Technology is one of the central topics throughout the
whole of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle
Maintenance. Its presence in everyday life evokes different opinions and
perceptions by the main characters, the most notably being the variation in
outlook by the narrator in comparison to John and Sylvia. The narrator accepts
and embraces technology wholeheartedly, while his friends are unable to see the
positive attributes.
The narrator’s
perception of technology is extremely positive, as he receives a large amount
of enjoyment from using and interacting with it. One thing that demonstrates
his love for technology is his constant need to take care of his motorcycle.
This seemingly obsessive desire further supports his appreciation of technology
as a whole; he values it enough to spend such a large portion of his time
dedicated to ensuring that his motorcycle is getting the proper care. Maintaining
his motorcycle has become an activity that he now finds enjoyable; at one
point, he claims that “it seems natural and normal to me to make use of the
small tool kits and instruction booklets supplied with each machine, and keep
it tuned and adjusted myself (9-10). The narrator is acutely aware that
technology’s place in society is only growing, so his decision to embrace it and
make use of it is beneficial for himself.
Opposite from the narrator’s point of view, both of the
narrator’s traveling partners, John and Sylvia, have a far less accepting
perception of technology. They are unable to see the benefits, so they focus
purely on the negatives, never taking the time to use it themselves or
appreciate it, much unlike their fellow traveler. While it seems that the large
majority of individuals have a positive outlook with regard to technology, John
and Sylvia refuse to conform to society’s values. Their defiance of the norm
can be viewed as a good thing, as they are following what they themselves
believe in, rather than what others value. However, in the long run, their
division from technology will prove to be detrimental. John and Sylvia may want
to detach themselves, but they have to acknowledge the progress that technology
has made. If they refuse to recognize the positive attributes, then their isolation
from a great amount of progress in society will ultimately be a bad thing.
Unlike the narrator, John would prefer someone else to deal with his
attachments to technology. “He [John] prefers to let a competent mechanic take
care of these things so that they are done right” (10). Both John and his wife
have at least some understanding as to how technology affects them, due to the
fact that they possess technological items, most apparently their motorcycle,
yet they have an undying need to be isolated from it. “Sylvia is completely
with him on this one. In fact she is even more emphatic. ‘It’s just a whole
other thing,’ she says, when in a thoughtful mood. ‘I like garbage,’ she says,
when not. They want not to understand it. Not to hear about it. And the more I
try to fathom what makes me enjoy mechanical work and them hate it so, the more
elusive it becomes. The ultimate cause of this originally minor difference of
opinion appears to run way, way deep” (11). John and Sylvia’s disapproval of
technology is one of the central topics that separate them from the narrator.
Technology’s presence in society is controversial
among individuals, based on the difference in beliefs as to whether or not it
should play such a large role in the world. The central characters of the
novel, the narrator; John; and Sylvia, all have varying opinions on the
subject. While the narrator chooses to embrace it for all of its positive
attributes, the others have a completely different outlook, always searching
for someone else to deal with it. A difference in opinion regarding technology is
of the main differences that exist between the narrator and John and Sylvia.
Technology’s presence in the novel is viewed as both positive and
negative, based on the individual’s perception. Similarly, technology has both
good and bad attributes in modern society as well. While many individuals tend
to get caught up with all of the progress and advancements that technology has
led to, they sometimes forget that technology is not all good.
Technology has
many significant uses that facilitate everyday life. Accessibility to
information and communication is one central purpose that technology serves in
modern-day life. Today, the invention of cell phones and social media is more
prominent than ever before, which allows for the easy spread of information and
communication. One important characteristic of such advancements is the ability
to communicate with family and friends that live far away. New technological
advancements are occurring every day, such as Skype and FaceTime, of which
minimize the feeling of distance and contribute to the addition of more modes
of communication. In addition, technological advancements have aided
tremendously in the area of medicine and science. New medications, surgeries,
and discoveries have been made, all with the assistance of modern technology.
In connection to the novel, the idea of convenience also comes into play. The
narrator is able to fix his own motorcycle problems because of the fact that he
has familiarized himself with technology, and can use it to his benefit.
Despite all of the
positive influences technology has, there are definitely negative effects, one
of the most important being society’s reliance on it. Humans, especially in
today’s technologically-based society, have become so accustomed to having
technology at their fingertips that they have become dependent upon it. Some
have even become addicted to it, as they cannot function properly without it.
In addition, the prominence of technology in modern society has led society to become
isolated from one another and develop a lack of social skills. While the idea
of convenience is significant in regard to communication, people, mainly
younger generations that have grown up with advanced technology, do become
infatuated with it, constantly checking their phones or laptops. On a larger
scale, technology has led to a huge increase in pollution. Large companies and
factories that depend on technology to succeed are contributing greatly to the
overall amount of pollution in all areas, including noise pollution, air
pollution, water pollution, and light pollution. The presence of technology in
society is constantly increasing, which speaks volumes for the influences that
it will have in the near future, which are not all positive.
