Summary Of Susan Sontag's The Imagination Of Disaster

To conclude, the choices that humans make with technology affect this Earth. It could either be a negative outcome like destruction or it could be positive and be a spark of a new hope. As this society continues with these old ways which have already exceeded our humanity, they are just creating more destruction. If humankind can change these ways, there could be hope for a fresh start, and a new beginning. All in all, let’s stop this technology from exceeding humanity and begin

Projections that have been made about how today’s society and culture will look in the coming years, decades, and centuries, all have yet to be seen in how valid they are. If you look in any sort of media: television, social media, or radio/music, you will see people giving their interpretations of what will become of our world down the road. Yet, few people look to see how our the current state of culture and society reflect the projections made by people in previous years, decades, and centuries. In looking at the visions of the future presented by both novelas, The Time Machine by H.G. Wells, and The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster, each story presents aspects of society that prominently appear today. Written during the Industrial Revolution, a time where technology and human innovation was at one of its highest points in recent history, both stories explore the possible effects of the machinery that was becoming evermore present. Both authors present aspects such as omnipotent technology, decaying human independence, and destruction of real communication, to create the artistic statement that complacency is rising within the human race, and that complacency will eventually lead to the fall of mankind. In both stories, the authors speak against human complacency and deference to technology, warning that it will lead to the creation of weaker people and society that will ultimately destroy the human race, yet that complacency is present in today’s culture and due to the

A mutual theme in the four literary texts Mrs. Shearn’s 2nd period class has read is humans can destroy themselves through each other and technology. Teasdale's poem states, “And not one will know of the war, not one will care at last when it is done” (stanza 4, lines 7-8). In Stephen Vincent Benet’s poem, ‘Nightmare Number 3,’ it talks about how humans created technology so advanced, that the humans were overpowered and demolished by their own creations (lines 16-19). In Stephen Vincent Benet’s other literary text, “By the Waters of Babylon,” the ‘Gods’ of the old world fought in a war and destroyed themselves. Through the ‘God’s’ own technology, they destroyed each other leaving only a few to survive (page 7-8). Ray Bradbury’s short story,

Both ‘Frankenstein’ By Mary Shelley (1818) and ‘Blade Runner’ composed by Ridley Scott (1992) express the concerns of the dire consequences that come as a result of the need for control. These texts were heavily influenced by the rapid growth of technology although reflecting different eras. They highlight the dangers of excessive ambition and the threats to the natural world from different perspectives.

Shelley’s Romantic novel Frankenstein (1818) compares and reflects values of humanity and the consequences of our Promethean ambition against the futuristic, industrialized world of Blade Runner (1992) by Ridley Scott. The notions of unbridled scientific advancement and technological progress resonate with our desire to elevate humanity’s state of being, mirrored amongst the destructive ambition to overtake and disrupt nature and its processes. The disastrous implications of overreaching the boundary between progressive and destructive power and knowledge are heeded through the ultimate and inevitable loss of self and identity, transforming humanity into a form of monstrosity.

In E.M. Forster’s short story “The Machine Stops”, he portrays a dark dystopian society that is encapsulated by the Machine in which they all worship; this is analogous to society today being so attracted to technology. The story takes on a very dark and dull tone to help convey his purpose of pointing out that society is too dependant on technology. Forster develops his dystopian society by showing their social norms and what happens when the said technology fails them. He connects dystopian factors in the story to common day things. For example, he alludes to God, satirizes society’s dependence on technology, and shows the effects technology has had on humanity to help emphasize society’s reliance on technology.

At what point will society place a dependence upon technological advancements rather than the curiosity and interactions of mankind? With the constant acceleration of improvements within technology and any piece of information readily available many authors, artists, and individuals question the natural world as each generation more elaborately explores the innovative approaches towards science and technology. E.M. Forster’s short story, “The Machine Stops,” is based upon a fear of the technological revolution, and it introduces the audience to a utopian society facing multiple forms of isolation as a result of his society reaching complete dependence upon the technology of the Machine. The society’s reliance upon the Machine creates a divide between those who display an adoration and worship towards the Machine versus citizens who prevail and fight for their individual freedom. E.M. Forster illustrates the role he foresees technology to play in the end of human civilization through an exaggerated vision of the effects that technology leaves on our lives, which helps the audience to better understand our present day society properly.

