Machines Like Me

Adam’s eyes symbolize his developing personhood. They make Charlie uneasy, and he often speculates about whether they confer the same sense of consciousness as human eyes do. Charlie muses, “I still wondered what it meant, that Adam could see, and who or what did the seeing” (139). Although the complexities of machine sight are as inexplicable to Charlie as the biology of human sight, he still regards Adam’s eyes with distrust.

Whereas Charlie believes that sight itself can represent consciousness, Adam believes that what’s not seen is a better indication of personhood: “‘The edge of vision is a good representation of the edge of consciousness’” (157). In this statement, Adam implies that personhood should pursue the edges of vision so as to expand its horizons and experience more significant growth. Adam’s insight informs his experience of personhood and his hope that human society can overcome its failure to face harsh truths.

As a respected author of moderate success, Maxfield Blacke (Miranda’s father) and his writing process symbolize work before societal collapse and technological advancement. He writes all his work by hand and refuses to have technology present in his office. That Maxfield has several autoimmune diseases contributes to his role as a symbol of the past, signifying the transience of human experience and history in relation to the possibilities of eternal consciousness available to