ENG 2420.OL76 Spring 2024

In the story entitled “In the Penal Colony” written by Franz Kafka, the narrative transpires within a penal colony, a designated place wherein individuals who have transgressed the law are dispatched for retribution. The penal colony, as depicted in the story, is situated in a remote and sequestered locale, enveloped by exposed craggy formations alongside a diminutive sandy valley. This specific setting engenders a sentiment of confinement and detachment from the external realm, accentuating the power dynamics that are at play within the colony.

The apparatus featured in the narrative is an extraordinary execution contrivance devised by a former Commandant. It manifests as a convoluted and agonizing mechanism that inscribes the sentence of the condemned individual onto their physical being using needles. The officer, who harbors an ardent enthusiasm towards the machine, proceeds to delineate it in a meticulous manner, underscoring its efficacy and proficiency in executing punitive measures. The apparatus serves as a representation of the utmost authority and control exerted by the colonizers over the colonized. It embodies a system of retribution that is both brutal and dehumanizing, leaving no space for empathy or comprehension.

The intense heat experienced within the colony, particularly for the officer, implies the oppressive and suffocating nature of the habitat. The searing sun and the officer’s physical discomfort mirror the harsh conditions endured by both the colonizers and the colonized. It also symbolizes the apathy and callousness demonstrated by those in positions of power toward the anguish of others.

The mention of a “teahouse” and a “cane chair” insinuates that the colonizers might embody representatives of a colonial authority or an influential ruling class. These symbols evoke images of opulence and entitlement, juxtaposed against the harsh veracity of life within the penal colony. This implies that the colonizers remain detached from the misery and oppression they inflict upon the colonized, perceiving them solely as objects to be controlled and subjected to punishment.

The officer views the pain and suffering caused by the apparatus as a way to achieve enlightenment and redemption. This reflects the twisted logic of those in power justifying their oppressive actions for justice or enlightenment. The officer’s act of throwing himself on the apparatus can be seen as a desperate attempt to maintain power and the status quo, refusing to acknowledge flaws and injustices. Throughout history, systems without due process can be seen in authoritarian regimes, dictatorships, and oppressive colonial powers. Denying due process maintains control and suppresses dissent

The motivation behind denying due process is rooted in a desire for power and control. It allows those in power to manipulate the legal system, silencing opposition and maintaining authority.

“In the Penal Colony” explores themes of power, punishment, and indifference. Kafka raises questions about justice, abuse of power, and dehumanizing effects. The story criticizes authoritarianism and calls for empathy and understanding in the face of suffering.

The Penal Colony is a story about devotion, perseverance, and blind faith. It revolves around four characters who are gathered together to watch the process of a death sentence via a machine. This machine, which operates by scraping needle-like appendages across a victim’s body, marking them with the crime that they have committed, is extensively worshipped by the one who operates it, an officer who has been put in charge of it after the original maker had passed away. It’s unclear what kind of relationship the two had, however, we do know that the officer is obsessed with their former leader in an extremely unhealthy way, almost talking about them as if they were some sort of demigod.

One of the mysteries within the penal colony is the location of the colony itself. We get a few hints beyond what the Professor gave us in the prompt question. First, we know that while some of the denizens of this colony may be subject to religious fervor, or even just blind faith many see this as an old and wild ideology not worth respect. This means that the penal colony must take place somewhere that has a history of religion, or at least a heavy belief in hierarchy. This leads me to believe that it is based in either a Western European country or somewhere on the continent or surrounding islands of Asia. The second clue, highlighted by the professor is the teahouse, a sign of rich vegetation, or at least diverse herbal plants. This tea could have been in a couple of places, but I think the most likely based off of Kafka’s background would be within the UK. Finally, after a bit of research I learned that the “caned chair” was introduced in Europe in the 17th century, made by utilizing a plant that grew in Southeast Asia. I think that this cements the location of the Penal Colony as somewhere in the UK, most likely England. This would at least be the natural conclusion after learning this, except when you remember that Australia literally was a Penal Colony owned by the UK and very close to where cane was grown in Southeast Asia. This final piece of information, makes me believe that the Penal Colony is not within mainland UK, but is instead located in Australia.

Now that we’ve addressed the location of the Penal Colony as well as the machine at the heart of the story, we are able to further understand the story a bit easier, using our modern day lens to inform our perception of the story. We now know that the Penal Colony is in Australia, and that explains why the climate is so hot, especially for the officer who had been born in the UK. Which, honestly may inform some of his delusions, he is uncomfortable, and far away from home, grabbing onto the closest thing to him for some sense of normalcy during his time serving as a guard in the Penal Colony of Australia. This once was his commanding officer, and now that he is gone all he has is this machine that he has worked tirelessly on. When the threat of the machine’s dismantling is loomed over him, he decides to take his life. At first when reading this story I assumed that this was a complete breakdown of the man led by a pseudo religious belief system. However, as I come to understand the setting I think that this is actually his way of ending his life, which would be in some ways better than deserting his post within the military, as that would have consequences that were worse if not equal to what the machine could do to him. In this way the officer would have control over his life, a control that had been taken from him when he was sent to this new continent.

In conclusion, while the story is about devotion, perseverance, and blind faith, it presents itself in a very different way when you take into the account the setting of the story. The people here are military personnel who have been forced to an unfamiliar place and are expected to show devotion towards their government back home. The perseverance comes from the mental fortitude required to exist in a military post in a place you do not want to be, being thrust from your home is incredibly challenging, even if you do have the luxuries afforded to you as the higher class of a new civilization. Blind faith rears it’s head in many ways throughout the story, from the Officer’s faith in the machine, yes, but also from the soldier’s assuming a great reward upon their return from their post. This story is grim, and a reminder that while the actions of people can be heinous, there is almost always a reason for them, even if that reasoning does not in any way excuse the horrible actions that they take. As my father used to say, “You never know what someone else is going through.”

 The Penal Colony itself was established by the previous commandant, being an organization of individuals that had an established set of rules and instructions that could not be overruled or manipulated by the next in command and so on, the colony also coherently deals with all penal crimes. A mention of a “Teahouse” and the Cane chair pulled out for the explorer indicates this colony of people may indeed be European and the display of the officer speaking French means the colony itself is french. The purpose of the Apparatus machine established by the colony is described to be in three parts: the bed, designer and the harrow. The harrow is the middle piece of the machine that works to lift a selection of needles up and down in order to embroider a message into the flesh of the prisoner strapped to the automatic bed, this is to show their crimes to the public as well as work as an execution device. 

The reasons the characters, especially the officer, are so hot is because they are in a sand ridden valley with little to no water besides a bucket for cleaning and the sun is beating down on their position, the officer is even worse off because he is required to wear a padded officer uniform. The officer as well despite the heat is able to keep up the conversation with the explorer about how the apparatus functions and describes the torture the prisoner endures thanks to the machine’s three parts working together needing only some repairs from time to time. He states “the Harrow corresponds to the human form” & “…That is why we have to lose no time much as I dislike it,” which means he 

understands well on how the machine works but also understands the brutality of the machine in its operation to the human body. In deeper detail the officer describes the technical procedure as well as how the needles align itself with the skin of the prison before hardening, he also states the positions of the spikes at the head, torso and legs.

The apparatus and the punishment as stated is “Unjust and inhumane” but this is not something that hasn’t been seen before as many times throughout human history whether motivated by hatred or fear there have been many execution systems used with unfair and no trial given crimes for people that sometimes hadn’t even done entirely much wrong. It is hysteria that works as a driving force as well to execute someone without trial or self defense via a court or defense by a jury and this was typically done with witch trials or condemned men by royals under guillotine and other tortures.

Overtime it is clear that the officer seems distressed by the workings of the machine and all the prisoners he has had to condemn and when this random explorer arrives and gives his opinion despite his fear towards the officer and his soldier that the apparatus is inhuman and that he would not listen to his instruction on asking the “Conference & council” to gather a better gag and parts, the explorer would rather leave soon as possible with utter disapproval of the system, now the Officer willingly lays down his clothes and commits himself to the machine he watched for so long because of his broken mental state on morality and order based on the previous commandants notes and rules. The apparatus itself is a symbol for radical solutions and the justification of punishment while sheltering one’s mind from morality and the thought of jury or discussion.

This post is due Thursday, Feb 24th, along with 4 comments to your peers for BP 3.

For BP 4, two to three paragraphs using the following questions as a starting point for Kafka’s “In the Penal Colony.” Make sure your paragraphs work together to present an interpretation of the story. Don’t just answer the questions. Use them as starting points to write an interpretation of the deeper meanings of the story. Make sure the paragraphs adhere together to make a point you want to make about a productive way to interpret the story.

• What was a penal colony?
• What does the apparatus do?
• What does it suggest to you that the place they are in is so hot, especially for the officer?
• What does “teahouse” and “cane chair” suggest to you about who the colonizers could be.
• How does the officer describe the feelings and experiences of those who are executed by the apparatus?
• How might the writing of the apparatus serve as a symbol? In other words, if the apparatus writes the sentence upon the condemned person’s body, how does this serve as a symbol as to the kind of assertions colonizers would declare against those who have been colonized?
• Why does the officer throw himself on the apparatus?
• What are some examples of systems where condemned people did not have due process?
• What would be the motivation of a person or system denying another of due process?

