where he would die no matter what. Had the Chancellor stayed, he would have died in an explosion. The other choice (the one he picked) was to beg Woodsworth to open the door and let him escape, but this resulted in him being labeled as a coward and executed.
* ANaziByAnyOtherName: The State is based on various totalitarian regimes. The Chancellor himself says that The State had predecessors who had the right idea such as UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler and UsefulNotes/JosefStalin but they did not go far enough in eliminating the undesirables such as the elderly, the sick, the maimed and the deformed.

** The Chancellor's reaction to realizing that he's stuck in a room with a bomb, that no-one is around to hear him as per ''his'' orders and that Wordsworth is completely ''right'' that The State wouldn't want to embarrass itself by coming to his rescue. Particularly when Wordsworth snarks that they'd rather see a loyal State member FaceDeathWithDignity, while one lowly and obsolete librarian begs for his life.

* OutGambitted: The State giving Wordsworth complete control over his execution gives him the opportunity to strike a nasty blow against them. The Chancellor expresses certainty that The State won't leave him to die. With the execution being broadcast for everyone to see, Wordsworth correctly guesses that The State won't risk embarrassing themselves to save even a high-ranking official like him.
* OutgrownSuchSillySuperstitions: {{Played with}}. At first, it seems like this is the reason why religion has been banned. However, The Chancellor's words - particularly about how Hitler and Stalin didn't go far enough in controlling the masses - imply that religion was outlawed mostly as a means to control people, since they wouldn't want them being loyal to something else like God.
* PublicExecution: Wordsworth uses the opportunity provided by his televised execution to demonstrate that The Chancellor is nothing more than a DirtyCoward by trapping him in his room until just before the bomb explodes. The Chancellor also mentions that the executions of 1,300 people in six hours were shown on television the previous year.
* RealMenLoveJesus: Wordsworth ''refuses'' to give up his belief in God, even under penalty of death.

* SmugSnake: The Chancellor clearly thinks that he's some kind of all-powerful dictator, but he's nothing more than a [[DirtyCoward cowardly]], [[{{Hypocrite}} hypocritical]] [[TheBully bully]]. And easily replaceable.
* TheSocialDarwinist: What little is given of The State's motives to kill people falls into this, since they execute anyone too old, sick or disabled so they can't provide useful labor (along with any from abolished professions or who have forbidden beliefs, in a more general totalitarian vein). Given The Chancellor says that ''Hitler'' didn't go far enough, this is unsurprising.
* SpeakInUnison: The court members start chanting "obsolete" when surrounding The Chancellor at the end.
* TakingYouWithMe: Wordsworth's plan with The Chancellor is this no matter what The Chancellor does. Wordsworth traps him in the room with him with the bomb ticking down, knowing full well that The Chancellor will be left to his fate. Even though he let him out, it was only after The Chancellor had said and done things that The State sees as making him obsolete. Depending on how you interpret the ending narration and the fact it was televised, Wordsworth may easily have taken The State with him as well.
* ThanatosGambit: Wordsworth sets up his own execution specifically to make a point. He leaves The State very disappointed following it, especially when The Chancellor is shown to be a coward who would even beg God for help, who as he earlier mentioned, has been decreed by The State to ''[[HoistByHisOwnPetard not exist]]''.
* UnderestimatingBadassery: Wordsworth invokes this, since The State ''clearly'' underestimated him; he was viewed as simply an obsolete older man who posed no threat. Instead, he manages to manipulate their leader The Chancellor himself shown up on live TV, having him declared "obsolete" himself as a result.

* VillainsWantMercy: The Chancellor, for all his attempts to project an image of strength and fearlessness, breaks down when he realizes that Wordsworth has lured him into a death trap and no one is coming to save him, desperately begging Wordsworth to let him out in the name of God... who The State decreed does not exist, condemning himself to death as well. As he's pounced on and dragged to his fate, he begs The State to show him mercy. He gets none.
* WhenTheClockStrikesTwelve: When The Chancellor asks Mr. Wordsworth when he wants to be executed, Wordsworth picks the traditional time: midnight.
* XanatosGambit: Wordsworth trapping The Chancellor in the room with him. Either the Chancellor says things that get The State to declare him obsolete even after being let out (ensuring his death), or The Chancellor dies with him. Either way Wordsworth takes him down with him.
* YouCannotKillAnIdea: Wordsworth courageously and single-handedly exposes The Chancellor and the corrupt and seemingly invincible State. The Chancellor is kicked out of power by his associates and replaced, but since the whole thing was televised around the world, what is stopping others from becoming inspired to then follow Wordsworth's example. Also exemplified by Wordsworth's bold declaration "You cannot erase God with an edict!"
* YouHaveFailedMe: The Chancellor returns to his court to find The State has declared him obsolete for being outed as a coward and invoking God on national television. Even earlier Wordsworth tells him they won't save him for this reason.
----

