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The Machine Man By Max Barry

Decent Essays

When dose technology become too much? In the novel Machine Man, written by Max Barry, this topic is very prevalent and is the main focus of the main character Charlie Numen. Charlie is learning that building himself new parts to replace his biological ones, can improve his abilities and overall quality of life… so he thinks. When we have access to modern technology that isn’t just a poor substitute, but a clear improvement for biology, there is a point when it can become too much to handle. Furthermore, Charlie discovers this himself throughout the story line. On the very first page Charlie says “As a boy, I wanted to be a train. I didn’t realize this was unusual- the other kids played with trains, not as them. What I liked was pretending my body was two hundred tons of unstoppable steel. Imagining I was pistons and valves and hydraulic compressors” (Barry 1). Charlie wanted to be a machine from a very young age. However, his body modification didn’t come about until much later in life when he had an accident that left him with one leg. Charlie saw this as an opportunity to improve himself physically. On the other hand, he begins to realize towards the end of the plot “it was pointless to ponder who (he) was because (he) was whichever combination of chemicals happened to be sloshing around at that time. So (he) decided to stop searching for a true self” (Barry 265). Charlie is giving up on the person he is supposed to be and allowing all of the new technology and parts to

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