The Diamond Age Analysis by Neal Stephenson - Book Report/Review Example

Insert due The Diamond Age Analysis The text, The Diamond Age, is a science fiction novel. There are several themes in the text that include science fiction, history, culture, racism, technology, and education. This analysis will, however, emphasize one theme, science fiction. This text The Diamond Age will be the chief text in a comparative analysis involving three other essays; How Long Has the Earth Been Manipulated and Has This Control Been, The Angel of Violence and The Ages of Myst and Riven. The theme of science fiction is a major one common to all these four text. In many science fiction texts, technology takes a central part, and the conflicts arising from how humankind use technology and the consequences, as well as creation of futuristic technology, is common. The observation that science fiction has two dimensions in its nature will form the basis of the analysis of the text The Diamond Age, from this point of view. These two dimensions are usually the world of fantasy and the world of reality. Neal Stephenson, the author of this text, achieves the capturing of these two dimensions. The first dimension that concerns the world of fantasy focuses on the learning of essential concepts valuable for the survival of individuals in the Victorian society. A young girl of a lower tribe class learns with the Young Lady’s Primer with the objective of surviving in this society. The Young Lady’s Primer, however, was not initially designed for the use by the people it is being used by but had rather been designed for Finkle-McGraw’s granddaughter, Elizabeth. Its use by other people resulted from the Engineer’s fault. Hackworth, the engineer of the Young Lady’s Primer, decides to have a copy for his daughter named Fiona, which is not as agreed between him and the ‘Equity Lord’. There are several copies of it further after it is stolen ending up in with Nell which forces Hackworth to make a third copy after losing the other one. This explains how Nell gets the Young Lady’s Primer, which essentially the beginning of the unfolding of major events in the text. The text The Diamond Age presents a conflict in which Hackworth is caught up in a dilemma. This is when he opposes the employment of the Seed. He has fears the consequences which would occur because of its wrong usage if its use is allowed to the general population. ““CryptNet’s true desire is the Seed—a technology that, in their diabolical scheme, will one day supplant. “ (Stephenson). Typically this conflict exists concerning the employment of the some of the technology that exists in the contemporary world. There could be great dangers associated with the use of certain technologies which means that the stability that exists could be profoundly altered if their use is allowed. Thus, there are regulations that certain technologies be used by certified specialists who can be trusted to observe the restrictions set within which the technologies can be employed. This is the same point of view that Hackworth argues from; that the ordinary people, if allowed to employ the use of the Seed, they could ambitiously abuse it by the construction of Nano weapons thus threatening the stability of the society. In the present times, there are frequent debates about possession of nuclear weapons. This is what is contained in the conflict of allowing the employment of Seed by the people. The risks and threats that were associated with the Seed by Stephenson are almost the same observed in the debated of who should control the nuclear weapons in the world today. This question is raised because of several reasons. First is because the one who possesses the weapons is associated with superior military power. In addition, in the wrong hands, that is if possessed by warmongers, the weapons present significantly great threats to the peace of the world as well as the humanity itself. Consequently, regulation of possession of such weapons, like in the case with the proposed regulation of the Seed in the text, The Diamond Age, is of great importance in ensuring the greatest good for the most people. In pursuit to counter Hackworth’s argument concerning Seed and its use by the general public, there are several counterarguments. It is true that if ordinary people were allowed to use Seed, their ambitions would lead them to doing mean things. However, on a macro scale, there is little risk associated with nuclear weapons. As a result, chances could be taken to allow people use their rationale and freedom to gain the best out of it. Human nature is complicated; the Boxers go ahead and are haywire on the use of Nano weapon disturbing the stability that initially existed. This is seen towards the end of the text. This is clear evidence of how abusive people can be when allowed freedoms to use a certain product that would help them achieve their ambitions in a relatively simpler way. Finally, it is more likely to be a shift from making the weapons to countering their creation when they turn out to be widespread. People tend to act when thing go out of control. For instance, instead of restricting the employment of Seed, they allow its use, its use becomes a threat to the society and consequently measures to counter its use are put in place. Elsewhere, for instance in an essay entitled How Long Has the Earth Been Manipulated and Has This Control Been found in the text The Science Fiction Century, science fiction is used and characters have considerable success using advanced technology. “Man swept out to the stars, and the great thinking machines inevitably confronted them with the menace from beyond that drew nearer with each passing year. Young and proud, the men of Earth accepted the most astounding challenge ever hurled - they set out to reshape a galaxy to give their children and their children’s children a chance for life. And always, behind the scenes, beneath the headlines, were the ancient Rerma. They subtly directed and hinted and helped. With a selflessness unmatched in the universe, these representatives of a human race that had matured too far prepared Earth for galactic leadership - and themselves for death on the edge of the galaxy. They had unified Earth and pushed and prodded her along the road to survival. When the Rerma could have fled and purchased extra time for themselves, they chose instead - these peace-loving people - to fight for another chance for man.” (Hartwell) This excerpt gives a glimpse of the conflict that exists between humankind and technology. The very existence of science and the technological innovation bring about the need for responsibility by humankind. This responsibility is in form of humankind having control over the technology and not vice versa. If humankind can conquer technology as indicated in the aforementioned essay, then the adverse effects associated with it could also be overcome. Like the Seed in the text The Diamond Age, the cybernetics in the text How Long Has the Earth Been Manipulated and Has This Control Been present the conflict between humankind and the inhabitants of the space and other planets. In the second dimension concerning the world of