Remember, class on Feb 27th will be asynchronouse. I’ll be posting an assignment for that day shortly. Follow the syllabus for the readings!

H.P Lovecraft presentation

The question I chose was “why do the citizens of Omelas have to be made aware of the existence of the child in the basement?” The people in this utopian society must be made aware of this child in the basement because this child is the main reason as to why their society is able to hold its self up and operate on its own every single day.

When they first acknowledge this child some of the citizens in this society are either looking at them with disgust or sadness and after some time they realized that they’re solely dependent on this child so that they can continue their daily routines and/or continue keep being their everyday happy selves. It’s only then that they really take into consideration of what they’re doing and how their decisions can really affect this child along with the people around them but at the same time they see this as a 1:100 thing because they’re comfortable with this one child suffering rather than their whole society suffering.

The Question I chose is “How does the narrator invite the audience to imagine Omelas? Why does the narrator want the audience to co-create this utopia?

In “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas,” written by Ursula K. Le Guin, the narrator transports the listener to the fantastical world of Omelas with vivid descriptions that inspire amazement and astonishment. The listener is taken to an ideal society where pleasure is paramount thanks to the narrator’s careful description of Omelas as a city of unmatched beauty, plenty, and joy. The narrator invites the listener to completely immerse themselves in this ideal world as she weaves together pictures of vibrant sunsets, busy marketplaces, and streets full of laughter to create a beautifully detailed place that Omelas is. The narrator creates a sense of familiarity and connection by drawing such a realistic picture that it invites the listener to emotionally participate in the utopia they are co-creating in their heads.

The narrator’s deep desire to provoke critical thought about the nature of happiness, morality, and social standards is the reason behind her wish for the listener to be involved in the creation of Omelas. The narrator challenges the audience to face hard realities about the state of humanity and the ethical issues that arise while pursuing happiness for all by urging them to see Omelas as a paradise. The audience becomes involved in Omelas’ ethical conflict by this cooperative effort of world-building, which pushes them to consider the sacrifices and injustices that could form the foundation of the seemingly ideal society they have envisioned. In the end, the narrator challenges the audience to examine their own ideas and values by asking them to co-create Omelas.

There are residents of the city of Omelas in Ursula K. LeGuin’s “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas.” In this city, the citizens are always happy and never go through hardships; however, there is a reason why the residents are content and never experience difficulties. When the residents are young, they are shown a child in the basement. After this, the children are told how this child has to stay miserable for them to be happy. I think the citizens have to be made aware of the existence of the child in the basement because it gives them time to come to terms and to deal with the situation. Telling the citizens also allows them to just twist it and make it sound better.

I think people walking away from Omelas represent them not accepting sacrificing another person’s happiness for their own. I think Le Guin believes staying in Omelas is the right choice. I think she believes this because she says that the happiness of thousands may not be worth the chance of happiness for one. If I had a choice, I would choose to leave the city of Omelas. I would choose to leave because it is not right to force someone to be miserable just for your personal wealth and prosperity. As a person, I just can’t live with someone being mistreated just for my own happiness.

The short story “The Ones Who Walk away from Omelas” by Ursula K LeGuinn describes the utopian city of Omelas. Everyone seems to be joyful and in harmony, even the horses whom are at the Festival of Summer. There is a procession and the narrator describes it as the happiest place to be in with women carrying babies while chatting with other women, people having fun dancing, and children running around. There is even a scene where a little boy is playing his wooden flute while people watch and smile. The narrator has painted the most peaceful place to attract the readers imagination. The reader would feel like a person from Omelas.

Now that the reader is engaged in the story, the narrator describes what it takes to be able to live in this utopian city and the citizens have an option of staying or leaving. The reader is now in the same dilemma as the citizens of Omelas. Should they stay and ignore the fact that a child is suffering or should they leave because the happiness of the city shouldn’t depend on this one child suffering? Some adults and even children have witnessed the child who lives in the basement or cellar and have decided to walk away and never come back to Omelas. I believe that the people walking away from Omelas represents the rejection of society’s way of life. Not everyone wants to fit in with society because sometimes some things are just not morally right. They prefer to leave everything behind than to ignore a child suffering for their own benefit.

I think LeGuinn believes that leaving Omelas is the right choice but she is afraid to leave because she does not know where people would stop at. She feels bad for the child suffering and justifies the other citizens staying by describing the disgust they feel when they find out that the city’s happiness depends on the child. They all know that happiness would not exist elsewhere like in Omelas. They are all trapped by society norms and aren’t aware of how unethical it is. If I were a citizen of Omelas, I would walk away after seeing that child! Its morally wrong to choose personal comfort instead of standing up to the injustice.  I wouldn’t be at peace anymore.

Why do the citizens of Omelas have to be made aware of the existence of the child in the basement?

It is important for the citizens of Omelas to be aware of the existence of the child being tortured in the basement because their overall structure and happiness depends on the suffering of that child. In order to maintain their utopian life, they must acknowledge the presence of the child’s sacrifice for the entire community. We can relate this back to the real world where we oftentimes make certain decisions so that we are able to maintain the happiness or satisfy the greatest amount of people.

What does walking away from Omelas represent? Which option do you think Le Guin believes is the right choice – staying in Omelas or walking away? Which option would you pick? Why?

Walking away from the Omelas represents the rejection of the community’s choice of normalcy and morals of having a child suffer in a small basement the size of a supply closet. Those who walked away from Omelas represents refusing to accept the harming of an innocent child all for the community to function the way it does. I believe that Le Guin may agree with the choice of leaving the Omelas and I think this because it seems that when she’s asking the questions before explaining about their lifestyle, she seems almost sarcastic in her writing. For example, after describing the citizens of Omelas, she asks “Do you believe? Do you accept the festival, the city, the joy? No? Then let me describe one more thing…” and then proceeds to speak about the terrible living conditions of the child.

I would also choose to walk away from the Omelas because I feel like even though it would be easy to live in a fantasy world where one is always happy, I wouldn’t be able to get out of my mind that there is a child, sitting bare in the corner of a basement. I also wouldn’t be able to get over the fact that his torture is what is maintaining our lives and happiness so when I am enjoying my day, I would feel some sort of guilt. In order to avoid all of this, I think walking away is the best option and sacrificing my personal comfort is the best way I find to do so.

When reading Le Guin’s “Omelas” you grow disgust towards the town’s people, for allowing the horrific treatment of a young child. But if you look at yourself, the pants you wear, the shoes on your feet, the phone in your pocket are all products being made by young people in harsh conditions. But you accept that. You cannot comprehend locking a child in a basement and the joy that it brings to the town, yet you continue using products made by children in basements.

Omelas is a plotless short story. But it is an apt description of our society. But we have no mountains in the distance, to leave when it all feels like too much. Where can we go to escape our happy society? How can we walk away from Omelas?

The question I chose is “What lessons or warnings can be gleaned from the dystopian narrative, and how do they relate to contemporary society?”

I believe that “From Beyond” by H.P Lovecraft is a dystopian text because the narrator finds out that everything he has lived, felt and seen is not what it seems. The narrators best friend, Crawford Tillinghast, is a scientist who finds a way to see things that the human eye cannot naturally see. This makes a reader wonder if such things are possible. We know that other animals can see colors that are not visible to the human eye or that they can hear other frequencies that a human cannot. When the narrator experiments this himself, he fears the situation. Tillinghast ends up dying in the end but due to apoplexy. Even this cause of death makes the narrator wonder if that is an actual cause of death or is it because of what Tillinghast has witnessed too. The narrator becomes uncomfortable remembering that other things exist such a weird jelly like fishes brushing against him that should just be regular wind. A lesson that can be extracted from this dystopian text is that there are consequences when interfering with the unknown.

In “The Machine Stops” by E.M Forster, society relies on a machine that does everything for them. It provides food, clothing, entertainment and communication. The setting takes place under ground and people don’t ever go to the surface of the earth. It is actually “not safe”. However, Kuno wants to explore because he believes there is more to life than depending on a machine that can do everything for you. This is a dystopian text that relates much to the contemporary world because the use of technology is rising. People want to make things easier by making advances in technology to help them. This text itself is a warning that you shouldn’t rely on technology because once it stops working people wont know what to do.

In the text “There Will Come Soft Rains” by Ray Bradburry the same concept is used. People rely on technology and they shouldn’t. In this text the setting takes place in the future where a house can do everything like make food and tell time. There is no one alive and it seems to be a nuclear accident because the house glows. In the future, technology might end up being a cause for no existence of human.

• Why do the citizens of Omelas have to be made aware of the
  existence of the child in the basement?

The question I have chosen for the story  describes a very important concept that can be used in many instances within our society today. By people knowing that there is a child that may be suffering in order to build what they have .The politics by benefiting immensely from ones suffering comes to place.

