Chuang Tzu watches on as the Redpill crashes through the window into his apartment while a butterfly flutters on as it pleases
Butterfly was a comic written and drawn by Dave Gibbons for The Matrix Comics Series 2 which was included in The Matrix Comics Volume 1 and was later included in The Matrix Comics: 20th Anniversary Edition. It was based on a famous quote by the ancient Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi, whose name is synonymous with his book and which can also be transliterated as Chuang Tzu. The comic itself did not contain any dialogue and relied on narrating the quote.
Story[]
The story cuts back and forth between a rainy-city-action scene and a calm-zen scene. The rainy-city-action scene is that of a blonde Redpill in black clothes being chased by Agents, both parties exchanging gunfire yet bullets only ever nearly hit. The indoor scene is of Chuang Tzu in white clothes, lighting incense, praying, then sweeping. The same butterfly flutters about in both scenes.
Then the two scenes finally clash as the Redpill jumps through Chuang Tzu's window. Chuang Tzu greets the man. A phone begins to ring. Three Agents enter the room. And more gunfire hits air. The blonde man looks for the phone and Chuang Tzu points to it.
The blonde man picks up the phone while Chuang Tzu gets in between and knocks the guns from the Agents' hands. The blonde man disappears. Everyone pauses. Then the Agents open fire. Multiple bullets hit Chuang Tzu.
As Chuang Tzu closes his eyes to eternal sleep, the butterfly appears before him, and flies freely towards the night sky.
Zhuangzi[]
A quote (note that Zhuang Zhou is another transliteration of Zhuangzi):
“ Once, Zhuang Zhou dreamed he was a butterfly, a butterfly flitting and fluttering about, happy with himself and doing as he pleased. He didn't know that he was Zhuang Zhou. Suddenly he woke up and there he was, solid and unmistakable Zhuang Zhou. But he didn't know if he was Zhuang Zhou who had dreamt he was a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming that he was Zhuang Zhou. Between Zhuang Zhou and the butterfly there must be some distinction! This is called the "Transformation of Things".
”― Zhuang Zhou[1]
Only the last 2 sentences were omitted from the story, although the story was hinting to the same effect, a transformation.
Characters[]
- Chuang Tzu
- An unknown Redpill
- Unnamed Agents
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ "Once, Zhuang Zhou dreamed he was a butterfly, a butterfly flitting and fluttering about, happy with himself and doing as he pleased. He didn't know that he was Zhuang Zhou. Suddenly he woke up and there he was, solid and unmistakable Zhuang Zhou. But he didn't know if he was Zhuang Zhou who had dreamt he was a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming that he was Zhuang Zhou. Between Zhuang Zhou and the butterfly there must be some distinction! This is called the Transformation of Things.", [ Zhuangzi: Basic Writings], p. 44, Watson.