Edward Morgan Forster’s 1909 short story seems to be eerily foreshadow the internet age and the central role it plays in modern society. The setting takes place in a dystopian underground society where civilization has prophesied a machine that manages and provides for the workings of their daily lives. The implications of dependence on technologies is expressed symbolically following the dynamic between Vashti and Kuno. Tension arises between Vashti- a pious worshipping of the machine and Kuno, who questions the value of the machine. Kuno wishes to interact face-to-face with his mother but this behavior viewed as impolite and unsophisticated. It has become that people’s existence is completely dependent on the machine. Kuno eventually discovers the truth after his journey above ground where he learns that the machine is simply a product of human invention that is now controlling them. Once the machine stops, the entire society unravels and descends into a mass chaos .
Given that this piece was published over a century ago- long before the invention of internet, smartphones, or artificial intelligence- I found Forster’s prediction on the damages of dependence on technology especially interesting due to its relevant application to modern day. “The better a man knew his own duties upon it, the less he understood the duties of his neighbor, and in all the world there was not one who understood the monster as a whole” is a fitting visualization. The short story presents a dilemma how to continue on the path of technological advancement without letting the ease and illusion of it take priority real life.