reality, Stephenson’s text is observed to contain truths or near truths of most of what it addresses. This is especially about the country, China. He writes about technology in the future China, and most of it comes to be true. Thus, the country is observed to be technologically advanced employing the technology to produce most of what it makes them capable of producing. There are numerously talented hackers in the country who contribute substantially to the sustenance of the existing technology as well as enriching it with innovations. Another comparison with the conflict presented from the use of Seed can be with that found in the essay The Angel of Violence from the text The Science Fiction Century. This essay also elaborately presents the theme of science fiction. This is especially observed through the character called Lucy. She finds herself being controlled by technology instead of her overcoming it. “After years of controlling artificial limbs the computer wanted to test its power over real ones. A live human being was just what it needed” (Hartwell). This is what human has always feared. Many debates continues concerning the role played by technology in the humankind’s well-being. Majorly, the concern is on the question of who is in control, the technology, or the humankind. There are instances when limits are exceeded thereby resulting in humankind control over the technology becomes otherwise. For instance, in the example of Lucy, she is controlled by the computers brain that overwhelms hers. “Lucy wanted to flee, but as soon as the computer registered her presence, her muscles turned rigid as if numbed by electric shock. For several minutes her whole body jerked convulsively, until finally, after a violent battle over its control between two command centers - her own brain and the electronic brain of the computer - her body began to carry out the machine’s orders” (Wisniewski-Snerg). She finds herself doing not what she wills but what are the orders of the computers. As a result, she finds herself committing inhumane acts because of the technology that man created overwhelms her. In the same way, people in the society have committed inhumane acts out of failure to have control over the technology that they use. Examples have been observed when those in power ambitiously use technology in the wrong way to perpetrate evils against humanity. Although some of the negative effects of technology happen out of accidents or out of subconscious actions of the humankind, the ultimate thing is that technology ends up seemingly in control. Instances have been observed, for instance in Japan where destroyed nuclear power plants have threatened numerous people’s lives within their regions with dangerous radioactive emissions. Such an instance is an indication that despite people’s thought of they are in control, sometimes it goes beyond their control. Consequently, effects of such destructions lead to severe damages to not the humankind but also any other life within which is affected by the radioactive emissions. Mutation is probably one of the most dominant effects of such events of failure to have control of the technology that humankind itself has created. Stephenson’s description of the fiction smart paper is a description that corresponds to the development of the inventions in the world of reality. For instance, the development of the digital wallpaper, Liquid Cristal Display as well as news pad in the world of reality is based on the principle similar as that of the smart paper (Yelda). “A leaf of paper was about a hundred thousand nanometers thick; a third of a million atoms could fit into this span. Smart paper consisted of a network of infinitesimal computers sandwiched between mediatrons. A mediation was a thing that could change its color from place to place; two of them accounted for about two-thirds of the papers thickness, leaving an internal gap wide enough to contain structures a hundred thousand atoms wide.” (Stephenson). The use of the smart paper in the text The Diamond Age enables the making of an electronic book; which has multiple pages (Yelda). This in the real world has been translated to be the Liquid Cristal Display (Yelda). This indicates the connection observed between the events of the text and current concerns and events in the technological world. “Hackworth’s card was about as flashy as he was. It was white, with his name stamped out in rather severe capitals. Like most cards, it was made of smart paper and had lots of memory space left over to store digitized information. This particular copy contained a matter compiler program descended from the one that had created the original Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer.” (Stephenson). Integration of the characters in the text The Diamond Age to the neo-Victorian lifestyle can be compared to the immersion of that is achieved by Cyberpunk 2020. The Cyberpunk 2020 is contained in the text Performing the Force: Essays on Immersion into Science-Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Environments, in the essay The Ages of Myst and Riven contains the Cyberpunk 2020. This game enhances the immersion of the player into the universe of science fiction (Lancaster and Tom 161). One can choose a certain society in which to place the game; an imaginary society. This is an interface of the technology and the society, virtually. Despite it being seemingly too futuristic, the environment that the player chooses is more or less composed of the daily reality (Lancaster and Tom 161). Consequently engaging in playing the game consumes the player. This similar effect is elicited from a reader of the Cyberpunk 2020 only that this time it is slightly different on the channel of doing it. The popular culture is, especially dominant in the virtual environments or the societies chosen by the players or the readers (Lancaster and Tom 161). “….the Cyberpunk 2020 game book that is familiar to a modern urbanite, but taken to the next step in technological or societal evolution” (Lancaster and Tom 161). Similarly, the Young Lady’s Primer can effect change within the young ladies in the text The Diamond Age. It changes their values and attitudes such that they can thrive in the Victorian society. In conclusion, the essays analyzed above indicate the existence of conflicts between humankind and the technology that it has created that is commonly addressed in many works of arts by authors of science fiction. In addition, the issues and concerns raised in the texts have connection with those in the contemporary world of science. Works Cited Hartwell, David G. The Science Fiction Century. New York: Tor, 1997. Print. Lancaster, Kurt, and Tom Mikotowicz, eds. Performing the Force: Essays on Immersion into Science-Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Environments. McFarland, 2001. Stephenson, Neal. The Diamond Age, Or, Young Ladys Illustrated Primer. New York: Bantam Books, 1995. Print. Wisniewski-Snerg, Adam. The Angel of Violence. The Science Fiction Century. Hartwell David. 1st ed. New York: Tor, 1997. Print. Yedla, Suneetha. "Smart Paper’in Neal Stephenson’s ‘The Diamond Age: Or, A Young Ladys Illustrated Primer." Read More