American Oil Shock

We, The Machine Stops:
The Science Fiction Culture and Our Scientific Age

Essay #2
Present day Earth is filled with life that is displayed in abundance all around us, it's evident in the buzzing of insects, the chirping of birds and the scurrying of animals in the forest.   Whether in the hot deserts or cold polar regions, in the skies above or the sea below; everything living is interconnected and plays a vital role within our earthly society.   For the human race, technology is an ever changing dynamic that simplifies our day -to-day tasks and assists us in the ability to control and adapt to our natural environments.   With respect to   society, will technology continue to benefit mankind harmoniously? Within this essay I will be taking on the personae of a time traveller from present day earth and my mission and aim is to analyze the different futuristic worlds and societies portrayed in Yevgeny Zamyatin's “We” and E.M Forsters “The Machine Stops”. Notably, I will be comparing and contrasting three main aspects of free will suppression that I have witnessed within these futuristic worlds and discussing it with you, the reader.   The first instance that I will discuss and have witnessed is suppression of free will with respect to members of society and their personal residence and time.   I will also talk about the free will and restrictions of procreation amongst members of both societies.   Lastly, freedom of thought and control within the different worlds and how they keep society from being rebellious.   Although there are many different continued benefits of technology I have witnessed in these futuristic societies, the topics I have chosen to discuss will display that technology can be detrimental to a society if used incorrectly to suppress it's people.

Free will allows members of any given society the ability to act as they choose and make decisions without fear of physical, psychological or societal constraints.   In futuristic settings of “We” and...