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The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster/ Author Introduction / Historical Context / About the Work / Themes / Characters/ Summary & Analysis

 ➥The Machine Stops

by E.M. Forster



Brief Biography of E.M. Forster

Forster was born in London in 1879. His father, an architect, died of tuberculosis when he was a baby, so he was raised by his mother and aunts. From 1897 to 1901, he attended Cambridge University, studying classics and history. After graduation, he worked as a lecturer at the Working Men’s College, Cambridge, and the University of London. In 1905, he published his first novel, Where Angels Fear to Tread, followed by The Longest Journey (1907), A Room with A View (1908), and Howards End (1910). In 1911, Forster published The Celestial Omnibus, his first collection of short stories. In 1912, he visited India, an experience that would later inspire A Passage to India (1924) and The Hill of Devi (1953). In 1913, his encounter with the openly gay socialist activist Edward Carpenter inspired his posthumously published novel of homosexual love, Maurice (1971). During the First World War, he worked for the Red Cross’s Wounded and Missing Bureau in Egypt. After the war, he briefly worked as a newspaper writer and editor, before again visiting India, where he worked as a private secretary to the Maharaja of Dewas from 1921-22. His final novel, A Passage to India (1924), received widespread critical acclaim. In 1926, he started a relationship with a London policeman, Harry Daley. He published a book on writing, Aspects of the Novel, in 1927. His second story collection, The Eternal Moment, was published in 1928. In 1934, he became president of the National Council for Civil Liberties. He published two essay collections, Abinger Harvest (1936) and Two Cheers for Democracy (1951). During the Second World War, he broadcasted anti-Nazi talks for the BBC, and after the war wrote the libretto for Benjamin Britten’s opera Billy Budd. He died in 1970. Many of his unpublished novels and short stories were published following his death.


Historical Context of The Machine Stops

“The Machine Stops” was written at a time of rapid technological change. Major innovations of this period included the telephone (1876), the radio (1895), the phonograph (1877), films (1895), cars (1886), and airplanes (1903). Many of the features of the society in “The Machine Stops”—long-distance video calling, on-demand musical recordings, remote lectures, air-ships—are simply more advanced developments of these technologies that already existed in rudimentary form at the time of the story’s writing (1909). The dystopian world of “The Machine Stops” therefore is, on one level, a pessimistic reflection on the dramatic societal transformations that the Second Industrial Revolution (1870-1914) was causing at the time of its writing. “The Machine Stops” is not only inspired by the technological changes that were taking place at the turn of the twentieth century, but also by the accompanying ideological changes. Older belief systems, such as traditional religion, and older ways of life, with its close connection to natural rhythms, were being replaced by a new emphasis on rationality and factory-like efficiency. These ideological transformations of the modern era are reflected in the ideologies and social structures of the futuristic society in “The Machine Stops.” In this way, the story is as much a commentary on Forster’s own time as it is a cautionary tale of what humanity could become.


Other Books Related to The Machine Stops

“The Machine Stops” is the only science fiction work published by E.M. Forster. Most of Forster’s novels and short stories, by contrast, are realistic social commentaries, often critiquing contemporary England or British colonialism, such as his three most famous novels, A Room with A View, Howards End, and A Passage to India. However, Forster did incorporate speculative and fantastical elements in other short stories, such as “The Celestial Omnibus” and “The Story of the Siren.” Forster wrote “The Machine Stops” as a direct response to the science fiction works of H.G. Wells, writing in the introduction of his Collected Short Stories that the story was “a reaction to one of the earlier heavens of H.G. Wells.” Forster may have been reacting to the futuristic worlds that Wells depicted in The Time Machine (1896) or A Modern Utopia (1905), offering a much bleaker vision of technological progress than that provided by Wells. As an early example of the dystopian fiction genre, “The Machine Stops” shares similarities with later works in this tradition, such as We (1921) by Yevgeny Zamyatin, Brave New World (1932) by Aldous Huxley, and 1984 (1949) by George Orwell.


Key Facts about The Machine Stops

Full Title: The Machine Stops

When Written: 1909

Where Written: London

When Published: 1909

Literary Period: Modernism

Genre: Science fiction, dystopian fiction, short story

Setting: A futuristic society, underground beneath Sumatra and England

Climax: The Machine breaks down, causing the collapse of the society and the deaths of all human beings living underground

Antagonist: The Machine

Point of View: Third person, limited to Vashti’s perspective with occasional remarks by the omniscient narrator.


