Thursday, October 6, 2011

In chapter 4, how does the episode in the elevator portray the robot-like characteristics of the lower-caste workers?

The elevator operator's features are described as "monkey like" indicating the low evolutionary position of the lower caste worker.  "He" responds mechanically to the sun, cheered, presumably, by its warmth.  But "he" has no desire to remain there because he has been trained to do a simple task --- operate the elevator, and that is what he does, and it won't function well if it stays at the top floor in the sun.  (Interestingly, in our world he has been replaced by an even "lower" caste --- an electronic system which does what he does and makes even fewer demands on the system than the operator does.  Of course, perhaps lower caste workers assemble the elevator mechanism.)


This is a clear example of how beings in their society are "bred" for one task, a task they do without complaining and, supposedly, without error.

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