BP10-Yamilet Vasquez

While reading “The Girl Who Was Plugged In” by James Tiptree, I was able to learn how there were many characters involved throughout the story. Delphi, or who she truly is, Rima, is used for advertisement in a world where it is illegal. Through capitalism and sexism, she is taken advantage of by Mr. Cantle who sees her as profit rather than human. The only reason she was able to exist was because of Dr. Tesla, who essentially helped create her alongside with the help of Joe, who helped train Delphi and overall helped with the technical stuff. These three characters, I feel, play a big role throughout this story: Dr. Tesla, Mr. Cantle, and Joe.

1. A character who I believe is important is Dr. Tesla, a scientist who was there while Delphi was being made and was the one who showcased his work essentially. “The bushy Doctor Tesla is there, braced by two budgetary types and a quiet fatherly man whom he handles like hot plasma. Joe swings the door wide and she steps shyly in. Their little Delphi, fifteen and flawless. Tesla introduces her around. She’s child-solemn, a beautiful baby to whom something so wonderful has happened you can feel the tingles.” (pg7) I feel like in this scene, he was showcasing the “perfect girl” he had helped make. However, I find this unsettling and inhumane for him to call a fifteen-year-old girl flawless and basically treat her like an object or a new item he is showing off. In the end, with the tragic death of Delphi, he sees what he has made dead, and Paul wants Dr. Tesla to fix her but in they end he can’t do anything about it.
2. Another character who plays a big role is Mr. Cantle, who is essentially the one in charge of these operations and also uses Delphi as advertisement. I feel that you are able to see a lot of sexism as well as how capitalism plays a role in this. Mr. Cantle sees Delphi as an “investment” and not some girl who is actually living through Delphi, called Rima. “Mr. Cantle, clears his throat. ‘Well, young lady, are you ready to go to work?’ ‘Yes, sir,’ gravely om the elf.  ‘We’ll see. Has anybody told you what you’re going to do for us?’ ‘No, sir.’ Joe and Tesla exhale quietly. ‘Good.’ He eyes her, probing for the blind brain in the room next door.”(pg7) Although Delphi comes to a tragic end, there’s another chick who is Delphi and “Next year she’s back on the yacht getting sympathy for her tragic breakdown,” (pg31) showing me that these girls are dispensable and seen nothing more than profit. Showing that there is no end to greed and exploitation.
3. A protagonist in this story who also plays an essential role is Joe. He is essentially there to help with the creation of Delphi and assist with training. I felt he had more compassion than most characters. Although he was there to assist, “Joe is also crying a little; he alone had truly loved P. Burke. P. Burke, now a dead pile on a table, was the greatest cybersystem he has ever known, and he never forgets her.”(pg30) Although he did feel some way, he still played a role in the exploitation of Delphi and knew what he was doing throughout the whole time. I’m not trying to justify his actions, but he wasn’t the worst character in the end.

Connecting this story to today’s society isn’t that far off from reality. A quote from this story that stood out to me was, “Don’t worry about a thing. You’ll have people behind you whose job it is to select the most worthy products for you to use. Your job is just to do as they say. They’ll show you what outfits to wear to parties, what suncars and viewers to buy and so on. That’s all you have to do.” (pg 9) The reason that this stood out to me is because many celebrities or influencers sign contracts where they basically sign away their lives and are controlled by record labels or companies. All they have to do is promote or advertise products, and they get free clothing, products, and even trips. But at what cost?