various deconstructions of 'The Machine Stops' by Ian Forster

examples of present life in machine stops: - social media/ zoom

  • climate change/catastrophe
  • mobile phones
  • obedience to the machine
  • authority of the machine derived from the wiling obedience chosen of the crowd, they weren't oppressed chose this
  • machine stops - social media crashes
  • young/old dichotomy
  • dependency on machine
  • lack of physical interaction
  • media control peoples lives
  • learning for its own sake
  • anything you want a click of a button away - amazon

humanity did this to themselves - machine isn't true antagonist - we are the reason for our own downfall

language: similar to 1984 - ability to express themselves or real creativity - linguistic theory - investigate - language she uses throughout - tho using sophisticated terminology it lacks real expression - contrast to her son.
machine destroyed her ability to communicate - broken relationship - no empathy, physically can't comprehend her more emotional or 'enlightened' son - no command of language - conditioned

  • old/young dichotomy
  • psychology: role of parent + child reversed --> youngin - freudin

what does it mean to be human?

her use of language to his - adj, flow of language, does he mention baurity of the world, contrast what he says + his language

is language necessary for humanity + thought - Orwell 1984 'double plus ungood'

machine benefit + built for people - machine at no point had sinister intentions or became sentient - feeds them, keeps them safe, provides virtual interactions - enough for humanity

they aren't trusted the evidence of their own senses

bishop burkly - only an individual sense and ideas exist

maslow heirarcy of needs

lvl. 1 physical needs - water food air - machine does that - first thing to go when the machine starts to stop

lvl 2 safety - room starts falling apart, beds gone, locked or locked out of rooms - people start hurting others - euthanasia no longer an option - pain is reintroduced to humanity

lvl 3 social - love and inclusion 'facetime' stops working, transport stops working, surrounded by people but alone

lvl 4 ego - sense of personal identity, esteem + self importance - no longer able to do seminars - lack of interaction - how will she show off knowledge - her purpose

lvl 5 self actualisation enlightenment (in this context) - fullfilling ones potential - ending - machine couldn't provide this she had to do it herself - her potential was lowered with the machine

almost objective - can't choose to have it - they think they have individuality, not capable of self actualisation - lack the emotion and passion to do so.

she actually achieves it by the end - doesn't try to break from the machine and praises it as if its god - rekindling relationship with son and being able to interact without the machine - though on verge of death she has reached her full potential, having a genuine relationship

they just wanted - can have it even if its wrong - personal identity - machine facilities it - ego is driven by what other unknown people think of her seminars rather than her own flesh and blood - no pride in mother (not part of her identity) , doesn't identify, hes an embarrassment of her (heretical), she s a rule follower (shes created or signed up for, cf religion),

attachment to artificial things

possible romantic revival: Edwardian times revival of romantic ideals, nature is beautiful, she doesn't like nature - sends red flag to audience that her views are ludicrous

conscious

they don't struggle, think they have social- she treats son badly - machine fails with providing social interaction in the end - even when the machine did work all social interaction were superficial

youngin - process by which a person becomes psych individual a separate individsible unity, recognising their inner most uniqueness - individuation

e.g. focus on themselves more than other people, recognising themselves as an individual, not a remember of a hive

angle of essay

philosophical

psychological/socialogical

language side/ analysis

marxist reading of it

needs a proper philosophical prose

why i want to change my epq

short book, has a lot of ideas relevant to today, not just literay critiscm, tech, phil, psych, social, numerous different areas to explore, in a way that keeps it focused on this short story

synopsis: a world in which most of the human population has lost the ability to live on the surface of the Earth. Each individual now lives in isolation below ground in a standard room, with all bodily and spiritual needs met by the omnipotent, global Machine.

  • published in 1909

various reading - maslow - sociological - religious - relationship between mother and son (freud + young) - tech - philosophical what does it mean to be human (struggle?) - linguistic

suffer?

page 54 'she burst into tears. tears answered her' --> rewarded for her self actualisation by true connection - suffering

p.55 'we die, but we have recaptured life, as it was in Wessex, when Aelfrid overthrew the Danes'

  • The battle raged until, in the words of his biographer, Asser, Alfred "overthrew the pagans with great slaughter, and smiting the fugitives, he pursued them as far as the fortress.” His victory was decisive, forcing Guthrum to withdraw from Wessex and agree to the division of England.
  • it is only through suffering that they were able to take back their humanity

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p.54 'they wept for humanity, those two, not for themselves'

p.54 'Ere silence was completed their hearts were opened, and they knew what had been important on the earth'

p.55 'this poisoned darkness - really not the end?' - hope, realises the corruption, the machine gone

he thinks so

may --> do literary interpretations of dystopian future - what does it mean for today? --> ai?

passion for psychology of ai -->if we don't die of climate change its our biggest thret possibly --> should control it

literary list:

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mechanisation

critic of orgainsied religion --> 40's 30's --> early karl marx

ai