After reading the four chapters, I get that âtechnology versus humanityâ feeling and its connection with control. Something that is considered a huge theme in science fiction. Itâs also gradually becoming more to the truth that technology is taking over, which can correspond to Aliceâs âtreatmentâ in Chapter Ten. This even gave me a comparison to something weâve previously read, âDo Androidâs Dream Of Electric Sheep?â, where most people own a mood organ that effectively changes what a person wants to feel. In that reality, however, the owner of the mood organ was in control. In this story, these so called âdoctorsâ are in control. As Dr. Argent says, âWe can control the violentâ (Piercy 197). What seriously irks me is the irony of that quote. In its entirety, it is actually the opposite. Those in charge are the violent ones while the patients are the actual victims. Itâs as if they possess no human rights at all. Is it the fact that they are women? Does this point to Piercyâs determination of feminism? Of course.
I also have come to realize something about one of the characters in particular; Dolly. Iâve had my suspicions about her from the beginning but now, in the conversation between her and Connie, it is confirmed that Dolly is an asshole. I do not understand why Connie continues to ask for her help. In her place, I would completely notice that Dolly will not help. $5, $10? Iâm in a prison for Christâs sake, in what thrift shop do you think Iâm going to spend it? Why donât you do something practical like getting me the hell out of here? She is always high, always on drugs, in what world do you think she is going to do anything? Connie keeps thinking she is going to do something to help her because sheâs âbloodâ. Whatâs funny is that Luciente is from another time, far into the future, and she/he is practically family. She/he has done more for Connie than Dolly will ever do.
Connecting back to technology and humanity, we hear something that Luciente says in the scene where she/he is with Dawn and Connie next to the highway during Connieâs timeline. As cars are driving by, Luciente says, âAll those people in metal boxes, alone and cut offâ (240)! Key words in that quote: âaloneâ and âcut offâ. This can pertain to where humanity is headed presently, in our current time. We are getting cut off from our own lives, and in doing so, what makes an individual an individual is getting lost through time, piece by piece.
When Connie is sent forward into Lucienteâs time frame, we learn something new about the legislative and judicial branches of her/his society (if any). Apparently, having a disagreement between one another, such as in the case of Luciente and Bolivar, it is almost a sort of crime, and what happens is that the two opposing individuals have to pretty much make nice: Parra says, âLuciente and Bolivar, sit down face to face inside the ring. Look at each other⊠You must set aside time to speakâ (206). So it may be entirely possible that ironically, this utopia is a dystopia because of its noticeable downsides.