Valencia1

MelinaValencia
MultimediaWriting&Rhetoric
13April2015
AlanTuring:
TheUnspokenHero
Its1940.InvasionshavebecomethenormthroughoutallofEurope,andits
commonplacetohearreportsofdeathandattacksontheradio.Wearestrugglingto
maintainourbordersastheAxispowerscontinuetopushtheirwaythrough.The
governmenthasstartedrationingfoodintheUK;thisdoesnothingtoconvincethe
peoplethattheendofthewarisinsight.GermanyhasinvadedPolandandnow,Britain
andFrancehavedeclaredwaronGermany.Peoplerefusetoentertaintheideathatthe
Alliedpowersareslowlylosingthewar,butitsbecomingharderandhardertodeny.If
wecontinuewiththisstrategy,thebodieswillcontinuetopileasthedeathcountrises
andtheAxispowerswillbetheonestoemergeasthevictors.Weneedamiracle.
Suchmusthavebeenthethoughtsrunningthroughthemindsofeveryperson
livinginacountrypartoftheAlliedpowers.Theoutcomeofthewarwasbecoming
increasinglydifficulttochangeastheGermanshadEnigmaontheirside.Intheprevious
year,BritainseemedtobeonthelosingsideofthewarandthepeopleofBritainwere
beginningtowonderiftheyweregoingtosuccumbtothewilloftheGermans.
UnbeknowntothecitizensofBritain,theBritishgovernmenthadundertakenthemission
ofbreakingEnigma,whichatthetimewasconsideredunbreakable.Iftheysucceededin
breakingEnigma,theBritishwouldbeabletotakeinterceptedGermanmessagesand

Valencia2
decryptthemtofindoutinformationaboutfutureGermanattacks.InsideBletchleyPark,
selectedEuropeanswereworkingfuriouslytodecodethesemessages.Menandwomen,
mathematicians,chessplayers,andlinguistswereinvitedtohelpbreakEnigma.Among
theseworkerswasAlanTuring,amanwhosenamewouldnothavesparkedahintof
recognitionbefore2009.
ThelifeofAlanTuringisonefullofbothpersonalandscholarlyachievements
andletdowns.InordertobringattentionandawarenesstotheaccomplishmentsofAlan
Turingandthehorribleinjusticehefacedneartheendofthelife,therehavebeenseveral
portrayalsofhislifeindifferentmediums:books,movies,operas,andsongs.Thispaper
willbeanalyzingtheportrayalsofAlanTuringinordertodiscussitsaccuracytohislife
anditschoiceofmessage.
ThestorybeginsinPaddington,Londonin1912.HeattendedSherborneSchool
wherehetookasingularinterestintheaspectsofscience.Hisnaturalproclivitytothe
sciencesandmathdidnotpleasesomeofhisteacherswhosedefinitionofeducation
entailedagreateremphasisontheclassics.DuringhistimeinSherborne,hedevelopeda
closefriendshipwithChristopherMorcom,whohasoftenbeendescribedasTurings
firstlove.ThisrelationshipplaysacrucialroleinformingideasandtheoriesthatTuring
wouldlaterundertake("DrAlanMathisonTuring.").Unfortunately,theirfriendshipwas
cutshortbyMorcomsdeathin1930,andwithhisdeathwentTuringsreligiousfaith.
TuringgoesontoattendKingsCollege,Cambridgeasamathematicalscholar.
HebegantoworkoncomputablenumbersandtheTuringmachine.Duringthewar
TuringworkedinBletchleyPark,aspartofasecretfacilityworkingonbreakingEnigma.

Valencia3
Thetotaleffectofhissuccessinthismattercannotbeunderstated(Hodges).Hewaslater
chargedwithgrossindecencyandsentencedtotwoyearsofhormonaltherapy,which
waseffectivelychemicalcastration.Hediedshortlybeforehistwoyearswereupin
1954,withthecauseofdeathbeingsuicide("DrAlanMathisonTuring.").
ThemostrecentfilmadaptationofAlanTuringslifethatpushedhimintothe
limelightwasTheImitationGame,afilmthataccuratelydepictsmostaspectsofhis
life,includingwhatwasreferredtoashishomosexualpredilections.Thefilmshows
TuringsyouthfulpassionforMorcomandhisdesiretodeclarehisloveshortlybefore
Morcomsdeath.HisdeathcomesasasurprisetoTuringinthefilm,wheninreality,
Turinghadbeenwarnedbeforehandtopreparefortheworst.Whileitisunderstandable
thatamovieaboutacomplexscientificideawouldsimplifythefactstoreflectthe
generalaudiencesknowledgeofthesubject,thisfilmalsosentimentalizesthem.Inthe
film,TuringnamestheEnigmacodecrackingmachine,Christopher(TheImitation
Game).Inreallife,themachinethatcrackedEnigmawascalledtheBombeandthefirst
operatingversionofitwasknownasVictory.
Oneofthemostappallingfeaturesofthisfilmisitstakeonespionage.The
ImitationGameputsJohnCairncross,aSovietspyandsuspectedFifthManofthe
Cambridgespyring,onTuringsteam.CairncrosswasatBletchleyPark,butheworked
inanentirelydifferentunitfromTuring,anditishighlyunlikelythattwopeopleworking
inseparateunitswouldhavecrossedpaths(TheImitationGame).Inhisautobiography,
Cairncrosswrote,therigidseparationofthedifferentunitsmadecontactwithotherstaff
membersalmostimpossible,soInevergottoknowanyoneapartfrommydirect

