“Seraphically free
From taint of personality”
which will see the French Revolution not as it happened… but as it would have happened had it taken place in the days of the Machine.” - Forster, page 70 (quote taken from “The Lark Ascending,” a poem by George Meredith)
Free from taint of personality: “The Machine Stops”
“The Machine Stops” is a striking short story about a possible dystopia where technology rules humans. A single machine controls almost every aspect of life and everyone lives in complete isolation. Forster manages to create a world surprisingly similar to ours. With the pandemic, most activities were moved online. Though our COVID world never reached the levels of isolation as described in “The Machine Stops,” descriptions about the lectures that Vashti attends seem eerily reminiscent of the non-stop Zoom calls that were supposed to replace school. NFTs and the “metaverse” suggest the development of a virtual universe that will become just as important as the real world (example). Facebook is allowing employees to apply to permanently work from home even after the pandemic, and emphases on in-person interaction are being exchanged for maximum efficiency. While Forster’s dystopian vision does not currently seem realistic, “The Machine Stops” imagines what might happen if the desire for convenience coupled with the rapid progression of technology is left unchecked.
One defining aspect of society in “The Machine Stops” is the avoidance of first-hand ideas and experiences. In one lecture that Vashti attends, the speaker describes how he thinks that the best way to arrive at facts is to go through several layers of observance in order to strip all traces of human impressions or bias. He says, “there will come a generation that had got beyond facts, beyond impressions, a generation absolutely colorless, a generation
“Seraphically free
From taint of personality”
which will see the French Revolution not as it happened… but as it would have happened had it taken place in the days of the Machine.” (Forster 70). The lines “Seraphically free/from taint of personality” are taken from George Meredith’s poem “The Lark Ascending.” Meredith’s poem describes the experience of watching a lark fly and sing. The quote that Forster used is part of a larger section about how humans perceive the voice of the lark. Meredith writes, “Our wisdom speaks from failing blood/Our passion is too full in flood/We want the key of his wild note/Of truthful in a tuneful throat.” The lark’s voice is so beautiful that listeners recognize their imperfections (“failing blood”) and wish that they could sing like the lark. The song is “seraphically (beautifully) free from taint of personality.” Although being free from personality may seem undesirable, Meredith continues by talking about how pure the lark’s voice is. Freedom from personality means that the notes of the lark’s song are ring pure and perfect, not that the song is boring or dull. Forster’s reference to “The Lark Ascending” implies that humans long to be free from human nature and for something pure and perfect, which they try to accomplish through technology. The idea of a perfect song that is free from “personality,” suggests that humans are flawed and that there is a desire to find things that are not corrupted by humanity.
The lecturer on the French Revolution expresses this idea, stating that the best way to get to the truth is by removing human interference. This theme fits into the broader story of the machine. The machine operates almost completely independently of humans and controls all aspects of life. Everything is standardized and there is no color or variety in the machine. People grow to worship the machine and do not question their lifestyle, believing that they have reached the peak of humanity. Most dystopian stories about the dangers of technology (e.g. Wall-E) warn about machines becoming powerful enough to control humans. They imagine that humans will continue seeking convenience, eventually becoming so reliant on technology that they cannot live without it. The human desire for convenience is paralleled by the desire of the speaker to be like the lark in Meredith’s poem. Humans are never content, and are always searching for something that they think will make life better. Meredith captures this idea by evoking the image of watching a bird fly and sing beautifully, seemingly untainted and perfect in every way. “The Machine Stops” captures this idea by imagining what would happen if people ever achieve a life without hardship. Forster suggests that it is impossible for humanity to ever be truly content and that it may even be dangerous to try.
Even though “The Machine Stops” was written more than a hundred years ago, it still expresses ideas that are relevant today. The relationship between literary works like Forster’s short story and “The Lark Ascending” offers insight into deeper themes that exist in literature and humanity as a whole. There are countless examples of humans wishing that they could overcome the barriers of being human, most notably in the fantasy or superhero genres. However, the dystopian interpretation of this idea is a cautionary tale about what could happen if humans ever forget that they are human and become “free from personality.” Maybe it is better for humans to stay on the ground rather than try to fly like the lark. At the very least, it is important to stay in touch with reality in the midst of a constantly changing world where you can use technology to do things from attending school from home to buying CryptoCrisp, a virtual Pringles flavor.
As I was reading your post, I was particularly intrigued by the notion of "purity/perfection" mentioned in the poem as well as the short story. It is reminiscent of the desire of a utopia, which is impossible-- dystopias are born from utopias, and there is no such thing as a perfect society. I think the irony in that is very interesting, as well as the entire concept of the Machine. Even today, technology is supposed to be a tool, and the similarities between the story and real life are striking and sometimes concerning. Reading "The Machine Stops" as well as your post reminded me of the importance of keeping our relationship with technology healthy.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I think this examination of personality as something that "taints" our perspectives is really fascinating. On a larger scale, perhaps this train of thought is what leads to the culture of disgust for other human beings in Forster's universe, such as when Vashti is helped up from falling by an attendant on the airship and viscerally recoils from just this small amount of physical contact. In Vashti's eyes, any exchange with other humans should be as "pure" as possible, maintained through absolutely no physical contact, a bare minimum of emotional connection, and surface-level discussions about bland "ideas."
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Although I also posted about the Machine Stops, I didn't really take the connection you made into consideration. While I agree with you that Forster's vision is not currently realistic, the increasing influence of things such as Zoom meetings and the metaverse show that society is headed in the direction of a world in which online interaction is far more common than in-person interaction. I was also interested by your in-depth analysis of the lecturer's poem, and how you connected each reference made by the poem to the overall meaning of the story.
ReplyDelete