Popular analogies like this story is businesses in real life that take advantage of some children making tech products for barely a livable wage . In hazardous conditions. People just need to be more aware and helpful to the minute amount of poor children who make their products like the  child in novel. Work that made the prosperous society to begin with. As one of the  quote  goes “I cannot describe it at all. It is possible that it does not exist” describes on how nothing  can be s  perfect utopia .

In conclusion History gets lost for  the unsung hero’s who made this country what it is today. They get pushed aside for the greater good . Overall the more we be kind to everyone especially to all the workers that make our country great as a whole would  be the moment we really become  more of a perfect utopia.

The citizens of Omelas have to be made aware of the existence of the child in the basement in order to understand the duality of their perfect world. On the one hand, they lead beautiful lives in a utopian wonderland with seemingly not a worry of misfortune or pain. Omelas is described as a fantastical place with beauty in every corner; people are mature, peaceful, content. Children are smart, joyful, loved and appreciated. All but one.
In order for society to thrive in such a way, one single child is left in a tool closet to essentially degrade in their own filth. The child is deprived of affection or contact, fed meager amounts of grease and cornmeal, covered in sores all along the backside, becoming less and less communicative. It is pure, festering, humanoid waste, and the whole of Omelas is fine with this.

All of society, old and young alike are fully aware of the child in the basement, as they are almost required to look upon it and leave in disgust. Sooner or later, they come to terms with the fact that their society will thrive as long as one suffers alone. This invites us to put ourselves in their shoes and ask, where is the moral line to cut off how much suffering for another is tolerable for your preferred level of comfort? Does life revolve around the individual or success of the group as a whole?

Though this seems to be the way of the land in Omelas, not everyone sips the proverbial kool-aid and carries out the rest of their happy days. There are some, no discrimination to age or sex once more, that never return to life before the closet thing. For these individuals are said to just take off walking through the night, through the alleys, through the mountains, and into the unknown. They walk and walk, all the way with not a soul on their side, until they are gone. I think this “walking away” on one’s own is just their form of resisting what they are told. To say, “absolutely not.” , and if that is the way that life is so fruitful for them, than anything life has in store for them outside of those stipulations is just life. Maybe they feel there is something more to be found outside of that train of thought. LeGuin even says in the text, “I cannot describe it at all. It is possible that it does not exist (wherever the place is they are going to). But they seem to know where they are going. . “.

We are Invited to imagine Omelas by the narrator’s decision to leave us guessing or under assumption after his/her description of the festivals that is celebrated every summer within Omelas. It’s described in such colorful kind of way. “With a clamor of bells that set the swallows soaring, the Festival of Summer came to the city Omelas, bright-towered by the sea. The ringing of the boats in harbor sparkled with flags. In the streets between houses with red roofs and painted walls, between old moss-grown gardens and under avenues of trees, past great parks and public buildings, processions moved.”. Judging from the words used here, I initially look at Omelas as something special. The narrator reasons for its audience to help co-create Omelas was to make us have a more personal stake regarding its outcome.

     The citizen must be aware of the Child imprisonment and suffering in order for them to understand that they have what they because of the child it also teaches them to be more thankful and appreciative towards each other and life itself.

1. The narrator invites us to imagine Omelas as this negative and dark place that is full of people who feel nothing but pain in despair, but still manage to smile and live life day by day. The narrator also invites to add whatever type of social gathering we would like into this world, like an orgy. The narrator wants the audience to co-create this utopia so that we can all have our own image of Omelas in our mind, but each one still is built on that foundation of negativity.

2. The citizens of Omelas have to be made aware of the child in the basement because it helps humble the people of Omelas and really makes them wonder if the prosperity of their city is worth the suffering of the children.

3. A specific issue in contemporary culture that is depicted in the story is the idea that people are willing to do anything and everything to better themselves, even if it means putting other people do or feeding off of another person’s failure.

4. Walking away from Omelas represents walking away from a negative and dark past and moving towards a brighter and more positive future that does not involve feeling such negative emotions. I think LeGuin believes the right choice is walking away from Omelas because she paints Omelas as such a negative and dark place to show us that once you leave Omelas, any place would be better to live than there. I would definitely leave Omelas because I think living in a place encourages violence and negativity will only bring about more violence and negativity, and life is too short to live that way.

The narrator introduces the audience to a joyous festival in Omelas, filled with vivid imagery and inviting them to imagine the beauty and happiness of this utopian city. The invitation to imagine Omelas serves two purposes. Firstly, it draws readers into a vividly painted world, allowing them to become emotionally invested in the details and atmosphere of Omelas. Secondly, when the narrative reveals the suffering child, it confronts the audience with a moral dilemma. This provokes readers to consider the moral compromises and price of utopian happiness.
The citizens of Omelas are aware of the suffering child’s existence, which forms a crucial part of their society’s moral and philosophical foundation. This awareness works as a test to see if people are willing to go along with the idea of sacrificing one person for the greater good, weighing society’s overall happiness and success against an individual’s suffering. It also gives citizens the option to either agree or disagree by walking away, as some ultimately do. This decision creates a moral dilemma in the story that makes readers think about their role in injustice and living comfortably while knowing someone else is suffering.
The text touches on issues in contemporary culture such as economic and social inequality by showing how one society’s prosperity relies on another’s suffering. It also prompts readers to consider their own role in societal injustices and criticizes the ethics of sacrificing a few for the happiness of many. Additionally, it addresses the abuse of power and human rights violations, paralleling real-world exploitation of the powerless for others’ benefit. The narrative reflects on moral choices and the price of societal happiness.
Walking away from Omelas represents the choice of some individuals to reject a society that bases its happiness on the suffering of an innocent child. Le Guin sees it as a right one, symbolizing the moral stance of refusing to participate in or be complicit in an injustice, even when the cost is not clearly defined. Those who walk away prioritize ethical integrity over comfort and happiness derived from unethical means. Choosing the unknown over living with guilt and complicity, they believe that no amount of societal happiness can justify the torture of an innocent individual. I agree with this choice, because I’m not willing to confine myself to the presented dichotomy – so walking away seems like the only option.

 LeGuin begins the explanation of Omelas with a very broad, general description of a utopian society. Painting a very ideal, scenic description of the town, “ The ringing of the boats in harbor sparkled with flags. In the streets between houses with red roofs and painted walls…”(LeGuin 1). As well as a calm and festive picture of the streets and residents, “ old people in long stiff robes of mauve and gray, grave master workmen, quiet, merry women carrying their babies and chatting as they walked. In other streets the music beat faster, shimmering of gong and tambourine, and the people went dancing, the procession was a dance ” (LeGuin 1). Giving the reader a foundation to help build upon as the story goes. Keeping it broad as LeGuin wants the reader to add their biases to this utopian town, to make it more believable for the reader. LeGuin continuously enforces the point that the reader doesn’t have the same idea of happiness as the citizens of Omelas. Stating “ Wish I could Convince you. Omelas sounds in my words like a city in fairy tale, long ago and far away, once upon a time. Perhaps it would be best if you imaged it as your own fancy bids, assuming it will rise to occasion, for certainty I cannot suit you all’ (LeGuin 2). The citizens of Omelas’ happiness relies on the community’s willingness to do good for the group rather than the reader’s happiness, relying on doing good for the individual. Utilizing the co-creation of the utopian city of Omelas, as the funnel to exclaim on that point. The example of that is the inclusion of the child in the basement.

The introduction of the child in the basement to the citizens of Omelas, is vital to the continual upkeep of the utopian society. As I mentioned above, the ability to keep the city of Omelas as a utopia is based on the communal understanding of doing good for the community and not the individual. The child is used to teach and remind the children and adults of that. Even though they may feel disgust, “ No matter how well the matter has been explained to them, these young spectators are always shocked and sickened at the sight” (LeGuin 4), the citizens know it will bring the downfall to Omelas if they act on freeing the child. Stating” If the Child were brought up into the sunlight out of the vile place, if it were cleaned and fed and comforted, that would be a good thing, indeed; beautiful it were done, in that day and hour all the prosperity and beauty and delight of Omelas would wither and be destroyed” (LeGuin 4).Thus, those who cannot do good for the group, end up leaving Omelas, walking away and pursue the happiness for the individual.

Why do the citizens of Omelas have to be made aware of the
existence of the child in the basement?

Omelas is all about the continued happiness of it’s people and the culture that they hope to cultivate. They realize however that happiness may only be appreciated if you know what the other side of the coin is. That is to say that happiness could not be appreciated if they did not know that the grass is greener on their side of the field. In order to understand how truly good their life is they must look onto another who has suffered greatly. In my opinion it’s a lot like how Americans say things like “Well you have a roof over your head, and food to eat.” They say this to remind themselves of all of the amenities that they have in their life and through recognizing them they are able to appreciate how lucky they are to live here. Or at least cease pessimistic thoughts from staining their outlook.

On a side note, almost a counter-argument to that, my reply to that particular line of thought has always been “It’s not about what you have, it’s about what you want.” I think that this has mostly been my way of recognizing and not tamping down the emotions of others who express their dissatisfaction with their current situation. I’m not sure where I learned this from. Probably a mentor doing the same to me at some point.

