Essay Analysis

Derek D. Miller's essay Postmodernism in Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle was written very clearly and stated his ideas on postmodernism. The whole essay revolved around one theme: postmodernism which made his point very easy and clear to get across. Miller states off explaining what postmodernism. I liked the fact that he explained what postmodernism is because I felt it allowed the readers who don’t know the meaning of it to get on the same leave as Miller. He also uses complex terms such as Bokonism and Ice-nine but always explains them right after which really helped me keep up with the essay and it also allows other readers to not feel disconnected from the content. I also like how he used many quotes in his essay and explained them, which made it easier for me to understand what he meant. Miller used logic to mostly explain quotes from the book and also ethical appeal. There is no argument in the essay he is simply stating his point and he does that by using quotes and referencing different senses from the book. He also refers to the author’s use of comedic irony and how it shows “…that knowledge does not always mean progress and that progress is not always beneficial” (Miller).

I like how the essay was broken into different parts and how each part better explained why there was a postmodernism influence of Vonnegut’s black humor and how it can be seen with the help of Postmodernism for Beginners written by Jim Powell. Each new paragraph had a clear thesis and the body of the paragraph did a good job explaining the thesis. Each paragraph also transitioned from one another very smoothly and there was no confusion between them. Once on subject had been clearly explained he moved on to another.

The essay structure is one that we have been taught. There is a topic sentence which states the main idea and from there he uses quotes and evidence from the book to support it. The writing was very casual and didn’t posses complex writing it was easy to understand and able to be understood by many people. Overall the essay was very effective in getting its message across to readers. 

I learned a few things from reading Miller’s essay the main one was the importance of explaining a quote after using it. I have experienced how helpful it is to the reader and how to makes the writing much easier to comprehend. 

Progress v. Morals

In Technopoly, Neil Postman Technocracy is all about the invention of tools and techniques. According to Postman, Technopoly deifies technology. Because of the elevation of technology, traditional theological and social beliefs that once existed are gradually fading away. In a technocracy, society citizens have “developed a profound belief in all the principles through which invention succeeds” (42). Objectivity, efficiency, and progress are held up as ideal. Progress is very present in Brave New World, it is a society focused on progress, and created according to it. The government strived to reach utopia and in doing so created dystopia. The citizens of World State base their life around progress because to them "Progress is lovely" (Huxley 98). This constant need for progress brings forth a lack of morals in Brave New World which is seen threw their sex games and multi partner relationships which in fact detracts from their social progress. Efficiency also plays a key role in Brave new world take “Phosphorous Recovery” (Huxely 73) for instance this program allows dying people to go on being socially useful even after they are dead by cremating human remains and using their phosphorus as fertilizer.

Frederick Winslow Taylor an American engineer sought to improve industrial efficiency, is much like Henry Ford who plays a big role in Brave New World. Henry Ford is the man on which the entire World State's system and religion is based on. His mass production of the Model-T led to the idea of mass-produced people. Everything about human reproduction is technologically managed to maximize efficiency and profit. The importance of Henry ford is shown when faith in Christ has been replaced by Faith in Ford, a mythologized version of Henry Ford.

Is technology a stepping stone?

I think even since our ancestors started making tools the merging of man and machine was eventually going to occur. “…Kurzweil believes that we’re approaching a moment when computers will become intelligent, and not just intelligent but more intelligent that humans.” Lev Grossman writes.  We are spices that go above and beyond our limitations so what’s stopping us from eventually trying to overcome death and aging? Is that really such a bad thing? Just think when we are in our ninety’s we will one day be able to see our grandchild’s children. Nonetheless the rehabilitation of man lies within the merging of man and technology. For example the Cochlear implant this device is implanted in the ear and turns sounds into electrical impulses and transmits them to the brain. And even the pacemaker not to be confused with the heart's natural pacemaker uses electrical impulses contacting the heart muscles to regulate the beating of the heart. This doesn’t make any less human this in fact should makes us more human allowing us to hear when we don’t have to ability to hear and allowing us to live when you don’t have the opportunity to live.

We have come so far as to try to unlock he mysteries of the brain. Even most scientists would admit that the brain is unbelievably complicated. One of the biggest brakes through comes with the help of technology; we now have the ability intercept the nature of the electrical impulses between neurons that carry information in the brain. Technology has helped us to the point where we can interpret what the brain is trying to do.

Twenty or thirty years ago all of this would have been impossible. And now it’s simply another triumph we are trying to outdo.