' The Machine Stops, By E. M. Forster

He uses words such as “dramatized” (para.1), “purely science fiction” (para.3) and “philosophical” (para.7) to invoke the irrationality of the fear of machines such that they would agree with his view. The use of Pathos is also observed in Tufekci’s article where she gave the anecdote of the call center worker being worried of losing his job. This further contradicts her purpose as it directs her readers into relating to the feelings of the worker. Furthermore, the constant re-emphasis of points such as “workers already feel like they are powerless as it is” (para. 17) due to the fact that “technology is used to “automate” the jobs and to take power away” (para. 16) does not provide any sense of reassurance to the readers  and cause them to waiver away from her

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

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.

Well- known Russian-American author, Ayn Rand, in her novella Anthem, describes a post-apocalyptic world in which individualism has been eradicated. Rand's purpose is to educate readers about the dangers of communism and to encourage readers to break out of the procrustean society while embracing the sense of self. She adopts a tone of pity for the majority of society while maintaining a tone of respect for the courageous two main characters in order to inform American readers about the benefits of capitalism over Communism. Similarly, English author, E.M. Forster, in his novella The Machine Stops, unveils a futuristic society in which all people are subordinate to the Machine. Forster’s purpose is to educate readers about the dangers of 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.

“Technology is a useful servant but a dangerous master,” said Christian Lous Lane. Technology is a powerful tool and as society continues to grow, the controversy over technology will become more of an argued topic. Two stories, “Harrison Bergeron” and “The Pedestrian”, demonstrate the negative impact of technology on individuality.

Even though technology in “The Machine Stops” and technology today have many differences, many characteristics are in common. The futuristic modern technology in “The Machine Stops is very dependable as well as modern day technology, except that in “The Machine Stops” everything is machine generated. Most people today communicate on the cell phone or text messages. Frequently, people may be contacted over video messages as well. In “The Machine Stops” the most common way to communicate is by pictures or video messages with little face to face contact. Technology used in both case scenarios is very reliant for humans. For example, humans rely on the internet to look up a question if we don’t know the answer. In “The Machine Stops”, they often did not have to ask questions because the technology already did it for them. In relation to the story, they refer to when the machine stops as a “technological death”, which we can relate to the same phrase in a way that if humans did not have the access to technological works, most of our world would not be able to function. People would struggle with communication with their families, difficulties to their jobs, and wouldn’t be aware of what was happening in the world.

“You talk as if a god had made the Machine," cried the other. "I believe that you pray to it when you are unhappy. Men made it do not forget that. Great men, but men. The Machine is much, but not everything.”

Our excessive use of technology has raised some concerns over our future as a society. Neil Postman believes that, “As he [Huxley] saw it, people will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies

The Machine Stops (Forster, 1909), contrasts in two main characters approach technology y. Vashti impatient with her son, Kuno, at

Through speculation and storytelling literature belonging to the genre of apocalyptic science fiction provides a means of understanding the world. What is chilling about the story The Machine Stops are the similarities that it has to social media, the internet and other technologies. All of which have significantly empowered, disrupted and seduced the modern age. The story The Machine Stops describes an era where humans trade first hand experience for a life situated in front of a screen, known as the “machine” (Forster 1). In the constructed future Forster describes a life where people are confined to “a small room, hexagonal in shape, like the cell of a bee [and] it is lighted neither by window nor by lamp, yet it is filled with a soft radiance (Forster 1).” With a touch of a button the machine provides human necessities; food, water, light, and screened social interaction. Human contact is only ever encountered when one travels via the

Andy Clark, in Natural-Born Cyborgs, offers an extended argument that technology’s impact on and intertwining with ordinary biological human life is not to be feared, either psychologically or morally. Clark offers several key concepts towards his line of reasoning. Clark argues that a human being thinks and reasons based on the biological brain and body dynamically linked with the culture and technological tools transparently accessible to the human. This form of thinking and reasoning develops new "thinking systems" that which over time become second nature thoughts and reasons and are the basis of even newer "thinking systems." It is a repetitive cycle that continues forever being built upon previous systems.

The short story “Marionettes, Inc.” shows how technology is a great tool and a privilege to have. It was used to help Braling deal with a situation that he didn’t want to deal with. Braling was “married to a women who overdoes it,” she wanted to be all over him all of the time and it kept getting worse. It’s unfortunate for Braling because he married his wife for the wrong reasons. When Braling married his wife he was only thinking about his business, his mother and father. When you marry someone for the wrong reason there are consequences that you have to deal with and the consequence are not good and it’s not something that you expect to happen.

The period between the wars was a very difficult time in Germany. The currency was enormously depreciated and there were extreme poverty, depression, and political instability. When the Nazis took power in 1933, horror was their method of achieving their goals. Fear and violence became very common among a society that was still in shock after the First World War. In the book The Reader, by Bernhard Schlink, one of the main themes is a conflict with the inner-self. This is seen throughout the book when Michael is young and indecisive between spending time with Hanna or his new friends, when Hanna is on trial and does not know whether to confess her illiteracy or accept being declared guilty, and finally when an older Michael is trying to decide on whether he should save Hanna or respect her dignity.

The global industrialization in twentieth century rapidly shaped the human society in political, economical, cultural and other aspect. The idea of machine replacing human beings has been concerned by many scholars and scientists themselves. The definition of human being and the definition of machine ha s been challenged as they gradually become into a non-separated integration. We now have artificial limbs, man-made blood vessels and even micro-chips in our brains. In A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century, a well-known essay published in the late twentieth century, Donna Haraway developed the notion of Cyborg. She states that there is no actual boundary among “human”, “animal”, and