"The Machine Stops" by E.M. Forster details a society characterized by complete social isolation where everyone lives underground and members are expected to follow certain rules/expectations. When we first read this short story in class, I had appreciated the creativity of the story's premise but also found the story to be highly unrealistic and impractical. That said, I was also intrigued by the blend of familiarity there was, such as how personal, face-to-face interaction was replaced by communication via video screens, which is parallel to us Facetiming or Skyping friends and acquaintances. Meanwhile, as each day passes during this COVID-19 outbreak, it seems as if our society is quickly slipping into one similar to that of "The Machine Stops."
One component of the story that particularly stood out to me was how people were essentially not allowed to have physical contact with each other. This seemed like such a bizarre aspect of the society because I never believed that an increased use in technology would completely eliminate personal interaction. However, the current climate due to COVID-19 has essentially caused this social isolation seen in "The Machine Stops" where everyone is "forced" to practice social distancing. The difference in our case is that there aren't a set of laws that punish people who don't practice this act, but rather they just get reprimanded or strongly advised by fellow community members to follow this act.
This mantra of "6 feet apart" has infiltrated our daily lives to an enormous degree because it is dictating the way we live our lives to almost every single detail. With our current living situations in mind, it changes the way I read "The Machine Stops," having more sympathy and curiosity for the characters who suffer through similar situations as us right now. Previously, I hadn't made much of the fact that all people are allowed to do to communicate is talk through technology but now that I am faced with the same situation, I find it incomprehensible how the characters in the story are able to thrive or even survive in that atmosphere. Overall, our society's current predicament has definitely altered my perception of "The Machine Stops".
Thanks for this blog post! I've also been thinking a lot recently about parallels between our world and that in Forster's "The Machine Stops." I agree with your point about the story suddenly seeming more realistic than it had previously (though I've always been struck by the accuracy of Forster's predictions about computers/Facetime-like technologies). One thing I find interesting in the story is the way that technological contact as a substitution for in-person contact becomes normalized. There's no law that prevents Vashti from going to see her son in person, but it's such an unfamiliar practice that she is uncomfortable with the idea. I worry that our reliance on Facetime/Zoom/Skype/etc. over the course of these months will also become normalized and persist even after social distancing is no longer required, though I hope that people will be overjoyed to return to in-person socializing once it's safe to do so. -Ms. O'Brien
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