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LITR 4368 Literature of the Future  |
Sample answers
for Essay 1:
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Cynthia Perkins
High Technology: Utopic, Dystopic, or Ecotopic Future?
As we
have come to the end of the course, my brain is buzzing with the futuristic
worlds we have explored. I realize Science-Fiction for many is relegated to the
category of pop-culture and therefore not academically relevant. For me,
however, when studying speculative fiction as ‘literature of ideas’ that shows
us an infinite number of possible worlds, I find that I can learn from each and
every one of them. Something that really caught my attention this semester was
how, in many of the short stories we read, technological advances often led to
dystopic worlds. Ironically, we would like to believe that technology will
create a utopia in which we are able to eradicate diseases, make physical work
unnecessary, and safely live out our fantasies in a virtual reality. However, we
also learned that one person’s utopia is another person’s dystopia. Three of the
stories we read, The Onion and I,
Drapes and Folds, and
The Logical Lesson of Heliopause and
Cyberfiddle are from the futuristic beyond and warn of how a high-tech
future could lead to disaster, either by causing a crash in civilization or
simply a disconnect from nature and what it means to be human. One story,
Chocco, gave us a hint that we might
just be able to survive if we are willing to adapt and change.
The
Onion and I is a perfect example of
how one person’s utopia is another person’s dystopia. In this story, technology
attempts to alleviate some of the world’s problems, such as overpopulation and
dwindling resources, by plugging humans into a virtual reality. Rather than use
technology to actually solve these problems, possibly through education and
control of birthrates, they encourage people to live within cyberspace. Though
virtual reality could help with some issues such as a better quality of life for
the elderly and disabled or educating children in a physically safe manner,
there is no substitute for the real world. The father constantly rebels against
the synthetic life his wife believes so passionately will save the human race.
The father, like many protagonists of dystopic texts, looks back toward an
idyllic past in which he worked with the Earth under the sun. The mother, like
many protagonists of utopic stories, strives to create a perfect world and
future in which human suffering will end.
The
son, who is documenting his family’s pioneering days in Bidwell, mentions early
on that the government begins to “make and enforce laws on the computer” and
that “they also realize they [can] make and control people” (11). One way in
which the inhabitants of Bidwell are already being controlled is that when they
take their helmets off, they beep to remind them that they can’t be away too
long. As the boy pushes deeper into Cyberworld in order to help his father
create the perfect simulated onion, he realizes that his ability to maneuver is
being restricted. He can only explore as far as this virtual reality will allow
him. He starts to worry that he has been scanned into the computer and that he
is no longer real. This could be commentary on how technology can be used to
control people and take away their individuality. In our world, marketing,
videogames and smart phones constantly keep us plugged in and so we have to
wonder if we are being controlled by our desire to be connected and constantly
being entertained. If this is true, then it is not a so unrealistic to worry
about being controlled by those who control these technologies.
In
Drapes and Folds there is an obvious
dystopian society in which individuality and creativity are being oppressed and
technology is being used as a tool to aid in this attempt. The Powers probably
believe they are making progress in eradicating diseases and creating safer
communities. However, the more they try to control the society, the more
disasters take place. In each attempt to control the food sources with
technology, birth defects and diseases plague the population. Instead of
learning from this they continually clamp down and restrict the citizens of
NewSociety. The Powers try to take every bit of individuality away, which is
symbolized by clothing. Clothing is how we protect ourselves from the elements,
maintain our dignity and express our unique personalities. To control clothing
and food is to control the whole person.
As
Diana and Pearl discuss the past, they remember how as ‘progress’ was made, the
dehumanizing characteristics of technology became more dominant. Their children,
the ultimate expression of a human being, have become cyborgs that can be easily
programmed to comply with the rules of NewSociety. Pearl laments over her lost
past and its culture of real experience and expression. She hates that her
grandchild is merely a cyborg and seems to have no real emotional attachment to
her. Xera may be the future of this world, but she will never be completely
human. The only hope at the end of the
story is that her best friend, Diana, who has had her memory swept to make her a
more compliant citizen, and Xera help her hide a bag she had made out of the
scrap fabric of her past. This symbolizes that though technology may be used
against us, the human spirit can never truly be destroyed.