What does walking away from Omelas represent? Which option do
you think Le Guin believes is the right choice – staying in Omelas or
walking away? Which option would you pick? Why?

Walking away from Omelas could mean a few things. I’ll go over two of my theories. My first is that walking away from Omelas means removing yourself from the current culture when you begin to see it’s flaws. Taking yourself out of the system and going elsewhere so that you may not have to interact with it. I would consider this particular representation escapism. Or at the very least negligence, a removal of yourself so as not to attempt to fix the problems within ones community and remove any responsibility one has for it.

My other theory on leaving Omelas is that it represents the expansion of one’s own world experience. I think that the line about what is beyond Omelas being worth seeing is about the search for an expanded mind. Seeking out something new from what one has always known and choosing to experience both the good and the bad in turns. In truth, there is much beauty in that, the beauty in life’s frustrating and even upsetting moments. Allowing yourself to find the pockets of happiness in those moments may make those moment even sweeter, almost like the diamond in the rough metaphor. You’ll be impressed even more by the moments you perceive as special because you earned them by going through the rest.

The tone that Le Guinn takes upon speaking about the walk away from Omelas makes me feel as if they believe that walking away is the right choice. It’s been romanticized in it’s description. I believe that walking away would remove the option in one’s life to help the child or to continue upon the previous points, to rectify the flawed parts of one’s community. I’m not sure which I would choose. Had I been raised in Omelas I think it is likely that I would have chosen to stay, as they are taught from a very young age that this is a necessary evil, and nurture is a powerful thing. On the other hand I think that I have some legitimate personality quirks that would make me turn against my upbringing no matter what it was, striking out in some form of fashion, and in some ways in my life I already have walked away from where I was raised, avoiding the place, not necessarily the people, like the plague. If I were to come to Omelas as an adult however, I think it changes the equation completely. I truly believe that by the time I would be seeking out a place like Omelas the world would have broken me down enough to accept it’s faults. I see this as a very similar line of thought to how people decide to live in the suburbs, they of course, are never perfect, but there is just enough of that glimmer to make you decide to join in. Ignoring the flaws that that suburb or small town might have in favor of a comfortable rest of your life.

Why do the citizens of Omelas have to be made aware of the
existence of the child in the basement?

The citizens of Omelas must be made aware of the existence of the child in the basement in order for them to understand the true source of their happiness and the foundation of their utopian society. The child who is hidden away and suffering, serves as the sacrificial lamb upon which their perfect life survives. Initially the children or adult who see the child are repulsed and saddened by the sight of the child. The citizens gradually come to realize the necessity of this child’s suffering is needed for their own comfort and joy. Only by acknowledging the existence of the child can the citizens fully comprehend the moral complexities of their situation and make informed choices about the kind of society they wish to inhabit. I think also that they realize how one child being in complete misery is less of sacrifice then there whole fantasy world to be destroyed. 

How does the narrator invite the audience to imagine Omelas? Why
does the narrator want the audience to co-create this utopia?

The narrator invites the audience to envision Omelas as a joyous, perfect, and overall utopian world where no wrong can happen. The friendships and relationships that people have are filled with happiness. The narrator portrays the people of Omelas as a society that can do no wrong and are “goody goody.” I feel that the narrator wants to create this illusion not only to hide the child who is maltreated in the basement but also to maintain the facade of this fake utopia world. I think it’s also to show the audience that many seemingly perfect worlds aren’t actually perfect and can be flawed. Additionally, I believe it serves to introduce a plot twist, revealing how this utopian world also has a dark side.

In “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” the narrator invites the audience to imagine Omelas by depicting it as vibrant, joyful, and a ‘perfect’ utopia. Furthermore, the narrative gives a picture of a joyful, thriving city where people are enjoying lively festivals and celebrations. The narrator wants the audience to co-create this utopia in their minds because it sets the tone for the story’s main problem.

Furthermore, the narrator wants the audience to co-create this utopia in their minds to draw attention to the contrast between Omelas’ supposedly perfection and the dark secrets that it really has. The narrator shows the hardship that makes this society wealthy by depicting Omelas as a beautiful and happy place. This contrast makes the audience question about the nature of happiness and actual ethical behavior.

In “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” it makes the readers think about their own ethical happiness and the costs of wealth within a society. It makes one think about the hidden costs that would have to be paid in order to maintain an ‘idealized’ society. This story’s use of narration makes readers confront the harsh truths that could be in their own lives and deal fully with difficult ethical and philosophical problems.

The narrator in “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” invites the audience to co-create the utopia of Omelas by presenting a vividly joyful and idyllic city while simultaneously encouraging readers to imagine their own versions of perfection. This approach allows the narrative to reflect the reader’s personal ideals and values, making the utopia more relatable and immersive. The co-creation serves to engage the reader more deeply, prompting reflection on what constitutes true happiness and the ethical dimensions of utopia.

The citizens of Omelas are made aware of the existence of the suffering child in the basement to underscore the moral and ethical foundation of their happiness. This knowledge instills a complex understanding that their utopian existence is predicated on the misery of an innocent, serving as a critical commentary on the cost of perfection and the ethical compromises society may make for the greater good. It challenges both the citizens and the readers to consider the price of their happiness and the moral implications of benefiting from another’s suffering.

Walking away from Omelas symbolizes the rejection of a happiness built on the suffering of others, reflecting a moral and ethical stand against complicity in injustice. Le Guin leaves the choice between staying in Omelas or walking away ambiguous, encouraging readers to wrestle with the dilemma themselves. This choice prompts reflection on personal and societal ethics, questioning whether one can, in good conscience, enjoy benefits knowing they come at the cost of another’s well-being.

The narrator wishes to convey to the readers in great detail about a land of almost perfect design but to describe perfect to just anyone would mean having to understand what that person’s ideal view of perfect is so in this instance it is better to have the reader picture such a place with their own imagination so as to not confuse their beliefs or present Omelas as just another fictional place belonging to a story. How the narrator dives a high level of world building and imaginative writing is through the pleasant sounding descriptions of multiple locations of the Omelas, an example of this would be the line within the first paragraph; “in the streets between houses with red roofs and painted walls, between old moss grown gardens and under avenues of trees, past great perks and public buildings, processions moved.”

The citizens that live in the Omelas utopia have to be made aware of the tormented child shackled down within the public center building’s  basement because something either subconsciously or via an order among the people told them that child who is starving to death and almost feral in filth is supposed to be locked down in that cellar, because to them the entirety of the utopia they call home appears to rely on the suffering on at least one individual that is the child. 

The primary issue of this culture is similar to the belief of the universe revolving around the earth whereas the Omelas is open to the world yet at the center of it relies an unchangeable rule that one must suffer so the rest may live their days in peace, even though many of the other children are in disagreance the rule dictates that if the child is saved, their world collapses and so if anyone were to break that rule it would be the emotional guilt that destroys everything. This is a utopian society that has forfeited a fraction of its humanity as a whole in order to maintain order and prevent the emotional and physical collapse of the population

I personally believe in leaving the false oasis known as the Omelas as shown with the people there who choose to leave upon seeing the “Tortured child” because in a strange turn of events it is though they are running away from their problem being that child, but at the same time the people who choose to leave also choose to feel guilt and all of their emotions besides just relying on happiness. I agree with being real with your emotions and not shying away from reality and having bad things happening out of your control. 

For BP 3, take one or two of the following discussion questions and develop two to three thoughtful paragraphs in relation to “The Ones Who Walk away from Omelas.”

• How does the narrator invite the audience to imagine Omelas? Why
  does the narrator want the audience to co-create this utopia?
• Why do the citizens of Omelas have to be made aware of the
  existence of the child in the basement?
• What specific issues in contemporary culture do you see implicitly
  depicted in Omelas?
• What does walking away from Omelas represent? Which option do
  you think Le Guin believes is the right choice – staying in Omelas or
  walking away? Which option would you pick? Why?

Also, don’t forget the requirement to leave four comments to your peers for Blog Post 2. These are also due Thursday.

The question I chose to respond to was question 17, “How does the dystopian society impact interpersonal relationships and human connections?”

In the short story of “There Will Come Soft Rains” by Ray Bradbury, the dystopian society impacts interpersonal relationships and human connections because the house is alive but there are no human connections. The house was definitely connected in the sense that every single component of the house was alive and could actively complete its purpose without the assistance of a human being utilizing it. There are interpersonal relationships within the house between all of the items as well. For example, the clock set when specific events, like dinner or bath time, would occur. This is different because in this society, the house is ran by it’s furniture and household items.

In the story of “The Machine Stops” by E.M. Forster, the dystopian society impacts interpersonal relationships and human connections because although people are able to communicate with one another, they lack the actual physical, face-to-face connection. In the story, the mother and son are having issues because the son wants more than the Machine can offer to him. The call through the machine is no longer enough for him and he now desires the physical contact with his mother. This dystopian society impacts interpersonal relationships and human connections because people can no longer have the physical contact since the machinery is blocking that from happening.