Technology’s role in modern-day society is vital, yet
there are certain aspects that lead some to question its importance. While
technology most definitely has its own positive attributes, there are many
flaws in its omnipresence throughout society. Factors such as accessibility to
information, communication, travel, and convenience are all benefits of
technology, yet one must consider the resulting flaws, such as pollution,
isolation, and dependence. As in the case of the narrator, John, and Sylvia, it
is up to the individual to determine whether he or she would rather embrace
technology or dismiss it.
Robert Pirsig’s novel was written in the United States
during the early 1970s (Nordquist). In the decades leading up to the
publication of Zen and the Art of
Motorcycle Maintenance, there was a large amount of disagreement regarding
the integration of technology into society (Nakate). The debate that the narrator
has against John and Sylvia about the embrace of technology can be viewed as a
representation of the greater issue that was present in society at the time.
One of the most
notable progressions in the field of technology during this decade was that of
automobiles. Automobiles improved significantly during this time period, so the
great presence of motorcycles in the novel may have some correlation with what
was simultaneously happening in society. During the 1970s, also, the gap
between technology and business began to merge, thus creating a new dynamic;
technology now had a new purpose in society (Nakate). “The decades of 1950s and
1960s saw frequent face-offs between those who supported technological
development and those who were opposed to it. However, it was the '70s decade
that witnessed the convergence of technology and commerce” (Nakate). With the
exploration of new purposes for technology came new perceptions and opinions
regarding its presence in society.
The varying
opinions of technology have made their way into the story in the form of the
narrator and Phaedrus. The narrator represents the pro-technological side,
while Phaedrus is opposed to it. It becomes clear very early on in the novel
that the narrator deeply enjoys maintaining his motorcycle, as it gives him
both a sense of power and a leisurely activity. Oppositely, the character of
Phaedrus is far more philosophically-based, as he seems to care less about the
mechanics and details of things, and more about the overall picture. The
central characters of the novel seem to be microcosms for the division of
society in terms of their feelings regarding technology.
Not only did the
varying opinions of technology in the real world influence Pirsig’s writing,
but his own experiences did as well. One factor that likely contributed to the
topic of the novel is the fact that Robert Pirsig’s job consisted of writing
computer manuals. This very experience explains the fascination that the
narrator has with the technical and mechanical aspects of technology. In addition,
the premise of the narrator’s road trip with Chris is based on the author’s
life. He also went on a motorcycle trip with his son prior to writing Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
The novel is said to be autobiographical, and the similarities between the
narrator and Robert Pirsig are undeniable.
The narrator and
Phaedrus each serve as representations of the two types of individuals of the
1970s, based on their feelings about technology. In addition, the author’s
personal experiences have made a clear impact on the topic and ideas presented
within the story.
The narrator uses technology
as support for the large majority of his philosophical tangents. He contrasts
the far more abstract side of the world, which is philosophy, with the more
mechanical side, which is technology. His choice of support for these tangents
is unexpected, yet they act well in maintaining and characterizing his ideas. This
merging of such different facets is significant in acknowledging the unity that
exists in the world. Technology and other technical aspects of the world can
work in accordance with their opposite, the abstract side of the world. It is
ironic that technology, which is something man-made, is the narrator’s choice
for exemplifying an observation inherent to the nature of mankind and the
world. His use of technology in highlighting certain aspects of his
philosophical tangents demonstrates man’s natural tendencies in observation of
the world around him.
Phaedrus’s
character is representative of the philosophical side of humanity, while the
narrator serves as a symbol for the more technical side. This contrast allows
for the differences between the two to become more apparent. Since they are in
fact the same person, their very different personalities draw attention to the
beliefs that they each partake in. One main idea throughout the span of the
book is that of Quality, which becomes Phaedrus’s obsession during his time as
a professor, which ultimately leads to his transformation into the narrator. Phaedrus
was one of the few who felt the need to explore the concept of Quality. While
others simply did not give the idea more than a few seconds of thought, he
analyzed it to a point of total consumption. “What Phaedrus observed on a
personal level was a phenomenon, profoundly characteristic of the history of
science, which has been swept under the carpet for years” (101). The narrator’s
use of technology in these tangents shows his unity with the old him, Phaedrus.
Regardless of how abstractedly-minded someone is, there is no denying the fact
that technology plays an important role in all of society. There are bound to
be both good and bad things about technology, but that is true for everything.
As a whole, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle
Maintenance does a solid job of highlighting both the positive and negative
attributes that technology has to offer.
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