Primary Themes:

1. Technology vs. Humanity: The tension between technological advancements and human emotions.

2. Individuality vs. Conformity: The struggle for personal freedom in a highly controlled society.

3. Isolation and Loneliness: The consequences of relying solely on technology for connection.

4. Nature vs. Machine: The contrast between the natural world and the artificial, mechanized society.

5. Social Commentary: Critique of industrialization, urbanization, and the effects on human relationships.


Secondary Themes:

1. Futurism and Dystopia: Exploration of a potential dark future.

2. Rebellion and Resistance: The desire for change and challenge to authority.

3. Communication and Connection: The importance of genuine human interaction.

4. Identity and Self-Discovery: Exploring one's purpose and meaning in a mechanized world.

5. Morality and Ethics: Questions surrounding the impact of technology on human values.


Symbolism:

1. The Machine: Represents societal control, conformity, and technological dominance.

2. The Earth's Surface: Symbolizes freedom, nature, and the human connection to the environment.

3. Kuno's Tunnel: Represents the desire for human connection and escape from isolation.

4. Vashti's Pod: Embodies the isolation and disconnection of modern life.


Philosophical Influences:

1. Utilitarianism: Critique of prioritizing efficiency over human well-being.

2. Existentialism: Emphasis on individual freedom and choice.

3. Romanticism: Appreciation for nature, emotion, and human connection.


Influence on Later Works:

1. Dystopian fiction (e.g., 1984, Brave New World)

2. Science fiction (e.g., Blade Runner, The Matrix)

3. Philosophical debates on technology's impact on society


Main Characters:

1. Vashti: The protagonist, a devout follower of the Machine, representing conformity and isolation.

2. Kuno: Vashti's son, seeking human connection and individuality, challenging the Machine's authority.


Supporting Characters:

1. The Machine: The omnipresent, omniscient entity controlling society.

2. The Book of the Machine: The sacred text guiding the Machine's followers.

3. The Inquisitor: A Machine-appointed official investigating Kuno's rebellious thoughts.

4. The Promulgator of the Machine: A high-ranking official interpreting the Book of the Machine.


Minor Characters:

1. Vashti's Father: A brief, unseen character emphasizing Vashti's emotional detachment.

2. Kuno's Father: Mentioned, highlighting Kuno's desire for family connection.

3. The Mending Apparatus: A Machine component repairing physical defects.

4. The Turbine Relays: Machine workers maintaining the underground infrastructure.


Character Analysis:

1. Vashti: Embodies the consequences of relying solely on technology for connection.

2. Kuno: Represents the human desire for individuality, freedom, and genuine relationships.

3. The Machine: Symbolizes societal control, conformity, and technological dominance.


Character Relationships:

1. Vashti-Kuno: Mother-son relationship highlighting generational conflict and emotional detachment.

2. Kuno-The Machine: Rebel-authority dynamic exploring individuality vs. conformity.

3. Vashti-The Machine: Devotee-deity relationship illustrating blind obedience.


Psychological Insights:

1. Vashti's denial of emotions and human connection.

2. Kuno's struggle with identity and purpose.

3. The Machine's impact on mental health and relationships.


Philosophical Significance:

1. Existentialism: Emphasis on individual freedom and choice.

2. Humanism: Value of human connection and emotions.

3. Technological critique: Warning against over-reliance on technology.


SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS

In a future human society, everyone lives in separate, underground rooms, where all their needs and wants are provided by “the Machine.” One day, a woman, Vashti, receives a call from her son Kuno asking her to visit him in person. She doesn’t see the point of visiting him, since they can communicate just as easily through the Machine. Kuno wants to visit the earth’s surface (which is now apparently incapable of supporting life), a desire that Vashti, who is perfectly content living underground with the aid of the Machine, doesn’t understand. Kuno criticizes Vashti for worshipping the Machine as if it were a divine being. Later, Kuno tells Vashti that he will not talk to her anymore until she comes to visit him. She reluctantly decides to travel on an air-ship to the other side of the world where her son lives.

Onboard the air-ship, Vashti is distressed by the need to talk to and touch other people, and she is entirely uninterested in the natural scenery below. When she arrives in her son’s room, angry at him for making her undergo such a worthless trip, he tells her that he has been threatened with “Homelessness”—a form of execution in which the victim is placed on the earth’s surface without protective equipment, killing them. Kuno tells Vashti the story of how he escaped to the earth’s surface through a ventilation shaft and stayed there for a short time, fascinated by the natural world around him, before being drawn back underground by the Machine’s Mending Apparatus. Feeling that her son’s deviations are unforgivable, Vashti leaves and rarely talks to him again.

In the following years, respirators (protective equipment) are abolished, making it impossible to visit the earth’s surface. Meanwhile, the Machine is increasingly worshipped as a god. Kuno calls Vashti and tells her that “the Machine is stopping,” a statement that makes no sense to her. Defects start to appear in the Machine’s system, such as flaws in the music, fruit, beds, and other objects that the Machine summons. These defects become worse as time goes on, sparking outrage and panic in the society. The Committee of the Machine reveals that the Mending Apparatus itself has been broken.

One day, the ultimate disaster strikes, and the Machine stops entirely. All lines of communication are cut, and the air and light start to dissipate, condemning all the people living underground to certain death. As Vashti watches the crowds of people dying around her, she reunites with Kuno. He says there is no hope for them, but there are still humans living above-ground—“the Homeless”—who will carry on after this calamity, now that humanity has learned its lesson about the Machine. Vashti realizes that her son has been right all along about the Machine’s destructive impact on humanity. Vashti and Kuno embrace as an air-ship crashes into the city, destroying it and killing them.


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