Technology

Throughout the novel’s three stories, the narrative maintains a direct thematic focus on the role of technology in human society, with a specific emphasis on technology as a source of both human enrichment and consistent potential danger. In the story In the Machine, technology is portrayed as a constant threat that causes paranoia. Lucas’ brother Simon was recently killed by a machine due to an accident at the factory where he worked. When Lucas takes over Simon’s job, Lucas is acutely aware of the danger: “Lucas watched the teeth [of the machine] bite into the iron. Simon would have been pulled under the wheel, first his arm and then the rest” (17). These fears give rise to Lucas’ ideas about machines having a type of conscious malevolence. On the other hand, the narrative implicitly acknowledges the value of machines, for Lucas is able to help...