Valencia4
operationalcolleagues(Cairncross34).Inthefilm,TuringfiguresoutthatCairncrossis
aspy,butdoesnttellanyoneafterCairncrossthreatenstoexposeTuringssexualityif
hissecretgetsout.Concealingaspywasthemostseriousanddeeplyoffensivecrimethat
couldhavebeencommittedduringthattime.Thisaccusationbuysintothe1950s
prejudicethatgaymenweresecurityrisks.Totheuniformedviewer,TheImitation
Gameisanincrediblemovie,castingthespotlightonamanwhosenameshouldhave
beenacommonhouseholdname.However,tothosewithenoughbackgroundknowledge,
themovieachievesitspurposeofbringingattentiontoAlanTuringslife,butdoesso
withmanydiscrepanciesinitsstory.
DuringWorldWarII,allhomosexualbehavior,orevensuggestingit,wasillegal.
Analintercourse,whichwasknownasbuggeryinEnglandandsodomyinScotland,
waspunishablebylifeimprisonment.Otheracts,suchascottaging(sexinpublic
lavatories)andgrossindecency(mutualmasturbation,oralgenitalcontactorlegor
thighcontact)whenconductedinprivateweremadeacrimein1885bytheLabouchere
Amendment.Themaximumsentenceforthesecrimeswastwoyearsinprison.From
1945to1955,thenumberofyearlyprosecutionsforhomosexualbehaviorincreasedfrom
800to2,500(Gayinthe1950s).
Tobeconvictedforhomosexualbehaviorbroughtalongawholeotherslewof
problems.Duringthe1950s,paranoiaaboutbeinginfiltratedbySovietspieswasatits
alltimehigh.Homosexualswerebelievedtoposeahigherthreat,sincetheybelievedthat
amajorityofthemwouldbespiesfortheSoviet.Thisfearisclearlyillustratedinthe
film,TheImitationGame.ThefictionalDetectiveNockpursuesTuringbecausehe

Valencia5
suspectshimofbeingaSovietspy,relentlesslyinterrogatinghimafterhisrecordshows
noactivityduringWorldWarII.Itisduringthisruthlesspursuitthatheaccidentally
uncoversTuringshomosexuality(VonTunzelmann).
AmoreinformativeandlesscinematicportrayalofAlanTuringcanbefoundin
thedocumentary,CODEBREAKER.ThestoryistoldasadiscussionbetweenAlan
Turingandhispsychiatrist,Dr.FranzGreenbaum.Thebasisofthestoryisfoundinthe
journalsmaintainedbyDr.FranzGreenbaumandotherpeoplewhohavededicatedtheir
livestobecomingexpertsonAlanTuringslife(Overview).Thecreatorsofthis
documentarywantedtodetailthehighsandlowsofTuringslife,demonstratehisawe
worthyaccomplishments,andshowthepersecutionheenduredfromthegovernment
untilhisdeathin1954.
Thedocumentaryshowcasesthelast18monthsofTuringslife,whenhevisited
Dr.FranzGreenbauminthehopesofgettinghelp.Eachofthetherapysessionsinthe
documentaryisbasedonrealconversations.ThediscussionsbetweenGreenbaumand
Turingexaminetheanxietiesthatmayhavecontributedtohissuicide.Thefilmweaves
testimoniesofpeoplewhoknewandrememberTuringinbetweenthedialogueto
provideamorepersonalandauthenticnote.CODEBREAKERhonesinonhislegacy
andhiscontributionstothesciences.Theyseamlesslyaddinterviewswithcontemporary
expertsoftechnologyandsciencefromaroundtheworld,evenincorporatingSteve
WozniakscommentsandbeliefsonAlanTuring.Thefilmprimarilyfocusesonhis
achievements,andusestheexpertstobringTuringsimpactuptothepresentday
(Codebreaker).Theyexplainhow,inmanyways,moderntechnologyhasonlyjust