In the story of “From Beyond” by H.P. Lovecraft, the dystopian society impacts interpersonal relationships and human connections because the scientist Crawford Tillinghast has opened up a new ability that allows one to perceive things differently and be able to overlook time, space, and dimensions without having to physically move elsewhere. This impacts interpersonal relationships and human connections because there is an obsession with the unknown which will ultimately isolate the character. It can also cause issues because the obsession can drive the person mentally mad.

The question I choice to answer is number 4, “ What are the main themes explored in the text, and how are they reflected in the narrative?”

The story “The Machine Stops” by E.M. Forster is about how, in the future, society will live underground in cells where the machine will take care of their needs. One theme in the story is emotion vs. rationality. In the story, the machine catered to humans at every whim, which caused them to give up on experiencing new things and emotions. For example, in the story, Vashti realizes she has no ideas or experiences of her own when she can’t even come up with an idea of her own. This shows how the theme is emotion vs. rationality.

The story “There Will Come Soft Rains” by Ray Bradbury is about how humans are destroyed by a bomb, but a house is still left standing, and the technology in it continues to work. One theme in the story is nature vs. technology. At the end of the story, there was a big storm that caused a fire to start in the house. But no matter how much the house tried to stop it, there was nothing they could do. In the end, the technology was killed by the fire. This shows how the theme of nature vs. technology was shown in the narrative.

The story “From Beyond” by H.P. Lovecraft is about a scientist who builds a machine that leads to discovering a reality beyond what our senses perceive. One theme in the story is the pursuit of knowledge, even if it is harmful. In this story, a scientist continues his experiment even after it causes the disappearance of servants. This shows how the theme of the pursuit of knowledge, even if harmful, was shown in the narrative. After reading “From Beyond,” I think it is not a dystopian text. I think it is not because I feel a dystopian is when a society is facing injustice or a ruling authority. In this text, I feel there is not an entire society feeling this, but just one person.

Out of all 25 questions I decided to go with question number 14 which is “What symbols or imagery are used to convey the mood, atmosphere, or thematic elements of the text?”. In relation to the text “The Machine Stops” by E.M Forster the mind is allowed to think freely as society is perceived as people not having contact with each other which creates the an atmosphere full of isolation and loneliness. In this society people are meant to be doing the same things as another, no one can be creative or try to be unique. While everyone’s routine is meant to be the same the mind will always wonder and what exist beyond the walls that seem to get higher and higher everyday will always be a risk that’s considered just to break this depressing cycle of everyday life within this society. This sadness is also shared in the text “There will come soft rains” by Ray Bradbury. Bradbury invludes things such as “the bathtub leaking…more breakfast as the house falls…”. This quote contributes to the idea of such societies ruining not only people but the order within a society which’ll ultimately lead to the world failing as a whole. In the text “From Beyond” by  H.P Lovecraft the world is introduced as being not so appealing to the eye in comparison to the worlds in the two other texts I’ve mentioned so far. We get what seems to be as a tease to what things could be if risks were taken but those dreams are then quickly crushed the fear that takes over as it interacts with the world around us that we constantly explore with our five senses everyday.

6. How does the dystopian society restrict individual freedoms and autonomy?

In each of these stories, the dystopian societies depicted impose strict control over individuals, severely restricting their freedoms and autonomy in various ways. In  “The Machine Stops” by E.M. Forster, The society is highly centralized around the Machine, which provides for all the needs of its inhabitants. This centralized control limits individual autonomy by dictating every aspect of life, including communication, entertainment, and even physical movement. People are isolated in there individual cells and communicate primarily through the Machine, leading to a lack of genuine human connection and interaction. Another thing is that physical movement outside the confines of the underground society is discouraged or forbidden further restricting individual freedoms and autonomy.

  When it comes to “There Will Come Soft Rains” by Ray Bradbury the absence of human life and the presence of an automated house functioning in isolation illustrate the devastating consequences of technological advancement unchecked by human values and autonomy. The house continues to operate according to its programmed routines, oblivious to the absence of its former inhabitants, highlighting the loss of individual agency and autonomy in the face of technological domination.

  In the other text  “From Beyond” by H.P. Lovecraft, does not depict a society in the traditional sense, it explores the consequences of scientific experimentation and the pursuit of knowledge without regard for ethical boundaries. Crawford Tillinghast’s invention of a machine that allows individuals to perceive beings and dimensions beyond normal perception. However, this experimentation leads to terrifying consequences, including the disappearance of household servants and the unleashing of malevolent entities. Tillinghast’s obsession with breaking down the barriers of reality demonstrates a disregard for the well being and autonomy of others, as well as the potential dangers of unchecked scientific advancement.

The question I chose is twenty two. What lessons or warnings can gleaned from the dystopian narrative,and how do they relate to contemporary society?

From beyond like the other stories give a dystopian vibe .When science and technology has no limits dangerous things are bound to happen. The key  role of ethics  and responsibility when dealing with technology can’t be ignored.

A instance of when we weren’t responsible in contemporary society was when scientist let radiation spread that otherwise should’ve been contained in the chernobyl disaster  . If  we had more regulation and were more responsible deadly disasters like this  would never be leaked out again .

As quoted in From beyond ” entities that defied the laws of our reality” and a quote stated in there will come soft rains “Not one will care at last when it is done”. These statements prove how not caring can ultimately prove to be one of the biggest detriments to our society as a whole.

The question that I chose for my post is “15. How does the author use language and style to evoke emotions or create tension within the narrative?”

In “The Machine Stops” by E.M. Forster uses language and style to express a feeling of loneliness and reliance on technology, which heightens the suspense in the story. Forster creates a sense of claustrophobia and isolation in the reader with vivid descriptions of the mechanical surroundings. The character’s disassociation from bodily experiences is further reflected in the author’s use of exact language and distant tone, which adds to the overall tension and uneasiness. The language gets more frantic as the plot develops and the machine starts to malfunction which makes the reader more concerned about the protagonists’ future.

The poem “There Will Come Soft Rains” by Ray Bradbury uses poetic language and vivid images to create a spooky atmosphere that evokes feelings of dread and sorrow. There’s an unsettling emptiness brought about by the contrast between the perfect surroundings and the absence of people. Bradbury’s lyrical portrayals of nature’s disregard for human life simultaneously arouse a deep sense of loss and insignificance. The recurrent themes and phrases, like the loop of the automated house’s daily routines, heighten the underlying sense of dread and imminent disaster in the narrative.

H.P. Lovecraft’s “From Beyond” may be interpreted as a dystopian text due to its exploration of the consequences of unchecked scientific curiosity and the blurring of boundaries between the natural and supernatural realms. Lovecraft’s preference for cosmic horror and his complex, obscure vocabulary evoke a sense of discomfort and existential dread throughout the story. The narrative illustrates dystopian themes by stressing the dangers of human pride and the possible repercussions of interfering with forces beyond our grasp, even if it does not portray a conventional dystopian society. The story’s focus on the protagonist’s spiral into madness serves to highlight its dystopian overtones by implying a future in which advancements in science and knowledge eventually bring about disaster rather than enlightenment which is what we saw happen.

In “The Machine Stops” technology is everything, it is the government, it is the religion, and it is society itself. The technological advancements made to achieve this society were left unchecked, and began to collapse society itself. The society was The Machine, people got accustomed to repeating their tasks mechanically, and did not want to create or advance, only maintain.

In “There Will Come Soft Rains” technology is the only thing that remains, after the devastating nuclear explosion—a self-sustaining smart house, serving a non-existent family, creating an eery atmosphere, endures. As the only form of society left, the house can only go through the motions of normalcy, unable to change its purpose, alter its schedule, or defend itself from what humanity should have prevented.

While “From Beyond” isn’t a dystopia, it is shaped by technology, a machine allowing humans to peer into different dimensions, trapping them in different planes of existence to parish in. Another machine is left to rule those who have created it.

The question that stuck out to me immediately was #3, “What role does technology play in shaping the dystopian society?”
Beginning with “The Machine Stops” by E M Forster, technology is the glue that the fragments of society are clinging to for dear life. It is how people get dressed, It is how people eat. How they breathe. It is how people communicate, how people “experience”, it is who they pray to. It is the teat. It is also the pacifier to soften the blow that natural life has already ceased years ago, as far as people know. The surface world and atmosphere were destroyed over time by man, so civilization was moved beneath the surface in order to sustain life. In the end, people became so naturally oblivious to life as a society that when the Machine stopped working, people are left completely helpless to die amidst the chaos.

There is a very similar tone, that of technology enhancing life as well as decimating it in Ray Bradbury’s “There Will Come Soft Rains”. The setting is of a seemingly average home where once again the day to day wants and needs of the individual are brought right to you. Tell the home what you would like for breakfast, what music you would like to hear, a poem perhaps. It tells the family when to come and go, but no one ever comes or goes. On the side of the house, are the silhouettes of the family’s last moments before they were vaporized by an atomic bomb. Living on only as the white figures within the charred exterior siding of the house. Technology was so advanced and so routine that it continued the daily tasks of each individual household long after the household was gone.