In
Cyberfiddle, the “Earth is trashed
and now there’s is nowhere to go” (161). Humans have not recognized that they
need nature to survive and have squandered their resources and poisoned the
planet. They tried to escape to another world but fail and “are stuck at home,
grounded, no wheels, flat broke” (161).
The main character is part of the last humans who have plugged themselves
into a virtual reality while the world outside dies. In this story humans had
believed their technology would save them by bringing them safely to other star
systems. When it fails, they sadly realize that the Earth was the one and only
home they had. The main character lives in a “virtual” utopia in which his mind
is able to create any experience he wants. He finds a manual on how to make a
violin and finds that he craves build one for himself. He wants to create
something with his hands that is tangible, three-dimensional and that can be
used to express emotion only as music can do.
Pryer
has awakened to some of the problems of his society. He realizes it is not as
perfect as it seems. He decides he will build the fiddle and needs physical
resources. He is alone when he ventures out of Warren Beatty into the outside
world to gather raw materials. The description of landscape makes it seem
uninhabitable which may be symbolism for us being so disconnected from Nature.
He eventually comes in contact with a real human child, a Bummer which are
people that chose to remain in the real world, who has waiting for someone to
come and appreciate the Earth’s resources. The city unfortunately kills this
last naturalistic human, but not before he is able to contribute to the making
of the Cyberfiddle. This may
symbolize that no matter how advanced our technology may become there is no
substitute for the natural world and human creativity. As Pryer brings the music
to life within Undergarden, we recognize what we may lose if we continue to take
the one planet we have for granted.
Chocco
really stood out as story that warned of how technology could be a detriment to
humans and the earth and yet gives hope as future generations may be able to
learn from this and create a better world. Though, like most ecotopic texts, it
reads more like a philosophical essay, it creates a clear picture of the
mistakes we may be currently making and what the possible outcomes might be. It
also offers us a prescription for a new way of life that just might save
Humanity. The descriptions of the Machine People are uncomfortably similar to
our way of life now. During the Socratic dialogue between Jon and Mikal to see
who will become the new Memory Keeper, we learn that the unchecked burning of
fossil fuels, unbridled production of synthetic objects and increasing
disconnection from our own bodies, each other and the environment led to the
Machine People’s destruction.
Though technology led to a dystopic past, fortunately for the citizens of
Chocco, they were able to rise from a
doomed civilization and create a more sustainable society based on ecological
principles. In this story humans control technology. Machines are tools to be
used in the real world, not a way to escape it. Humans also live in harmony with
nature, recognizing that it needs us a lot more that we need it. The human
relationships are meaningful and sacred. The citizens are considered equal
regardless of gender. Unfortunately, for some of us, we may reject a more
communal style of living because of some of the restrictions placed on
individuals. This is a danger of an ecotopic way of life. It is difficult to
ensure a balance between the freedom of the individual and the needs of the
entire community. According to the warnings of
Chocco, however, it is necessary to
deal with these problems and find reasonable solutions to ensure our survival.
So
the question is: Can we learn from these fantastical excursions into the future
and create a better world? These stories all seem to tell us that if we are more
vigilant, more connected to each other as well as nature and use technology for
more noble purposes, our species might just make it. When considering what’s
good for an entire civilization, it seems we may have to accept some loss of
individuality. This can be dangerous, especially if the powers that be are
trying to take advantage of this. We have all read plenty of dystopias, such as
1984 and
Brave New World, and already know
that even utopias that were created with the best intentions can become
oppressive and dehumanizing. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t keep thinking,
talking and dreaming. We must remember to control technology, making it work for
us rather than becoming complacent and allowing it to control us. As
Elizabeth L. Suffron’s essay
Don’t Run With Scissors
warns, we
must “understand the consequences” of our actions and “proceed with care.”
