Different Opinions Regarding Technology (Priya Dhairyawan)

            Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance begins with a conflict revolving around technology. The speaker accepts technology and the benefits that it provides, while his friends, John and Sylvia, are strongly against it. I think John and Sylvia are a bit naïve to oppose technology, as it appears that they still make use of it in their everyday lives. For one, their motorcycle, which seems to be used often, is technology. In addition, they both require the use of technology for small everyday tasks, such as turning on the lights or washing dishes. Even though the two heavily oppose technology, they do not disregard it enough to completely eliminate it from their lives. There is no question that technology simplifies certain aspects of their lives, whether or not they will admit it. They think that having someone else deal with their own technological problems will alienate them from it, when this is not true at all. Conversely, I think the speaker is intelligent in embracing technology. He wants to be familiar with it so that he can fix his problems independently. I think the speaker’s beliefs regarding technology reveal a significant amount about his character; he enjoys the satisfaction of doing things on his own. I admire his ability to move forward with society and learn how to take care of his own problems without having to depend on someone else.

The Nature of Opinions (Monica Rodriguez)

Powerful opinions can grasp a strong hold on a person’s psyche, to the point where they lose the capacity for practical thought. John holds on tightly to his opinion that motorcycle maintenance should be left to the “professionals”, and that he should not burden himself with the knowledge of how to properly maintain his bike. However, that point of view is not exactly practical. As the narrator mentions, if the bike were to break down, John could potentially be stranded and even if he were to find a mechanic he may not be particularly trustworthy, as evidenced by the narrator’s own experience with “trained professionals”. So why then does John insist on holding onto his opinion on motorcycle maintenance, and technology in general, when would be so much more practical to simply learn? According to the narrator, it is not as if John is incapable of learning, nor is he being lazy. He simply has decided, perhaps not consciously, to rebel against technology, and his way of doing so is, ironically, taking the rides on his motorcycle away from city life and the technology it has. If he were to maintain the motorcycle himself he would be brought back to the technology he is trying to escape. It does not matter how many valid points the narrator may make about the practicality of maintaining one’s own motorcycle because John is not thinking from a practical standpoint, he may not even be thinking at all. All he is focusing on is the discomfort he feels in the thought of maintaining a motorcycle and for that reason alone he dismisses the idea altogether. 

Forward (Zane Mandell)

I believe that the opening pages of this Pirsig Novel are all tied together by the idea moving forward. The speaker is someone in my opinion who has been through enough to make him strive to push forward. The conflict between the couple, John and Sylvia, and technology shows this apparent struggle to accept change and move forward. The speaker in my opinion is no better person than John; he is just further ahead along the path of life. This conflict between the two men over motorcycle maintenance is definitely a symbolic way to show the fundamental differences between the two men. But these are not differences that lie in their belief of what is right and wrong. They are not different in how they feel about technology, as the speaker most definitely sympathizes with what he perceives John and Sylvia to believe, but they are different in the way the view the world. The speaker has accepted the idea of industrialization and technology as being a part of his life, while John is unable to accept it as being necessary in his life, trying to escape the idea on this road trip, this being the reason why he refuse to learn how to properly take care of his machine. The speaker tells us how he realized how we are all spectators and was able to elevate himself from that position, putting him forward and ahead of John.

I will leave my reflection with a question I am still thinking about after this point in the reading: Where is and what has become of the speakers wife? This is a question that I believe relates to this sense of forwardness for the speaker.

Harmony in the Use of Technology (Melanie Fuenmayor)

                To fight against the progression of technology would be to disagree with evolution; to reject technology as a whole would be to live life in deliberate ignorance. Regardless of faith, bias, or opinion, it cannot be denied that nature is constantly evolving. Without a doubt, technology has proven to make life easier by the decade, yet many people reject it, be it for choice, disinterest, or fear of the unknown and change.  John and Sylvia’s reaction to technology, and the narrator’s perception of their reactions, comment on this. What the narrator wants to make clear in mentioning this is the greater meaning behind their reactions, and his sound judgment on how we should deal with technology. John seeks instant gratification in the fixing of his motorcycle, by sending it off to a mechanic because he’d rather not interfere with what he does not (nor wishes) to know. Sylvia refuses to acknowledge the irritation of a leaky faucet that was deemed unfixable after one attempt to fix it because she chooses to ignore it or wishes not to deal with it anymore. It is not that they reject technology; rather, they reject the understanding of technology, which interferes with the harmony of using it. The narrator understands that the only way to effectively use technology is to understand it completely. If John took the time to understand the workings of his motorcycle, the narrator feels that he would be less frustrated and more understanding when problems arise, or even better, prevent the problems altogether.  

The difference between enjoying the journey or the destination (Shannon Soler)

            What is better, the journey or the destination? This question is asked in many different occasions, such as when someone is getting to know you. I first encountered this question in Disney World on the ride “Spaceship Earth”. It is a simulation that shows your life in the future and to get to know you, it asks the question. I had never really thought about it. This thought came through my mind while reading the first two chapters of “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”. The narrator specifies that he admires the journey to get somewhere, then the destination. He would rather see the birds flying while on his motorcycle, and he does not really know where he is going. I must say that personally I disagree. I believe the journey to anything, literally and metaphorically, is important, but I would rather enjoy the destination because it includes the journey. The narrator describes two specific journeys in the two chapters. One was with his wife, in which he showed the difference in opinion that he has with John when it comes to motorcycle maintenance. John would rather a professional handle it, while the narrator would rather do it himself. He also explains a journey he took to Canada with Chris, his son, and how he mistook a serious problem with running out of gas. Since that experience, he has learned more about motorcycle maintenance. He also describes that making decisions quickly is not in one’s best interest.