The Machine Stops Quotes

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The Dalai Lama XIV once said, "Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive" (Brainy Quote). As The Lama suggests, love and compassion ensure a society's prosperity. However, when humans fail to express empathy towards one another, the lack of the virtues leads to the emergence of an abhorrent society. Dystopias which fixate on an unhealthy dependence on technology, the faults of government and society, and the negative consequences of a defective solution effectively teach the dreadful nature of society lacking humanity. Dystopias which show an unhealthy attachment to technology effectively demonstrate the horrendous structure of a society barren of humanity. In "The Machine Stops," years after …show more content…
In the episode "Number Twelve Looks Just Like You" of the Television series, The Twilight Zone, society forces citizens to undergo a transformation at age nineteen, allowing them to develop beauty and change physically, intellectually, and emotionally. One young woman, Marilyn, refuses to conform to society since she desperately wants to keep her own identity (Beaumont). By transforming all citizens into appearing, feeling, and thinking the same, the audience recognizes the government's attempt to create equality on all levels. Marilyn's rejected effort to hold onto her individuality reveals how the government disregards the citizens' own feelings, bringing everyone down to a societal standard and taking away one's freedom to express emotion and intelligence. Rather than creating social harmony with the transformation, society crushes the dignity of the human spirit. Brainwashing citizens while simultaneously changing their physical appearance destroys the very meaning of life. The differing of outer appearances and unique individual psyches separate humans from one another, so transforming everyone to have the same chemical and physical makeup by brainwashing defeats humanity's individualistic nature. Similarly, in the short story, "Harrison Bergeron", George and Hazel converse over the death of their son, "You been crying...what about?" he said. "I forget," she said. "Something real sad on television." "Forget sad things," said George. "I always do," said Hazel...He winced. There was the sound of a riveting gun in his head". (Vonnegut 5-6). In George's wincing due to a sharp noise of a "riveting gun in his head", audiences realize the government's attempt to create equality through use of leveling by enforcing citizens to wear handicap-radios, which control the citizens' brain activity. Hazel's lackadaisical and
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