Little Bee (The Other Hand) Technology and Modernization

One of the major differences between Sarah and Little Bee's narratives is in their experiences with technology. Sarah is so much a part of the digital age that she eats, sleeps, and dreams in technology. Little Bee, whose village was not industrialized, has to process and acclimate to all the technology she sees before her. She experiences a Kafkaesque alienation as a result of, among other things, her experience of being processed by the bureaucracy of the immigration detention center. The novel also explores one of the great ironies of globalization – that money is allowed to move freely across all boundary lines, yet people are not.

Questions About Technology and Modernization

1. Is this novel pro, anti, or neutral when it comes to modern technologies?
2. Are you more like Sarah or Little Bee when it comes to technology?
3. Why does Little Bee think her society is suffering from a lack of technology?
4. Little Bee argues that technology alienates people from each other. Do you agree?