The Machine Stops

Use these links to supplement and complement students’ reading of the work and to increase their overall enjoyment of literature. Challenge them to discern parallel themes, engage through visual and aural stimuli, and delve deeper into the thematic possibilities presented by the title.

Recommended Texts for Pairing

“Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut (1961)

• In this dystopian short story, the government has passed legislation to enforce true equality by forcing everyone who has notable talent or strength to wear devices called “handicaps” to bring them back to average.
• The story connects to the society in “The Machine Stops,” in which technological advances have been used to keep citizens passive and those who are extraordinary are culled at birth.
• This connects to the theme of Human Advancement in “The Machine Stops.”

“The Pedestrian” by Ray Bradbury (1951)

• This short story, set in 2053, is about a man who goes for a walk one evening and is stopped by the police because he isn’t inside watching television like everyone else.
• Like “The Machine Stops,” this story explores the theme of Human Advancement and the way technology might keep people from experiencing their lives.

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (1932)