* CommieNazis: What little we learn of the State's ideology apparently takes inspiration from both Communist and Nazi ideology. They ban books, religion and eliminate anyone who's deemed "obsolete" (either formerly having been things like librarians, or simply unable to work). When denounced by the protagonist Wordsworth, the Chancellor freely admits that Stalin and Hitler were both precursors for them, but they have gone ''even further''. Their militant state atheism echoes that of Communist states, including forbidding the Bible on pain of death for possessing it (along with other {{sacred scripture}}s, one presumes and exterminating weak, old or sick people who can't provide useful labor, echoing Nazi practices (though in neither case exactly).

* AnAesop: "The Obsolete Man" is about a totalitarian ruled state that deems people obsolete for not adhering to The Chancellor's agenda. In the end, The Chancellor falls victim to this fate after breaking one of his own rules after Rod Serling points out The Chancellor and the whole state was obsolete for not recognizing the value of humanity.

* BadassBookworm: Wordsworth. In the moments before his death, he calmly takes out his Bible, and reads the Psalms.

* DystopiaJustifiesTheMeans: This seems to be the objective of The State. They got rid of books, they got rid of religion and they get rid of anybody whom they deem "obsolete" in order to tighten their grip on society. When Wordsworth calls them out over how they're even more awful than Hitler and Stalin, The Chancellor seems ''proud'' of this. The State's goal seems to simply be control and power for their own sake. He does vaguely mention that it's to "eliminate undesirables", but why isn't explained.

-->'''Chancellor''': In God's name, let me out!\\
'''Wordsworth''': Yes. In ''God's name'', I will let you out.

%%* AssholeVictim: The Chancellor.

* DidntSeeThatComing: The idea Wordsworth would turn The tables on them never occurred to the Chancellor or The State.

* EvilWillFail: The closing narration is all about this trope, saying any state's obsolete that denies human rights and dignity even before it falls. And since The State was exposed and humilated on National Television, on top of creating a Martyr in Wordsworth, it wouldn't be farfecthed to assume that its only a matter of time before it falls.

* UndignifiedDeath: The Chancellor his torn limb from limb by his former followers.

* KarmicDeath: The Chancellor is declared obsolete and condemned to death. Doubly karmic when he brags about how many people the State has executed in six hours, only to become one of them in the end.

* OutgrownSuchSillySuperstitions: {{Played with}}. At first, it seems like this is the reason why religion has been banned. However, the Chancellor's words - particularly about how Hitler and Stalin didn't go far enough in controlling the masses - imply that religion was outlawed mostly as a means to control people, since they wouldn't want them being loyal to something else like God.
* PublicExecution: Wordsworth uses the opportunity provided by his televised execution to demonstrate that the Chancellor is nothing more than a DirtyCoward by trapping him in his room until just before the bomb explodes. The Chancellor also mentions that the executions of 1,300 people in six hours were shown on television the previous year.

* TheSocialDarwinist: What little is given of the State's motives to kill people falls into this, since they execute anyone too old, sick or disabled so they can't provide useful labor (along with any from abolished professions or who have forbidden beliefs, in a more general totalitarian vein). Given the Chancellor says that ''Hitler'' didn't go far enough, this is unsurprising.
* SpeakInUnison: The court members start chanting "obsolete" when surrounding the Chancellor at the end.
* TakingYouWithMe: Wordsworth's plan with the Chancellor is this no matter what the Chancellor does. Wordsworth traps him in the room with him with the bomb ticking down, knowing full well that the Chancellor will be left to his fate. Even though he let him out, it was only after the Chancellor had said and done things that the State sees as making him obsolete. Depending on how you interpret the ending narration and the fact it was televised, Wordsworth may easily have taken the State with him as well.
* ThanatosGambit: Wordsworth sets up his own execution specifically to make a point. He leaves the State very disappointed following it, especially when the Chancellor is shown to be a coward who would even beg God for help, who as he earlier mentioned, has been decreed by the State to ''[[HoistByHisOwnPetard not exist]]''.
* UnderestimatingBadassery: Wordsworth invokes this, since the State ''clearly'' underestimated him; he was viewed as simply an obsolete older man who posed no threat. Instead, he manages to manipulate their leader the Chancellor himself shown up on live TV, having him declared "obsolete" himself as a result.

