Week 1 : Response to “The Machine Stops” E.M. Forster – Samantha Cui

I was fascinated by Forster’s reading “The Machine Stops”. While reading it, I thought it to be futuristic considering the time it was published and it felt like it was really close to everyday life nowadays. Especially for the first part when Kuno and Vashti were having a conversation through the machine. While reading this part, I thought of it to be a useful tool. But then I realized that we do have this “machine” now, facetime on our iPhone. It appears that Vashti is extremely reliant to this machine. Forster writes this reflecting on the issue that someday people will be “controlled” that they can’t live a day without the machine. Even this story was written and published over 100 years, but it is scaringly similar to present day. It shows the ugliness of how some people even choose technology over their family and friends. It emphasizes the damage and changes machines would bring. Living in a time where we are surrounded by machine, it really makes you think a lot.          

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