Lastly, in “From Beyond” by H P Lovecraft, technology plays a huge role in the story of a machine designed to bring pleasure and knowledge beyond the comprehension of the senses shows us too much and drives the user mad. The machine seems to allow passage to a dimension closely resembling ours where all matter is intertwined with jellyfish like creatures and tentacles. Kind of hard to explain but that is the best that I can put it. The important part is that the story again suggests that understanding the limitations of our usage of technology and respecting that is paramount in remaining symbiotic with it.

Technology is something that can be seen in almost every form of science fiction and can sometimes play a major role in most stories, and that is definitely true with these 3 stories. For example, in “From Beyond” we learn of a man he has been driven crazy by his own ambition and drive to access a part of the human mind and soul that has been asleep for eons, and technology allows him to awaken that within us. This technology allows him and the protagonist to sense things that we would not be able with our 5 basic human senses. This story shows how technology can, almost, allow us to play God in a sense and be able to do things we could not do naturally.

In “The Machine Stops”, we are taken to a world, much like ours today, is very advanced with technology and has allowed for people to communicate in ways that would not be possible without technology. For example, being able to see and communicate with a loved one who may be far away without having to be physically near them. While this may be impressive, it shows how technology has made things almost too convenient in our everyday lives and has taken away the value of doing things like going outside and traveling to visit a loved one or going out and buying a music album to support your favorite artist instead of streaming it.

“There Will Come Soft Rains” is another story that shows the influence of technology much like the last story, but this time we are shown just how much technology has evolved to accommodate humans. There are small, animal-like robots that clean the house in mere minutes, machines that bring out freshly-cooked breakfast without you having to break a sweat, and even a voice that reminds you of the time and date and what important events are taking place that day. Again, this is a very impressive and creative showing of how far technology has come in this world, but it also shows how technology stripped humans away of doing their everyday routines and things that we may have took for granted like getting up and making our own breakfast or setting our own alarms and making it our mission to get up at a certain time and get ready to start the day.

The question that I chose is “1. What is the central premise or setting of the dystopian depicted in the text?” In “The Machine Stops,” the central premise on a dystopian world in which people live underground in cells and are dependent on a massive machine that was built by Dr. Crawford for communication and what they need. The setting is technically advanced but it is sterile and unpleasant distinguishes the environment. Moreover, people can no longer live independently or interact with nature because they are so reliant on the machine. Overall, “The Machine Stops” goes into issues of the dependence on technology, the decline of human relationships, and the consequences that result from a society that is cut off from nature.

In “There Will Come Soft Rains” the central premise is a dystopian society where technology is advanced and that it operates by itself without the help of people. “There Will Come Soft Rains” takes place in an environment after a nuclear attack, and portrays a single house surrounded by wreckage, with automated systems doing everyday tasks. The overwhelming sense of “decay and emptiness”, regardless of the efficiency of machines, shows the risks tied to an uncontrolled dependence on technology and the decreasing importance of human connection/relationships. Bradbury’s story acts as a warning about what happens in a future where technology rules and human values are rejected.

In “From Beyond” the central premise is a dystopian society where the need for forbidden knowledge and the consequences of going into “uncharted” realms are the key topics. Crawford Tillinghast, a scientist, pushes the limits of human comprehension and discovers previously undiscovered ‘dimensions’ and ‘entities’ through his scientific studies. Although, the investigation results in death, insanity, and the discovery of horrific entities. The setting of Tillinghast’s attic laboratory brings attention to the awkward aspects of his research and shows the dystopian aspects of a society in which people are motivated to seek out harmful information at any cost, even if it means risking other people’s lives and their sanity.

For this post I have decided to answer the question “What symbols or imagery are used to convey the mood, atmosphere, or thematic elements of the text?”, I think this is one of the few questions that can relate to all three pieces of text, as they are all very different. Although, in all honesty I also think it is the most straight forward question to answer about all of these due to their very unique and interesting settings.

In “The Machine Stops” we are introduced to a largely clean world. It has been shaped by years of design thinking, and ease of access, and in this world the people are meant to be sterile. This heavily contrasts the other two pieces, but aligns with what is beyond the walls of the airship introduced by the main character’s son. It’s this dynamic that brings the tension between the settings and allows us to understand the stakes of the morality conflict between the two characters.

This underlying layer of dirtiness carries over into “There Will Come Soft Rains”, in which the author makes sure to note each and every time the world gets messier. Through the bathtub leaking, or the breakfast machine continuing to make, burn, and create more breakfast as the house falls into shambles, “There Will Come Soft Rains” is a story about the natural coming into contact with the unnatural, and the mess that ensues.

Far apart from either of these is “From Beyond”, in this story we are introduced to a world that is not visually appealing in the beginning, only to get glimpses of awe that are struck down rather hastily. This happens when the author describes the ancient temples that morph into pure void. That void in which the author describes has always been a great fear for me, and as such, reading this piece left me with little beauty to account for. I would say that the story is not dystopian as it takes place in a time, at least the way I perceived it, that is not in the future, and does not have the society connected all that much with the plot.

For my paper I ask question number “14. What symbols or imagery are used to convey the mood, atmosphere, or thematic elements of the text?” because there isn’t enough collateral and widespread damage of some kind that makes the world of “The beyond” necessarily dystopian, moreso the story revolves around an isolated incident that was avoided as being a catastrophe thanks to the protagonist and another unseen character with a name that ensured the piece through violence.

To elaborate further on why I chose this question is because the description of “the beyond” within the story is an almost infinite void like space setting full of star figures and multiple trans-materialistic creatures that don’t obey the realistic laws of physics. In comparison to “The Machine”, the main plot of the story that carries the setting is the machine Dr. Crawford built in order to heighten the senses of humans and discover beings with that ability whereas for The Machine the purpose of the large integral system of machine operations have the sole purpose of maintaining the human senses to be calm and nurtured despite the end of the world just outdoors similar to the dystopian setting of “Their Will Come Soft Rains” whereas the technological advancement of the nuke built to end ww2 and further research into nuclear energy has been used to decimate everything leaving yet another uninhabited world. 

The symbolism as described in the Beyond is told as a void space that swallows everything as in sight by the human eye, the same machine generating the beyond can flash this existence in and out via the power switch yet in the dimension of unnatural laws and ultra violent seeable light there are allows black pillars that rise indefinitely and the space is inhabited by tentacle and jellyfish like creatures alike who unlike the unseen danger described by the doctor don’t disintegrate humans. All of this corresponds to the idea that there may be incomprehensible beings out there just parallel to earth’s plane of existence and whether it’s an ecosystem or a hostile environment we will never know thanks to the destruction of the machine and the madman who made it. 

For Blog Post 2, which is due by 11:59 p.m. Thursday night, there is an extra reading by H.P. Lovecraft “From Beyond” that you can find over in the readings section. It’s short, interesting, and goes quick. Using one of the questions from the 25 Questions for Exploring Dystopian/Utopian Texts handout reviewed in class on Tuesday, pick one of the questions and discuss that question in relation to “The Machine Stops,” “There Will Come Soft Rains,” and “From Beyond.” I think it can be argued whether or not “From Beyond” is a dystopian text. Make sure to explain why you think it is or not. Three thoughtful, exploratory paragraphs should be enough.

Also, don’t forget the requirement to leave four comments to your peers for Blog Post 1. These are also due Thursday.

1

Her main argument in “American SF & the Other” would be that in the words of early socialist, women are a part of a necessary majority to societies and thus due to the current statuses and positions of females in modern societies there seems to be a contradiction to what we have as a modern and great society.

This is thoroughly explained by the women’s movement revealing the unfair depiction women have been classified as by male elitism.

However the question of “the other” is a philosophy that guesses whether someone different from someone else is alienated or not being that in science fiction this more literal yet the women in those older to more modern stories typically play a damsel in unbeknownst distress with the majority difference being the setting and the men who come to the rescue.

2

For the primary argument in “What is Science Fiction”, the essay states that science fiction is carried by extrapolative plot points, devices and storytelling because of the massive amounts of influxes to creative writing by new writers over time, each asking and creating questions to what if something in the world changed that caused a cataclysmic or minimal change. 

Le Guin explains her reasoning that science fiction isn’t about predicting or foretelling a known or possible future but rather its the descriptive nature and world building of a fictional reality that gives the stories an interesting hook and the desired creative expression.

 Ursula K. Le Guin’s essay “What Is Science Fiction” was the first essay I read. Ursula Guin discusses the writing process of science fiction in this essay. People who read science fiction tend to have the same common misconception that what is written is real and that it will actually come to pass in the future. In this essay Ursula Guin argues that just because the writers’ descriptions of ideas have some truth does  not mean they are prophecies for the future.Ursula Guin shows throughout the essay how science fiction aims to convince you of a story, not to present the facts.

The second essay I read was “American SF And The Other” also by Ursula K. Le Guin. In this essay, Ursula Guin argues about the representation of women. In most science fiction women are never shown as smart strong leaders but as dumb and beautiful side characters. Ursula Guin also talks about  how masses of people only exist to led around by their superiors and are often not treat properly. These essays have helped my frame of mind by reminding me to think unconventionally and not write the same as other science fiction writers, because even though they don’t write the truth, they write their truths.