Valencia6
beguntoexplorethepotentialofTuringsideas(Overview).Thedirectorwantedto
communicatethelegacyofAlanTuring,emphasizingwhatcanstillbedonethankstohis
ideasandfirmfoundation.
AndrewHodgesbook,AlanTuring:TheEnigma,notonlygaverisetoThe
ImitationGamebuttoHughWhitemoresplayBreakingtheCode.Itpremieredin
NewYorkin1987to1988.BreakingtheCodediffersfrombothTheImitation
GameandCODEBREAKERbecauseitdealsmorewiththesexscandalthatruined
TuringscareerratherthanthejourneytocrackingtheEnigmacode.Italsogavethe
viewersachancetoseeTuringspassionforallthingsmathandhisknowledgeaboutit.
InBreakingtheCode,Turingisconstantlysharinghismathematicalresearchwith
people,regardlessofifhethinksthattheywillbeabletofollowallthemathematical
jargonandtheoremsornot.Hejustwantstocommunicatethemwithothers.Turingdoes
describeaeurekamoment,whereitoccurredtohimthathecouldbuildacalculating
machinetobreakEnigma.
UnlikeTheImitationGame,thereisnoinstancewheretheyhadtodecideon
whenorwhennottoactontheinformationtheyuncovered,asthatwasthejobofthe
militaryhighcommand.Theplaygivesarealisticviewofhiscontributionstothewar,
withouthavingtofluffupthedramaforthesakeofentertainment.ThroughoutBreaking
theCode,Turingsbiggestfailingisthathedoesntnoticewhenpeoplehavecompletely
lostunderstandingofwhathewassayingwhenhewentonhiscomplicatedrants.This
playgivesarichrenditionofAlanTuringsideas,ofhisaweformathematicsandhis
tragicfallfromgrace.JasonShankelputitbest,WatchTheImitationGametolearn

Valencia7
howAlanTuringsavedtheworld.WatchBreakingtheCodetolearnmoreaboutthe
worldhesaved.
AlanTuringisamanwhodeservedalotbetterthanwhatwashandedtohim.He
livedalifeofsecrecy,shame,andwaswrongedbytheverypeoplehehelpedsave.Each
portrayalchosetofocusonaspecificaspectofhislife,whetheritdbehispersonalor
worklife.TheImitationGamegaveanoverviewofAlanTuringsimportanceto
historyandtheenormousinjusticedonetohim.Whileitdoesoversimplifymanyaspects
ofTuringslife,itsharesthehistoricalsignificanceofitssubject.CODEBREAKER
givesgreatdetailaboutTuringsaccomplishments,connectingittoalltheprogressmade
incomputersciencethankstohisideas.Theaudiencetakesawaythatmuchofthe
technologyinthemodernworldstemsfromTuringstheoriesandthoughts.Lastly,
BreakingtheCodedrawsattentiontoAlanTuringspersonalstruggles.Itdemonstrates
theeffectthatthesexscandalhandonhislifeanditallowedtheviewertoreallyconnect
withTuringasaperson.Alloftheseportrayalspayjustice,inonewayoranother,tothe
manwhosavedusall.
WorksCited
BreakingtheCode.VideoTreasures,1997.Film.
Cairncross,John.TheEnigmaSpy:TheStoryoftheManWhoChangedtheCourseof
WorldWarTwo.London:Century,1997.Print.
Codebreaker.Perf.EdStoppard,HenryGoodman.2011.DVD.
"DrAlanMathisonTuring."BletchleyPark.2015.Web.25Apr.2015.

Valencia8
"'Gay'inthe1950's."LGBTFoundation.LGBTFoundation,2Sept.2012.Web.25Apr.
2015.
Hodges,Andrew."AlanTuring:AShortBiography."AlanTuring.1995.Web.25Apr.
2015.
"Overview."CODEBREAKER.Web.26Apr.2015.
Shankel,Jason."WhichAlanTuringMovieReallyCapturesTheFatherOfComputer
Science?"Io9.15Dec.2014.Web.28Apr.2015.
TheImitationGame.Perf.BenedictCumberbatch,KeiraKnightley,MatthewGoode.S.n.
:,2014.Film.
VonTunzelmann,Alex."TheImitationGame:InventingaNewSlandertoInsultAlan
Turing."TheGuardian.TheGuardianNewsandMediaLimited,20Nov.2014.
Web.26Apr.2015.