The Dangers Of Technology In Uglies By Scott Westerfeld

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As quoted by historian and political scientist Christian Lous Lange, “Technology is a useful servant but a dangerous master.” In Uglies, Scott Westerfeld demonstrates that technology has become more of a master than a servant in society. Hence why, technology has an integral place in society, as long as humans do not rely on it too much. Although Westerfeld demonstrates the benefits of technology in his novel Uglies, the potential physical and mental dangers outlined outweigh any potential gains.

The benefits of technology are demonstrated profusely throughout the entire novel. When Tally watches “the guy [get] caught by his bungee jacket a few seconds before splatting on the ground,” (11) we can get a sense of how much they rely on technology, …show more content…

When Westerfeld wrote, “[Tally] sighed, closing her eyes. Without an interface ring, she was nobody, the elevator wouldn’t even listen,” (15) he is conveying how the citizens think without technology, they do not have a place in their society. When Westerfeld uses the word “nobody” we get a sense of isolation from anyone who is not associated with the use of technology. This is very effective in proving my thesis because when the citizens rely on technology to such an extreme extent, that when one person becomes disconnected for a brief moment, they can no longer function in society. This also hints at a more dystopian society where citizens are under such control, that their government does not allow anyone disconnected have any control in their society. Lastly, when one of the rangers explains “about 300 years ago, some Rusty figured out a way to engineer the species to adapt to wider conditions. She messed up the genes... they crowd out other species,” (173) shows us how using technology to modify something natural, at some point, will result in the complete termination of the natural aspect of society. This is a metaphor for the lesions in the brain. When you try to modify how a person thinks and acts, soon enough, there is no more of that person left and their minds are completely fake, leading us once again towards that

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