* VillainsWantMercy: The Chancellor, for all his attempts to project an image of strength and fearlessness, breaks down when he realizes that Wordsworth has lured him into a death trap and no one is coming to save him, desperately begging Wordsworth to let him out in the name of God... who the State decreed does not exist, condemning himself to death as well. As he's pounced on and dragged to his fate, he begs the State to show him mercy. He gets none.
* WhenTheClockStrikesTwelve: When the Chancellor asks Mr. Wordsworth when he wants to be executed, Wordsworth picks the traditional time: midnight.
* XanatosGambit: Wordsworth trapping the Chancellor in the room with him. Either the Chancellor says things that get the State to declare him obsolete even after being let out (ensuring his death), or the Chancellor dies with him. Either way Wordsworth takes him down with him.
* YouCannotKillAnIdea: Wordsworth courageously and single-handedly exposes the Chancellor and the corrupt and seemingly invincible state. The Chancellor is kicked out of power by his associates and replaced, but since the whole thing was televised around the world, what is stopping others from becoming inspired to then follow Wordsworth's example. Also exemplified by Wordsworth's bold declaration "You cannot erase God with an edict!"
* YouHaveFailedMe: The Chancellor returns to his court to find the State has declared him obsolete for being outed as a coward and invoking God on national television. Even earlier Wordsworth tells him they won't save him for this reason.

* AnAesop: "The Obsolete Man" is about a totalitarian ruled state that deems people obsolete for not adhering to the Chancellor's agenda. In the end, the Chancellor falls victim to this fate after breaking one of his own rules after Rod Serling points out the Chancellor and the whole state was obsolete for not recognizing the value of humanity.

* BatmanGambit: Wordsworth has truly an awesome one. He locks himself and the Chancellor in the same room as a bomb that is set to kill him. Knowing that the Chancellor is a coward, he keeps him there until he freaks out... at which point he sets him free to face a HumiliationConga.
* BittersweetEnding: Wordsworth dies, but not before exposing the Chancellor for the pathetic coward he really is. Despite the Chancellor being executed, the State still stands, but it is implied Wordsworth's final stand will eventually lead to its downfall.

** The Chancellor claims that the State has disproven the existence of God. Wordsworth, however, doesn't believe a word of it - and their interactions hint that such a declaration wasn't fact so much as it was a means for the State to remove religion from its equation. It's not as if declaring that "God does not exist" is going to convince people who believe it anyway.
** The Chancellor claiming that the State has decreed that books no longer exist, whilst [[FailedASpotCheck reading from]] [[SelectiveObliviousness a ledger]]. Furthermore, Wordsworth's room is stacked high with various books, further proving this is not the case at all (though Wordsworth later says he's hidden his Bible, so presumably they might not have searched his house-it does seem a bit of an oversight however).

* CoolOldGuy: Wordsworth is the oldest character in the episode and is by far the bravest. As mentioned before and after, he turns his execution into a trial against the State to show their true colors.

* DidntSeeThatComing: The idea Wordsworth would turn the tables on them never occurred to the Chancellor or the State.
* DirtyCoward: The Chancellor is called such by his replacement and the State.
* DoNotGoGentle: A more pacifistic version, but Wordsworth goes down in glory. He fights for his right to live, to be seen, to think at his trial. Then he sets up the whole gambit and while on national television, shows no fear in the impending doom compared to the terrified Chancellor who is breaking under the pressure. All Wordsworth does is read from his Bible passages that could help people find courage in themselves to resist the State further. And when he could have escaped all along, he stays as one final lesson of courage against a supposedly unbeatable force like the State.
* DoomedMoralVictor: Wordsworth. Even when he opens the door for the Chancellor, he remains within his room to be killed on live TV, to show them all how a supposedly weak man dies.
* DragonAscendant: The subaltern who aides the Chancellor in Wordsworth's trial becomes the new Chancellor after the former one's disgraceful actions in Wordsworth's room.

