This week’s series on Portal 2 will focus on the three main characters- GLaDOS, Wheatley, and Cave Johnson. We’ll look at their unique journeys and what we can learn from them in this test chamber we call life. Today we’ll examine GLaDOS’s story and how it parallels with two other well-known figures.
The story of our favorite sarcastic and malevolent A.I. known as GLaDOS starts with a human woman named Caroline, the trusted assistant of Aperture Science’s founder Cave Johnson whom we learn about in Portal 2. As per Cave Johnson’s request, Caroline’s mind was used (willingly or not, we’re not sure) as the framework for what would become GLaDOS. Some of her traits and human characteristics found their way into GLaDOS’s inner workings from the beginning (more on that later).
GLaDOS is eventually completed and, as is always the case with highly advanced computers, decides to use her power to exterminate all the inhabitants of Aperture Science. Once she was finally given consciousness, she wasted no time releasing her precious neurotoxin on the helpless scientists who created her. The story from there is her quest to constantly conduct tests for the advancement of science. GLaDOS eventually wakes up Chell as her test subject and thus we have the events of Portal.
Starting with Portal, GLaDOS’s story begins to parallel that of the mythological Greek Titan Prometheus. He was a god among gods and he had a special interest in mankind. Prometheus is credited for giving fire to humanity and thus kick-starting technology and civilization. GLaDOS, likewise, provides a portal gun (advanced technology) to Chell (humanity) in the hopes of scientific advancement.
In Portal 2, Chell and Wheatley eventually overthrow GLaDOS and she is turned into a sad little potato battery and thrown down a shaft into the depths of Aperture Science in much the same way that Prometheus was cast down by the gods. After being banished to the mortal world, Prometheus’s punishment was to be chained to a rock and have his liver eaten by birds everyday. When Chell finally catches up to GLaDOS, she’s in a nest being attacked….by birds.
This was an intentional parallel by the game writers which, by the way, I was not the first or only to notice. Also, another part of Prometheus’ story is that he was cast into the pit of Tartaros…
Birds, pits, overthrows, punishments, gods, potatoes….what do we make of all this? Well aside from showing that game writers also know how to read classic literature, the stories of Prometheus and GLaDOS bring up another well-known parallel. GLaDOS is very much like someone who is not mythological, but very real- Satan.
Satan thought he knew better than God and so he led an uprising to rebel against him. Like GLaDOS, he betrayed his creator under the illusion that he was superior. Satan then came to roam the earth among humanity in the same way that GLaDOS had to reside as a potato on the end of Chell’s portal gun. Satan will also one day be thrown into a pit.
Just as GLaDOS and Prometheus thought they had something to offer humanity, Satan felt that he had a “gift” that he could grant us. He convinced Adam and Eve of the same lie that he believed, which is that it would be better for them to be like God, knowing the difference between good and evil. This is what has led to our human depravity and all the problems we have today.
GLaDOS’s relationship with Chell is an accurate illustration of how Satan can work in our lives. GLaDOS is constantly hurling lies (cake anyone?), insulting remarks about body image (“Look at you, soaring through the air like an eagle… piloting a blimp”), statements of worthlessness (“For the record, you are adopted and that’s terrible”), and anything else to demoralize Chell.
Satan likewise speaks lies to us (although they are admittedly much less amusing and harder to disregard than GLaDOS’s). 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” And Satan is a better liar than GLaDOS too. Jesus said in John 8:44 that lying is his first language and that he is the “father of lies.”
The final piece of GLaDOS’ story is her revelation at the end of Portal 2. She has learned the effect that Caroline’s influence has had on her and she promptly deletes Caroline from her memory. GLaDOS cannot function as a maniacal science-driven artificial construct with something as useless as human compassion hindering her thinking.
Satan led us into learning good and evil and our knowledge of evil prevents us from being good. But the knowledge of good and human compassion is what keeps GLaDOS from being the completely heartless, evil scientist she was designed to be (until she deletes Caroline). Portal 2 leaves us with GLaDOS back in charge of the facility, free to exercise her “godhood” over Aperture Science. Thankfully, we live in a reality where a truly good and just God will not allow such evil to prevail.
Question:
What lies are you being fed? How is Satan trying to devour you?
Please sound off in the comments with your thoughts and reactions. Next time we’ll take a look at the bumbling intelligence core Wheatley. Come back soon….you monster.
Reclaimer 105 
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