Chosen Topic

I have chosen the topic of technology for my term paper. I think that technology is a recurring topic throughout the entire book, so there will be sufficient support for my ideas. The narrator gives many different examples about how technology is perceived, whether it be good or bad perceptions. There are certain aspects in technology itself that are thought to be bad, while there are also positives.

I plan on using the characters’ different opinions regarding technology, in addition to its practical application in the real world. Also, I am going to explain technology’s presence in the book as a whole, which will be separate from the specific opinions that each character holds. Lastly, I want to find out a little bit more about how technology was present during the time the author wrote the book, as well as the time period that the story takes place in. I think that intertwining the story’s emphasis on technology with its historical and modern application will prove to be more beneficial than to simply focus on the book as a whole. Therefore, two of my main points in the paper will focus primarily on the novel itself with specific events and quotes as supports, while the other two ideas will center around practical application in both history and modern day.

i.                     The manner in which technology is presented to the reader from the book as a whole

ii.                   The different opinions regarding technology as presented by the narrator and John/Sylvia

iii.                  How technology was used and perceived during the time period and location in which the story was written by Pirsig

iv.                 How technology demonstrates its positives and negatives in modern society

Thesis: Technology is one of the central topics in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, which focuses greatly on highlighting both the positive and negative attributes that it has to offer.