Ursula K LeGuin’s first short essay titled “American SF and the Other” goes over how women and other groups of people go overlooked in SF and are not given any prominent roles in these stories most of the time. I believe that Ursula’s main argument is that the formula used in SF needs to be changed to be more inclusive so that not only one type of person is seen as the hero while everyone else is portrayed as weak or peons in comparison, or even whole nations. This essay helped open my eyes to many patterns in SF that have gone on for way too long in the genre and need to be changed for the modern world.

Ursula’s second short essay titled “What is Science Fiction?” goes into what science fiction is and what it consists of, and what makes science fiction extrapolative. Ursula’s main point here is that not all science fiction is extrapolative and there are many subjects and ideas that SF explores that is not always dramatic or depressing, SF is for everyone. This essay helped me look at science fiction as a more broad and open genre that does not just appeal to one specific group or type of people, anyone and everyone can enjoy science fiction and there are many stories that can be told in the genre that anyone can find fascinating.

First Essay

Ursula K. Le Guin’s main argument in “American SF and the Other” is that The White Man’s burden is very present in the SF world. People who may be less fortunate than others aren’t depicted in SF movies as the heroes but as the extras who are being killed and pushed aside. Some women are sexualized and not seen as human but as prop dolls. Ursula’s concern is that this must change in the SF community and there should be more representation of women and people who aren’t usually seen as the main protagonists. I believe that this essay will help broaden my perspective when it comes to the inclusion of others in SF films. 

Second Essay

Ursula K. Le Guin’s concern in “What is science fiction?” discusses that SF is based on facts, but is far from reality. Many of the stories told can have actual medical or scientific research but can be made to sound accurate when it is not. For example, it was very common in science fiction movies to talk about how only 10 percent of the brain works. After seeing this in movies, I believed it for a while, only to find out it was false. Additionally, She also discusses how Science fiction is a metaphor and so is the future. 

I believe that Ursulas argument in her essay “American SF and the Other” is that science fiction has this idea that continues to be written that men, the rich and even aliens always seem to be the heroes. She argues about how society ignores women as a hero even in science fiction and the people who are in the lower class. It is an uncivilized idea to continue to use in science fiction because they don’t respect them. This argument will help me approach the work we will be doing in class because now I want to see how other authors view the “future” if there is one or if it is just used again.

In Ursula K. Le Guin’s other essay “Intro to Sci-Fi”, I believe her argument is that science fiction is not a prediction of what may happen in the future. It is more of a descriptive reality. Some of the ideas being used in science fiction are from things that are occurring in the real world such as cloning and deterioration of personalities. Because of that, people may feel like it is depressing to read. I am curious about the work we will be doing in class because now I can see how it may relate and if it can get depressing, not to me.

Hello, My name is Yamilet but you can call me Yami. Being in the Cuny BA program I was able to create my major in human rights/Community Innovation & Applied public interest Technology. One of my favorite science fiction films has to be Lucy, The Matrix, Back to the Future, and Blade Runner. I’m also drawn to the film series on Netflix called Black Mirror since it depicts a lot of what we see in AI music and social media right now. I expect to graduate this semester and I plan to continue in this fellowship I got accepted into, the Social Change fellowship which is a part of the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership.

The first essay, “What is Science Fiction” by Ursula Le Guin, explores a benchmark per se; a guideline on how most science fiction stories and novels are. This allows exploring the chance that writers give themselves on what rules to bend. When reading the essay, Le Guin said most science fiction stories are metaphors. Generally speaking science fiction authors create their world and shape reality to their will. The science fiction genre can directly focus on how creative the author will be. However, she also mentions that the author, maybe the reader as well, must apply themselves to their creative nature, not as a trendsetter. This will help my framework cause my consensus is that don’t take everything at face value, and try explaining yourself how to interweave certain plot points of a story to make sense.

In the second essay, “In American SF and the Other” Ursula Le Guin, says science fiction has always had a revolving criticism around elitism, inequalities, and how many characters are led by superiority. To point out one of the arguments, Le Guin mentions on the third page of her essay, when you deviate from a certain relationship, you’ll just be confused and devolve yourself. This to me provides not a standoff but more of a thought process of where characters should lead themselves rather than stereotypes given to them before. This helps my framework because I’ll be able to learn about the qualities of characters and how to showcase those qualities effectively albeit easier said than done.

In Ursula K. Le Guin first essay “American SF and the Other”, she talks and argues about the other, the other refers to the characters in SF and how their being is different from who they are themselves. This concept is regarding their sexual,Social,cultural, and racial. She sees a huge problem regarding diversity in American SF with women being objectified while men assert more of their dominance. According Ursula she believes in equality, liberty, and fraternity.
When it comes to Ursula’s second essay “What is Science fiction?” She gives us a summary of what Science fiction actually is and how it differs compare to other ways of storytelling like fiction,art, and even weather broadcast. She argues how Science fiction tell you the truth and not lies and how it’s also not about predicting, but describing. “Prediction is the business of prophets, clairvoyants, and futurologists. It is not the business of novelists. A novelist’s business is lying”. She believes that the future is fiction and how truth is a matter of the imagination. This helps my frame of mind by teaching me to focus more on the truth that is given to me rather than what is to come because at that time everything is uncertain.

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In the first essay that I read entitled “American Science Fiction and the Other” written by Ursula K. Le Guin talks about how women are either ignored in science fiction stories or presented as characters that are mistreated and/ or less then. She also describes how different classes of aliens such as the sexual alien, the social alien, cultural alien, and the racial alien are portrayed as a large faceless and nameless mass running from dangerous situations such as over flowing sewers that kill most or all of them . She goes on to state that there are many other types of people that are not represented in science fiction stories and believes that sci-fi writers and their readers should change things up by thinking about the future and create characters that are positively represented such as women in the science fiction world.

In the second essay entitled “What is Science Fiction” also written by Ursula K. Le Guin is an introduction to her novel “The Left Hand of Darkness”. She states that science fiction is often described and defined as extrapolative, but she goes on to say that her book is not extrapolative and it is about experiment of a doctor creating a human being in a laboratory. I feel like she is trying to change how science fiction is written as she stated in her other essay. She wants sci-fi characters portrayed in a better light and by writing her own novel in her own way, she will be able to achieve just that.

In “American SF and the Other” Ursula criticizes gender biases, social inequalities, and lack of diversity in the realm of science fiction. Ursula advocates pushing science fiction in a world where there is no bias and where the genre can spread positively with good progressiveness in the future instead of focusing on the past. One of her main points is the representation of women in science fiction. Furthermore, within the genre, women are depicted stereotypically whether they’re the victims or loyal companions to male heroes. Moreover, Ursula argues about the lack of diversity in science fiction and how it is either a specific gender or race and ethnicity. Ursula argues about the rejection of people who are perceived as different or “Aliens.” She argues that denying equality and the human reality of “The Other” leads to dehumanization. Therefore, This essay helps my frame of mind by critically thinking about the portrayal of gender, race, and gender in science fiction. It will allow me to see the biases present in the genre.
In “What is Science Fiction” Ursula argues against how simplistic the genre is and how predictive or extrapolative it can be. She argues that writers tend to take current trends and project them into the future. Furthermore, She says this mostly leads to pessimistic outcomes. Moreover, Ursula views the future, as presented in science fiction, as a “metaphor” rather than a prediction. This examines future possibilities is a means of metaphorically discussing present-day issues and challenges in society. Ursula argues that authors provide unique takes on the present through their use of fiction, disputing the idea that they predict the future. Furthermore, she explains that using symbolisms and metaphors conveys deeper meanings and perspectives on the human experience. Therefore, this essay helps my frame of mind by making me reevaluate what I think by contradicting popular opinions about science fiction, which will give me a broader perspective on the genre.

The first essay I read, entitled “American Science Fiction and the Other” describes a lack of “person” within the characters of Science Fiction. That is to say that the general populous, the royal we, do not act with agency in most cases of the genre. Le Guin goes on to talk about the “other” within science fiction, highlighting all those who do not fit within the normal gender or societal roles, at least in accordance with previous works of science fiction. Le Guinn believes that we should be striving towards something new and fresh within science fiction, thinking of the future instead of reverting to the past. I’ve read and absorbed a few pieces that counteract this argument, however, they are all relatively recent and seem to be pushing the same agenda. An agenda that, to be frank, I agree with. Now that I have come to learn of the tropes minorities, or “aliens” fall under within the genre I will be looking more into the agency of the people, who should be the lifeblood of the culture of these up until recent stagnant worlds.

