ENG 1975 Paper 1

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Reedy 1 Eugene Reedy Dr. Nielsen ENG 1975 16 September 2021 Paper 1 “And of course she had studied the civilization that had immediately preceded her own...when men went for change of air instead of changing the air in their rooms!”(5). This quote is from E.M. Forster’s The Machine Stops which is set in a futuristic setting, and one of the characters looks back on the society that existed before her, which seemed more humanized compared to the future in which she was in. This same idea is shown in Paolo Bacigalupi’s The People of Sand and Slag , where the characters realize their loss of humanity compared to the past when they meet and interact with a dog. Every day humans are innovating, but the issue is when those innovations turn us away from our humanness making everyone less human. Even in today’s world these issues are evident when people focus on their phones instead of the person sitting in front of them, and these actions hinder human interaction, one of the key things that make people human. In The People of Sand and Slag, the loss of humanness within the characters is portrayed when the characters interact with the dog, letting the audience understand that people should lay off over excessive innovations that obstruct the importance of human nature. Mankind has come a long way from inventing things like the electric light all the way to now, where we have access to light and electricity everywhere. These things should definitely be applauded as these things help society, but nowadays we are moving toward the path where things like artificial intelligence and other things like robots may be utilized in society. Yes, these

Reedy 2 things do make a lot of things in society easier, but at what point should humans draw the line with innovation? In The People of Sand and Slag , one of the characters “wiggled his new stump where it was rapidly growing” and this example gives the traits of immortality, one of the characteristics a human shouldn’t have (55). If human society today decides to create things similar to those of the story, there will be a similar outcome. There are different traits which make a human, and one of those traits is the fact that they will die, but when that is altered, humans aren’t really humans anymore. It may seem amusing to see one’s own arm regenerating after it gets cut off, but being able to do so makes us less human. New technology does in some ways make life a lot easier, and with the internet and advanced computer systems, a lot of things that were considered impossible decades ago are now possible, but there is a downside of things like new technology as it creates a blockage for the potential of humans, and is evident when the characters interact with the dog. There is a big comparison between the so-called humans and the dog and it is portrayed through the idea of immortality mentioned earlier. There were times in the story where the dog looked beat up, but the humans were wondering why it was that fragile, and they questioned this because they didn’t have that same issue. However, they knew that because their technology was so advanced and they said “Without science, we’d be as vulnerable as it” coming to this idea of how humans can become really reliant on these things and ultimately, won’t be able to depend on themselves (65). Humans don’t want to end up like them, constantly relying on these new innovations. Take for an example in today’s world there are things like plastic surgery that can ultimately change the way a person looks because they think they need to look a certain way and not stick true to who they really are. Everyone has their own traits and reasons why they’re considered human, and like the dog being fragile, humans are fragile as well but they need to embrace their natural traits.

Reedy 3 The importance of the dog is also portrayed in the story because of its symbol of what human beings ought to be like. One essential idea that separates humans from say a robot, is how the human race has the ability to understand complex emotions and have the capacity of empathy. There is definitely a lack of this idea from the characters in the story and it is evident when Musharraf mentioned, “Did you know that in the past, people believed that we should have compassion for all things on Earth? Not just for ourselves, but for all living things?” stating how the only compassion needed in the world in that story was for the characters themselves (58). It also was mentioned in a rather surprising way, as if the characters didn’t understand what people used to be like and that people like them are the norm in society. Humans shouldn’t head toward the path where everyone becomes robots incapable of feeling anything, because everyone knows that being capable of these emotions defines us as humans. At the end of the story, Chen looks back on what the dog really was saying “I remember when the dog licked my face and hauled its shaggy bulk onto my bed,and I remember its warm breathing beside me, and sometimes, I miss it” and it is like there is still little hope for these people but society today has time to think about what their actions may lead to, and everyone would like a world filled with human nature and emotion, just like what the dog was able to show to the characters (67) The world is constantly evolving and changing, but that must not hinder the growth and potential of humankind. The People of Sand and Slag really may be a representation of what might be the future of our society, with technological advancements and innovations, these things might lead to human’s downfall. Which is why it is crucial to understand the dog and what it represents: human nature. There are certain perks that do benefit humans which we call our essentials, but what happens if those perks stop working? Will humanity be able to depend on themselves? If ideas like these are kept in mind, the human race may not take the road which

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