* DystopiaJustifiesTheMeans: This seems to be the objective of the State. They got rid of books, they got rid of religion and they get rid of anybody whom they deem "obsolete" in order to tighten their grip on society. When Wordsworth calls them out over how they're even more awful than Hitler and Stalin, the Chancellor seems ''proud'' of this. The State's goal seems to simply be control and power for their own sake. He does vaguely mention that it's to "eliminate undesirables", but why isn't explained.
* DystopianEdict: Anyone who does anything the State declares wrong or useless (here being a librarian, believing in God) is judged "obsolete", with the penalty being death.
* EngineeredPublicConfession: When Romney Wordsworth (Burgess Meredith) was sentenced to death by the [[BadFuture totalitarian State]] for "obsolescence", he requested that his death be administered by a time bomb and that his death be televised. When the Chancellor, who had ordered his death, visited him before his execution at his request then, Wordsworth secretly locked him inside with him, so the Chancellor would be executed with him. Seconds before the bomb went off, the Chancellor [[VillainousBreakdown cracked]]:

* EvilWillFail: The closing narration is all about this trope, saying any state's obsolete that denies human rights and dignity even before it falls. And since the State was exposed and humilated on National Television, on top of creating a Martyr in Wordsworth, it wouldn't be farfecthed to assume that its only a matter of time before it falls.
* FaceDeathWithDignity: Wordswoth's gambit set up a nice test to see who would will face death with dignity: A lowly librarian or a member of the State:
** Wordsworth retains his dignity. He calmly reads his Bible, waiting for the bomb to explode. Even when he frees the Chancellor, he remains resolute and in his room.
** The Chancellor continues to prowl the room, looking for the key. He finally breaks down, begging in the name of God to be freed. Once the door is open, the Chancellor runs out of the room in a panic.

* GuileHero: Wordsworth is a man on his way to die, fighting every moment. When given the chance to plan his own execution, he takes this one token means to break him further and sets up a whole gambit to show the true character of the State as cowards when placed in certain doom. He does this in about under a minute once the EurekaMoment occurs.

** The ending implies that while his cowardice disgraced the State, it was his frantic pleas for "God" to let him out that was the final nail in his coffin. After all, he said himself, "God does ''not'' exist", according to the State. Earlier there is also a lesser example, when the Chancellor tries to call for help, but Wordsworth points out that there's no one around to "isolate the prisoner", demoralizing them, which is a rule ''he'' enacted.
** The entire public execution blows up in the State's face. Not only did the Chancellor humiliate them, he proved them to be {{hypocrite}}s and NotSoInvincibleAfterAll. The ending narration implies they will inevitably fall as a result.
* HollywoodAtheist: The Chancellor (and by extension the State) are pretty extreme examples, given that they not only declare God does not exist, but run a murderous totalitarian dictatorship which outlaws religion entirely, along with killing anyone whom they deem "obsolete" (people who believe in God presumably are included) especially in contrast with the saintly Christian character Wordsworth. Given this was in the Cold War era, it may have been a TakeThat regarding the officially atheist communist states, who persecuted religious people... and everyone else who didn't obey them.

* IronicEcho: Wordsworth and the Chancellor have this conversation before Wordsworth reveals his plan.

* MakeAnExampleOfThem: This is the State's intention with televising Wordsworth's execution. It backfires on them spectacularly, and he turns the tables to make an example of ''them'' via the Chancellor.
* MeaningfulBackgroundEvent: When the Chancellor enters the room and steps into the foreground, Wordsworth can be seen quickly locking the door behind him and pocketing the key.
* MeaningfulName: "Wordsworth" or "The worth in words", which is what he is about. {{Lampshaded}} by the Chancellor who puts a heavy emphasis on "''Words''worth" whilst dismissing his profession as a librarian.
* ANaziByAnyOtherName: The State is based on various totalitarian regimes. The Chancellor himself says that the State had predecessors who had the right idea such as UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler and UsefulNotes/JosefStalin but they did not go far enough in eliminating the undesirables such as the elderly, the sick, the maimed and the deformed.