In the second essay, ” What is Science Fiction?” we are introduced to the genre’s key factors. These being, its extrapolative nature, the predictions it is based upon, the conception of higher level ideas, and the waning of impacts of morality struggles as a consequence. Le Guinn goes on to talk about what these factors in science fiction are often based upon, seemingly, according to them, it’s deceit. The act of creation is a direct target for much of this essay, and while it is true that creation is an act of hubris, and perhaps deceit in many instances, it seems to me like a weak argument at least to follow wholeheartedly. In my perception of the piece however, these arguments are not the true belief of the author and instead what much of this essay is, an expression of wit, exemplifying themselves as the hubris-infused, burdened artist that they perceive themselves to me. I’ve learned a lot from this essay, mostly, that the deceit of creation is natural when creating works of writing. The author is not to be trusted, as they make what can not be said in words out of words. In the future this will allow me to further process art in my own way, using the perception of my truth within my imagination.

Hello everyone. My name is Vincent Zheng. My major is Architectural Technology. I am expecting to graduate after next semester. What first drew me to science fiction were the Alien vs Predator movies. I found the concept of it very fascinating. Aside from that, the idea of a civilization with very advance technology drew my interest to science fiction. My plans after graduation would be to find a job related to the architectural field to provide myself with an income to further my studies as well as study to take the licensing exam to get an architectural license.

Hello everyone!

My name is Christopher Caruso, and this is my third semester at NYCCT. I am currently an Industrial Design major expecting to graduate in the spring of 25′ and so far, so good!

My interest in science fiction started in the early 90’s with all of the leftover 1980’s cartoons floating around and a heavy influence from my father’s 60’s and 70’s upbringing. Thunderbirds and Thundercats morphed into Power Rangers and comic books, graduating to novels and films. I have been reading much more than viewing in the last couple years and am currently about halfway through Fred Saberhagen’s “BERZERKER” novels from the late 60’s onward. If you guys are interested in futuristic “man vs machine” types from mid-century, please do yourself a favor and look into this series..

After graduation, I would like to eventually have my own small-scale manufacturing and custom machining/fabricating business. Starting off, I would like to land myself in a product design position and/or machining parts/products. The ID field had seemingly endless applications in modern marketing, and I would like to bring some of the traditional manual ways back into major production. As full automation is now the standard in manufacturing machining, there is still a certain quality of finish and work that speaks for itself when the eyes, hands, and brain all work together with these older machines and techniques and that is something I have always kept as a standard in my own personal projects.

Hi everyone, my name is Kimberly and my major is Healthcare Policy and Management. Two of my favorite science fiction movies are Oxygen and Divergent. I’m mostly drawn to dystopian and alternate reality sci fi movies and shows. My anticipated graduation date is 2024 and my plans after graduation is to obtain a full time job in the career of my choice. I am currently on the path of my plan to enter the career, which is working in a hospital so that I can gain the experience and connect with those who are in the position I want to be in.

Hi! My name is Nevaeh Figgures and my major is applied chemistry. Some of my favorite science fiction films are The Matrix, Interstellar, Moonfall, and I Robot. These movies are my favorites because of their themes. End of world, artificial intelligence, and aliens are themes that I am most drawn to. I expect to graduate in the year 2026. After graduating college my plans are to get a job doing forensics. I want to mainly get a job as a forensic biologist because ever since  i was young I enjoyed watching shows like criminal minds and ncis.

My name is Carolina Reyes and my major is health science. I should graduate in summer 2024 . I plan to transfer to Brooklyn College and continue studying. Im interested in becoming a physical therapist.

I chose to take this class because I find science fiction interesting. It’s interesting to see how back then science fiction was something that cannot possibly happen but would still scare people and now with all the advanced technology it feels like we are closer to what we had imagined in books or movies first. Some science fiction shows I am drawn to are “Black Mirror.” I haven’t watched the whole thing but do plan to. I also find “Planet of the Apes” and the movie “Avatar” interesting. I actually hope to find out about other books and/or films in this class.

My name is Evyatar Man. I moved to the US more than 10 years ago from Israel. I major in Architecture, and expect to graduate next year. I currently work in an interior design office, and would like to continue down a path that holds architecture and interior design hand in hand.

I look for stories that will develop their characters just as much as their Sci-Fi surroundings, such as: Everything Everywhere All at Once, Don’t Look Up, Palm Springs, The Mitchells vs. The Machines, Ron’s Gone Wrong, Doctor Who (TV), Star Trek (the newer shows) (TV), Gen V (TV), and Resident Alien (TV).

Hello My name is Isaiah Santiago, my Major is with Emerging Media Technologies.
My favorite science fiction films would be Superheroes and science based movies and Shows Such as Back to the Future, Judge Dredd, Robocop, the Alien and predator series, Transformers Energon,  Terminator and in other medias I’ve come to absolutely love comics such as Watchmen, Batman Beyond, The Thing or even just peering into the Warhammer 40K lore’s. I am very invested into dystopian futures, past or presents such as the world of Resistance, Deus Ex, Bladerunner, Hellboy and video games especially land very interesting concepts with technology over certain time periods such as Halo’s future of weapons, armors to even fabricated planets meanwhile the Game known as ARK has the fallen planet earth surrounded by bubbles of isolated habituated full of artificially constructed biological species that existed or have yet to exist with Humans taken from timeline of genetics over the course of human history.
I expect to graduate in 2025-6 if I remember correctly.
After graduation I plan on either becoming an independent game dev or apply to be apart of a team at one of the larger studios such as Santa Monica or Insomniac games.

Hi Everybody My name is Alexis Xinol, I am a student at NYCCT I am majoring in Business in Technology and Fashion. I am into many Marvel Movies, specifically Avengers movies or Spiderman Movies, I like the movie Godzilla as well. I expect to graduate this year during the summer, but I intend to stay here longer for my Bachelor of Science degree in the Business and Technology of Fashion.

Hello everyone, my name is Bryan Jimenez. I enjoy playing basketball and videogames. The game I currently enjoy playing is Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege. My major currently is computer science. My favorite science fiction films are the Star Wars films.  I enjoy all of the films besides the sequels that Disney made. The theme that I am most drawn to is artificial intelligence. I expect to graduate next year. After I graduate, I plan to enroll in graduate school to pursue my degree and get my masters in computer science.

About ME,

Hi, my name is Naheed Reyhad. My major is Computer Information Systems, I learn many programming languages and code databases and software projects. I loved the idea of creating my little world filled with mysteries and maybe a few little jump scares along the way. Since then I grew up playing the Dead Space trilogy, watching movies such as James Cameron’s Avatar, etc. This brings me to why I love science fiction, the genre mainly consists of horror-themed games or anything that has creative world-designing. My plan after I graduate, which hopefully be this year 2024, is to be a game designer/programmer so that way I can create a whole world for players to explore.

Hello, my name is Paige Sanderson. I am a senior majoring in human services and minoring in psychology. my favorite science fiction stories are the terminator one and two as well as Marvel films. The themes that I am most drawn to are artificial worlds, first contact with aliens, and artificial intelligence. I expect to graduate next year 2025 or early 2026. I plan to pursue a masters degree in education and obtain a job within CUNY because that would make me happy.

Hello, my name is Joshua Caesar and I am a Liberal Arts Major. One of my favorite sci-fi franchises is Transformers, I saw the first movie when I was 3 years old and I have been in love with the series ever since and some of the themes I am most drawn to about that series is what things in life are truly right and wrong and how far are you willing to go to fight what you believe is right. I plan to graduate in the summer and then after graduation go out into the world and find my passion and hopefully career.

Hey everybody,
My name is Gabriel Aguilar and I am a student here at NYCCT. After high school, I ended up working in the commercial video industry. I made a lot of commercials and internal videos for companies and honed my craft through those kinds of projects. As I kept working I found that I wasn’t being stimulated enough creatively and intellectually, for the most part, that is why I came to this college, to learn and grow.

My Major:
Emerging Media Technology

Favorite Science Fiction Films/Stories:
– Black Mirror; Particularly the episode where the women in the elderly home go on a queer-empowered romp through virtual reality.
– Ready Player One; I’m not sure how much I would relate to this one now, but I distinctly remember loving it when I was younger.
– Ender’s Game: This is probably my favorite science fiction book of all time.. heartbreaking.

Graduation Expectation:
I expect to graduate sometime in 2026/27.

Expectations After Graduation:
I will most likely work towards my Master’s at Brooklyn College’s PEMA program. After that I would love to be some sort of Creative Technologist or Creative Director!

For your first blog post due Feb 1, your job is to read two short essays by Ursula K. LeGuin. You can find the readings on the right-hand side of the website.

DO NOT use ChatGPT or another such program to complete this assignment.

Read the essay carefully, taking notes on key concepts, arguments, and examples presented by Le Guin in each essay.

Write two paragraphs in response to these essays, one for each.

For each essay, identify what you believe are her main arguments and what she finds to be most important. How do these essays help your frame of mind for approaching the work we’ll be doing in this class?

These are due by 11:59 p.m. Thursday night.

When you first login into this site, you should write your initial blog post. Title this post “Introduction,” “About Me,” or something like that. This is a warm-up post.

You should

• introduce yourself
• tell us what your major is
• what are some of your favorite science fiction films/stories and what themes you are most drawn to.
• when you expect to graduate
• and what your plans are after graduation. If your plans are to enter the career, tell us what kind of  job would make you most happy.