Technology

The author explores the effects of technology on human relationships via each of her character's connections with their kentuki gadgets. Whether the characters are kentuki dwellers or keepers, they all share a common desire for intimate communication with others. Emilia initially thinks the game "is dumb," but secretly admits there is "something exciting about the interaction" (12). In much the same, though Alina does not fully understand the purpose of kentukis, she also feels there is "something exciting about...the miraculous distraction of unfurling new cords from their neat coils, pulling the cellophane from two different kinds of adapters, smelling the charger's plastic" (19). The hybrid between "a mobile stuffed animal and a cell phone" similarly intrigues Marvin, Grigor, and Enzo (21). The newness of the devices successfully jars each of them out of the banality of their real lives. As voyeurs and owners, the characters feel the technology...