The following paragraphs are just excerpts from the first draft of my term paper.
Orginal Thesis:
Human beings created these machines, but their dependence puts the machines in the higher hand of power. This is a relationship between the creator and the created like in the novel Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley.
As a part of human nature, people blame the creation when it is out of control, instead of the one who is most responsible: the creator. The creation is the victim of their creator and society. The creation usually mirrors the creator...(Berger 741).
Victor Frankenstein's monster symbolizes our desire as human beings to live “outside of the box”. We sometimes have a “desire to escape from the confines of human rationality, a “normal” life and the numerous burdens and limitations that society imposes on us” (Berger 742).
He felt unwanted because society could not understand him. Therefore, they feared what they could not understand: the monster wanted love from his creator (his father) and a companion who he could live with because he was suffering from loneliness. He wasn’t able to participate in society because he wasn’t accepted and was labeled an outcast. Instead of being loved, he was rejected by his father and denied a companion. The monster symbolizes our human nature of wanting to be needed, loved, and accepted among fellow people.
Nell was also seen as an outcast in the beginning of The Diamond Age because she was low class. In another sense, even when she was “accepted”, she was still an outcast. The reason for this is she started as a lower class nobody, but she grew into a great young woman who posses knowledge that everyone couldn’t understand. The Primer was a great invention. An invention that normally the higher class would have, not a low class girl such as Nell.
New Thesis???
I'm trying to come up with a new thesis at this point. I guess the problem is I didn't read the novel, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, but I do have a secondary source which is an academic article, "Frankenstein: The New Prometheus" by Arthur Asa Berger.
First I would like to say that I liked reading this article.
Is technology handling them or our they handling technology? It seems as technology is ruling lives. They were able to create all types of technoloy, but it most of it made destruction the outcome. For example, the nanosites were used to kill Bud because he was sentenced to death. Hackworth basically becomes a slave to the nanosites because they are controlling him. And who could forget, the copulation ritual with the twelve drummers sharing their rod computer semen with one woman. Resulting with her body bursting into flame. It seems as this society was just obsessed with technoloy.
If their technology was so great than Nell should have had some type of machine that could pick out the molesters and abusers, that her mother brought home. So that she didn't have to deal with that crap.
The only good technoloy that served a purpose for the good was the Primer. This book helped Nell evolved from a little girl into triumphant young woman. Even though, the Chinese orphan became an army and killed some people. It all was for the greater good, for Nell that is.
So who were the slaves? The machines or humans? Who were the masters? The humans or machines? Something to think about.... "revealing the humanity at the heart of the machine" top page of 138.
Well, what can I say? I thought reading Shakespeare was difficult, but I was wrong. This book was really a challenge for me, but I got through. The end of the first half and second part of the book really caught my attention. I started liking the book the more I read it, go figure.
Nell really grew from a girl to a young woman. I guess I felt as if I was watching her grow up. At first I thought she was too into the primer. I thought it was controling her in away, but I see that it helped her grow. She had a lot of friends that influenced her to grow.
When Dinosaur died, I saw him as a father figure. He sarcied his life so that she can continue her journey. Since he was a warrior, he was over protective like any father would be for his child.
Purple was like her mother. She was loving and nuturing like a real mother should be. Purple was the closest thing to a real mother that Nell never had. The audience finds out that her real mother wasn't very caring. So what shw didn't get for her real mother, she got from Purple. When Purple died, I kinda saw that as a wake call for Nell's independence. In reality I believe that young women tend to leave their mother's side to establish their own, but they take the love, nuturing, and life lessons on with them. I think that's what happens between Nell and Purple.