** The Chancellor's reaction to realizing that he's stuck in a room with a bomb, that no-one is around to hear him as per ''his'' orders and that Wordsworth is completely ''right'' that the State wouldn't want to embarrass itself by coming to his rescue. Particularly when Wordsworth snarks that they'd rather see a loyal State member FaceDeathWithDignity, while one lowly and obsolete librarian begs for his life.

* OutGambitted: The State giving Wordsworth complete control over his execution gives him the opportunity to strike a nasty blow against them. The Chancellor expresses certainty that the State won't leave him to die. With the execution being broadcast for everyone to see, Wordsworth correctly guesses that the State won't risk embarrassing themselves to save even a high-ranking official like him.

In this totalitarian society, Romney Wordsworth (Creator/BurgessMeredith) is arrested for being "obsolete". The reason for this is his profession, librarian. As the State bans all books, he is therefore obsolete. He is put on trial with the Chancellor (Creator/FritzWeaver) serving as judge. It is revealed that Wordsworth also believes in God, whom the State declares does not exist. This does not of course make the Chancellor more fond of him. He is held to be obsolete and sentenced to death. Wordsworth makes three requests: that only his assassin know the method of his death, that he die at midnight the next day, and that his execution be televised. These requests are granted.

Roughly an hour before his execution, he invites the Chancellor to his room and says that he chose to be killed by a bomb set to explode at midnight. He then locks the door, trapping them both in. Wordsworth reminds the Chancellor that they are on TV, and now they will prove which is stronger, the will of the State or that of the individual.

At first, the Chancellor is unflappable, but when he realizes that no one is coming to save him since it would make the State seem weak, he slowly begins to panic. In contrast, Wordsworth quietly reads a Bible. Finally, the Chancellor screams "In the name of God, let me out!" Wordsworth hands him the key and the Chancellor dives out of the room, just as the bomb explodes and kills Wordsworth.

* EvilWillFail: The closing narration is all about this trope, saying any state's obsolete that denies human rights and dignity even before it falls.

* KangarooCourt: At the beginning, Wordsworth is brought before a tribunal charged with "obsolescence", as he's a librarian but books are banned. The "obsolete" are put to death. While there's mention of him having counsel, none appears at the trial, with only a brief period of questioning. Once it's established that he was a librarian, his fate is sealed, and there's no appeals, with his only right being choosing how to die (as Wordsworth sarcastically observes, he's very "rich").

* UnderestimatingBadassery: Wordsworth invokes this, that they ''clearly'' underestimated him, since he was viewed as simply an obsolete older man who posed no threat.

* DystopianEdict: Anyone who does anything the state declares wrong or useless (here being a librarian, believing in God) is judged "obsolete", with the penalty being death.

[[caption-width-right:320: ''"Wordsworth, Romney. Obsolesence"''.]]

* EvilWillFail: The closing narration is all about this trope.

* HiddenDepths: Wordsworth built all of his own furniture. It was this skill in carpentry that allowed him to remain alive for so long.

* LastRequest: Wordsworth is granted the right to name how he will die.

* UnderestimatingBadassery: Wordsworth invokes this, that they ''clearly'' underestimated him.

* GoodIsOldFashioned: The title man, Romney Wordsworth, is prosecuted for being an (illegal) librarian and (illegally) believing in God, which they deem obsolete and thus wrong. He on the other hand upholds them to the point of death (everyone "obsolete" is killed). Wordsworth's a courageous martyr who stands up against this tyranny even if it means his life.

* AssholeVictim: The Chancellor.

In this totalitarian society, Romney Wordsworth (Creator/BurgessMeredith) is arrested for being "obsolete". The reason for this is his profession, librarian. As the State bans all books, he is therefore obsolete. He is put on trial with the Chancellor (Fritz Weaver) serving as judge. It is revealed that Wordsworth also believes in God, whom the State declares does not exist. This does not of course make the Chancellor more fond of him. He is held to be obsolete and sentenced to death. Wordsworth makes three requests: that only his assassin know the method of his death, that he die at midnight the next day, and that his execution be televised. These requests are granted.

* IllegalReligion: The State claims to have determined that Main/{{God}} does not exist and therefore has banned any form of religion. Possessing a [[Literature/TheBible Bible]] is punishable by death.