As we begin to explore the world of technology, we must be careful that we don’t get too dependent on what it can do for us. We cannot forget that technology can change the way people think, feel, and can prevent them from daily activities. In the movie Wall-E, it gives you a glimpse of what can happen if you don’t help take care of the earth, and depend too much on technology. Wall-E gives us a look at a few Dystopian categories such as environmental, political, psychological, and technological; making the film feel as if this is what has already started to happen on earth today.

<br>I. Kurt Vonnegut has a great awareness of the destructive social impact of science and technology.

Throughout history, people have made works of art both praising and criticizing the development of science and technology. The novel by Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, shows an older form of this type of work, while the film, Ex Machina, shows the modern version of this. In both of the stories a new being is created, and while in the film the consequences of creating life are somewhat more thought out, both result in the deaths of the creators and others. This paper is going to analyze how different aspects of these two pieces compare including: their characters, their stories, and the themes or morals of the works. Both Frankenstein and Ex Machina involve realizing the complexities of life. They highlight the strengths and weaknesses of man, and warn of the advancements of the sciences. While neither are outright saying that science and advancement is a bad thing, they warn of the consequences of new technologies as well as the lack of understanding and planning. In the end, both of these stories warn and teach the reader or viewer about the shortcomings of mankind.

Throughout this semester our literary material dealt with themes of technology, modernization, the imponderable bloom, human nature, and truth to name a few of the most overarching. Each text has woven an impression of the possible near future for humanity if the patterns we are creating continue at an exponential rate. Patterns such as consumerism, neglecting unpleasurable emotions, using drugs, and controlling the environment for our short term benefits will write an unsavory and inevitable future. Science Fiction often reflects on society by exaggerating their negative characteristics and advancements to seem far-out, but often it is ironic how close many aspects of the fiction are a direct reflection of the present condition. Even now, the possibilities of utopias and dystopias forming are not so out of reach. The ability of our culture to control an entire population with a self-satisfied culture of vices outfitted with technology is less and less science fiction as the years pass.

In a genre whose name ostensibly welcomes innovation—science fiction—resistance towards technology may initially seem counterintuitive. This, however, is where it is essential to delve into the annals of history. Writers, after all, write what they know. In an 1948 essay, George Orwell wrote, “When you are on a sinking ship, your thoughts will be about sinking

The good thing about films is that we not only have the opportunity to choose from a wide selection of different genres, but also compare them and understand their purpose in the world. The Horror genre has used the basic principles throughout time, and as a result, films of this type have not proven to be as timeless as another genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy. At first, these two genres might at times seem similar as they have at several occasions been blended together, but their basic, common theme serves different meanings about humans. I shall compare and contrast these two genres and focus on both classic films and modern films. From the Horror genre perspective I shall discuss Psycho (1960) and The Mist (2007), while in the Science Fiction/Fantasy genre I will examine 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), and Serenity (2005). Although the Science Fiction/Fantasy genre and the Horror Genre share some similarities, the differences lie in their focus on human progress.

The apocalypse is a common subject addressed in films and such Doomsday scenarios have become increasingly popular since the beginning of the Cold War. These films provide a different cause for the downfall of human kind and approach the subject with various degrees of despair and hope. Despite the obvious differences in approach that different directors take, these films all serve to highlight not only the negative qualities of human kind that led to and are represented by the agent of destruction but also to highlight the strength of the survivors who keep the will to fight for their lives despite the bleak circumstances. For the most part, The Mist, adapted from a Stephen King novella, sticks closely to the archetype. The Mist, a

Most of the science fiction works contain a crucial message that the writer wishes to convey to the viewers. There are two categories of film message, one is positive and the other is negative. A positive message is one that is expected to have favourable outcome to the audience, and continuously aiming to promote better societal changes. In contrast, a negative message is one that could deliver threats or unpleasant information to the audience, which could have significant impact on the normal order of the society. This essay will argue that if the message contains positive elements, then it is not a bad sign to embed science fiction works with a message. First, this essay will suggest that the well-integrated message within a particular