It's 2194. Your friend calls you on your holophone while your robot maid cleans and you ask the pantry to make you an omelet—no tomatoes this time. Sounds pretty swank, right? It turns out all this stuff will actually take place. Well, if The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm is to be believed. Just like in other books set in the future, we're asked to think about high-end technology that doesn't exist and wonder what life would be like if these innovations really came along. From where we're sitting, we're thinking life would be awesome. No scrubbing the floor? Count us in.
Questions About Technology and Modernization
- Does the book take a stand on technology and modernization? Is it always presented as a good thing? Give examples from the text.
- Why do the people of Resthaven choose to live without technology? What makes technology good or bad? What does that tell us about technology?
- Have the technological advances in The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm improved life at all? What is the same as it is today?
- List as many modernizations in The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm as you can find. Which of these do you think would be the most helpful in your life right now? Why?
Chew on This
The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm presents us with a very positive view of technological progress and the ways it can help people.
Even though there are many technological advances in The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm, not much has changed in terms of quality of life.