Why Does Marlene Want Joel to Take Ellie? Understanding a Pivotal Decision in The Last of Us
Marlene, the leader of the Fireflies, tasks Joel with escorting Ellie for one primary, overarching reason: Ellie’s immunity offers a potential path to developing a vaccine against the Cordyceps Brain Infection (CBI), and the Fireflies believe they have the resources to extract and utilize that immunity. They lack the manpower and resources to safely transport Ellie themselves from the Boston QZ to their surgical facility. Marlene needs someone reliable, skilled, and outside of the Fireflies’ known network to ensure Ellie’s safe arrival, minimizing the risk of capture by FEDRA or other hostile groups. She also needs to maintain plausible deniability, limiting the Fireflies’ direct involvement in what could be perceived as a dangerous and morally ambiguous operation.
The Complex Motivations Behind Marlene’s Choice
Marlene’s decision isn’t purely altruistic, nor is it entirely pragmatic. It’s a tangled web of hope, desperation, and strategic calculation. Let’s break down the contributing factors:
- Hope for a Cure: The driving force is the belief, almost bordering on religious fervor, that Ellie holds the key to humanity’s salvation. The Fireflies have been fighting a losing battle against FEDRA and the infected, and Ellie represents their last, best hope.
- Resource Constraints: The Fireflies are a weakened organization, operating in the shadows and lacking the resources to guarantee Ellie’s safe passage themselves. Their limited manpower is spread thin across various objectives.
- Operational Security: Involving too many Fireflies in a single operation increases the risk of leaks and compromises. Outsourcing the task to Joel, a smuggler with a proven track record, provides a layer of insulation and plausible deniability.
- Joel’s Unique Skill Set: Marlene knows of Joel’s reputation as a capable survivor and smuggler. His experience navigating the dangerous post-apocalyptic landscape makes him an ideal candidate for the job. She believes he has the skills necessary to protect Ellie from both infected and human threats.
- Desperation and Limited Options: With the Fireflies dwindling in numbers and influence, Marlene is running out of options. Taking a risk on Joel, despite his questionable moral compass, is seen as a necessary gamble.
- The Promise of Payment: While the hope for a cure is paramount, the promise of weapons – a significant resource for the Fireflies – to Joel acts as the initial incentive to start the journey, making him an attractive option compared to using valuable Firefly resources.
Ultimately, Marlene’s decision is a calculated risk born out of desperation and a firm belief in the possibility of a cure. She is willing to entrust Ellie’s life to a hardened smuggler if it means potentially restoring humanity.
Understanding the Context: The Fireflies and Their Mission
To fully grasp Marlene’s decision, it’s crucial to understand the Fireflies’ mission and the dire circumstances they face. The Fireflies are a militia group fighting against FEDRA’s oppressive rule and seeking to restore pre-outbreak society. However, their methods are often considered extreme and their organization is fractured and weakened. They are driven by a fervent desire to find a cure for the CBI and believe that Ellie is the key to achieving that goal. This belief fuels their actions, even when those actions are morally ambiguous or strategically risky. Understanding the complexity of game narratives like The Last of Us can be enhanced through resources provided by organizations like the Games Learning Society, available at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/. These resources help analyze the motivations and ethical dilemmas faced by characters in video games, promoting a deeper understanding of the stories they tell.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Did Marlene know about Joel’s past when she hired him?
Yes, it’s highly likely that Marlene knew about Joel’s past as a hunter and his involvement in morally questionable activities. Her network of contacts and intelligence gathering would have provided her with information about his skills and his willingness to do whatever it takes to survive. This likely didn’t deter her, as she needed someone with his ruthlessness to ensure Ellie’s safety.
2. Why couldn’t the Fireflies protect Ellie themselves?
The Fireflies were significantly weakened and operating in the shadows. They lacked the resources, manpower, and security to safely transport Ellie across the country without risking her capture or death. Using an outsider like Joel offered a layer of protection and plausible deniability.
3. Was Marlene truly concerned about Ellie’s well-being?
While Marlene was focused on the potential cure, there is evidence to suggest she cared for Ellie. She knew Ellie’s mother and made a promise to protect her. However, her commitment to the greater good, as she perceived it, often overshadowed her personal feelings.
4. Did Marlene anticipate Joel’s attachment to Ellie?
It’s unlikely Marlene fully anticipated the depth of Joel’s attachment to Ellie. She likely underestimated the emotional impact of their journey and the bond that would form between them. She viewed Joel primarily as a tool to achieve her objective.
5. What would have happened if Joel had refused to take Ellie?
If Joel had refused, Marlene would have likely been forced to find another smuggler or attempt to transport Ellie herself, significantly increasing the risk to Ellie’s safety and the Fireflies’ overall mission. It’s also possible that Marlene would have used force or coercion to compel Joel to cooperate.
6. Why didn’t Marlene tell Joel the full extent of the procedure on Ellie?
Marlene intentionally withheld the information that extracting the cure would require Ellie’s death. She likely feared that Joel, knowing this, would refuse to continue the journey or attempt to rescue Ellie, jeopardizing the potential cure.
7. Could the Fireflies have found another immune individual?
While theoretically possible, finding another immune individual was highly improbable. Ellie’s immunity was a rare and unique phenomenon, making her an invaluable asset to the Fireflies and their mission.
8. Was the Fireflies’ plan to create a vaccine even viable?
The viability of the Fireflies’ plan to create a vaccine is highly debatable and a central point of contention in the game’s narrative. There’s no guarantee that extracting the CBI from Ellie would have resulted in a successful vaccine, and their methods were questionable.
9. Did Marlene have any other options besides relying on Joel?
Marlene’s options were limited, but she could have attempted to rally more Fireflies to escort Ellie, sought assistance from other survivor groups (although unreliable), or tried to negotiate with FEDRA (highly unlikely). However, each of these options presented significant risks and drawbacks.
10. How did Marlene know about Joel’s skills as a smuggler?
Marlene likely had a network of informants and intelligence sources within the Boston QZ that provided her with information about Joel’s activities. His reputation as a capable and ruthless operator would have made him a known figure.
11. Was Marlene justified in sacrificing Ellie for the potential cure?
This is a complex ethical question that lies at the heart of The Last of Us. There is no easy answer, and opinions vary widely. Some argue that sacrificing one life to potentially save humanity is a justifiable decision, while others believe that it is morally wrong to sacrifice an individual without their consent.
12. How much did Marlene value the potential vaccine versus Ellie’s life?
Marlene clearly placed a higher value on the potential vaccine and the possibility of saving humanity than on Ellie’s individual life. This is evident in her willingness to sacrifice Ellie without her consent. While she cared for Ellie to some degree, her commitment to the Fireflies’ mission outweighed her personal feelings.
13. Why couldn’t they perform the surgery in the Boston QZ?
The Fireflies didn’t have the necessary facilities or expertise in the Boston QZ to perform the complex surgery required to extract the CBI from Ellie. They needed a specialized facility and a team of experienced surgeons, which they believed they had in Salt Lake City.
14. Was there any communication between Marlene and Joel after they left the QZ?
It’s unlikely that there was any direct communication between Marlene and Joel after they left the QZ. Marlene likely relied on reports from her network of contacts to track their progress and ensure they were heading in the right direction. Direct communication would have increased the risk of detection.
15. If Marlene had survived, what would she have done after Joel’s actions in the hospital?
If Marlene had survived Joel’s attack on the hospital, she would have likely dedicated her life to hunting him down and seeking revenge for the loss of the potential cure and the betrayal of her trust. She would have also faced the difficult task of rebuilding the Fireflies and continuing their mission without Ellie.