The Age of Earthquakes utilizes self-referential syntax and black-and-white images to comment on the worst aspects of the Internet and technology as a whole. I found the text’s incorporation of images very interesting, as it appears to align with technology’s increasingly visual interface; touch-screen has become standard, for example. The syntax is primarily short sentences, often self-referential or seemingly contradictory in nature. Much like the available information on the Internet, the novel contains many quotes, facts, word definitions, and other short segments of text that seem important, but are not always necessarily relevant. Many of these statements are paradoxical. The novel’s content is riddled with opinions, much like that of the Internet. Despite these opinions and bits of miscellaneous information, though, the novel appears to have a sense of organisation, smoothly transitioning from one subtopic to the next. The interconnectivity of the various statements and images formulates a comment on escapism, which is a common use of technology. The Internet, video games, and other forms of technology often act as a means of escaping the loneliness or boredom of reality, and I like how the novel plays off of this idea, even going as far as to suggest that technology is what’s forcing society to become more isolated and, as a result, increasingly lonely and bored. In an age where new developments in technology are being made every day, most articles, interviews, and novels focus on the positive aspects of the technology-filled future that is being built. This novel, though, chooses to instead focus on the plausible negative effects of the rapid development of technology on human behavior. This text is unlike any I have read before (lest from what I can recall), and though I don’t fully understand it all, I very much appreciate its structure and its message.
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I agree with most of your blog, however I take issue with your argument that the novel has a sense of inter connectivity and congruity of ideas. You propose that the text has these things, however, I would argue that one of the most contributing factors to some of the things you pointed out in your blog is it's scattered presentation. This largely contributes to it "feeling like the internet", and I feel as this aspect is one of the most important when addressing the text.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I agree with the implied statement that the book attempts to mimic the Internet itself, I disagree with the fact that the novel is organized. I agree with Robert, it's more of a scattered presentation, contributing to the chaotic Internet we have today. I do agree that there is a smooth flow between topics, but in a disorganized way. It's like getting lost in your head, which the book suggests is somewhat similar to the Internet now.
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