Literature Section 3 Flashcards
Who is the director of the 1968 movie 2001: A Space Odyssey?
Stanley Kubrick
2001: A Space Odyssey is based on what science fiction novel written by who?
Arthur C. Clarke
What is HAL 9000? What is wrong with it?
a powerful computer that runs the spaceship Discovery and then kills the astronauts who are conscious (Dr. Dave Bowman and Dr. Frank Poole) after killing those in suspended animation
What does the Augmentor in The Lathe of Heaven similarly to that of HAL 9000 in 2001: A Space Odyssey?
the concern that a technology could supersede, dominate, or destroy its maker
What does technology refer to?
“the practical application of knowledge especially in a particular area” Any tool that humans have invented as a practical application of knowledge is a form of technology
Are quill and fountain pens, rollerballs, and ball points a form of technology?
forms of writing technology
Where does The Lathe of Heaven take place?
Portland, Oregon
When does The Lathe of Heaven take place?
2002
Why was Orr sent to Haber?
because he had become too disturbed by his dreams that he’s been illegally taking too many pharmaceutical drugs to try to suppress them
True or False? Dr. Haber immediately believes Orr at first when he is told that Orr’s dreams can alter reality
False; he was naturally skeptical but he does want to help
What is the Augmentor?
similar to an EEG; a “Dream Machine” used by Haber to track Orr’s dreaming capabilities and brain activities
How is Dr. Haber different than everyone else (except of course George) in regards to the before and after reality of Orr’s dream?
he can remember the first reality as well as the new reality
How does the purpose of the Augmentor change as the novel progresses?
it is first used to try to benefit Orr/figure out what is going on, then Haber uses it to try to control the dreams so he can directly effect/amplify the dreams before attempting to give himself that same power
Who is the president throughout The Lathe of Heaven (never changes)?
Albert M. Merdle
What was Haber’s goal/reasoning to him controlling what George Orr would dream of?
he wanted to create a utopian society (ending world hunger & creating peace) and makes himself more powerful in the process
What are the alien creatures in the novel called?
Aldebaranians
When the Aldebaranians first enter Earth, how does mankind perceive them?
as hostile enemies
Is mankind’s original perception of the Aldebaranians consistent throughout the rest of the novel?
No, the aliens turn out to be peaceful and soon integrate into society among humans
Orr dreaming up the aliens is an unintended consequence to of Haber’s desire for what? (He instructs to dream it so it’ll become reality)
his desire for world peace; all countries unite against a seemingly violate alien attack
The Aldebaranians seem to embody what two motifs Ursula Le Guin uses at the beginning of the novel?
the jellyfish and sea turtle
How does Heather Lelache describe herself?
as a black widow (spider)
What is Lelache’s proffession?
a lawyer
Why does Dr. Haber believes he can achieve what Orr has not when gives himself the power to alter reality via dreams?
because he is trained, controlled, specialized, and stable candidate so he’ll be able to make his desires come true in his dreams then reality without any unintended consequences
Why does the world starts to come undone and practically melt after Haber hooks himself up to the machine?
his unconscious nothingness fuels the chaos of his non-being into reality
How does Lelache jokingly describe Dr. Haber to George?
he perfectly represents a “Mad Scientist with his Infernal Machine”
In what is the word “robot” first used (Hint: something of Karel Capek)?
a play aka R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots)
Where can the earliest depiction of a robot be found?
Metropolis
Who wrote The Time Machine?
H.G. Wells
Who wrote Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea?
Jule Vern
What was the name of the submarine in Twenty Thousands Leagues Under the Sea?
Nautilus
What type of issues concerning robotics and artificial intelligence are raised by literary works that feature the trope of infernal machine?
ethical
What two stories ask whether technology benefits or dehumanizes humankind, posing an ethical debate regarding if machines can feel?
Melville’s “The Paradise of Bachelors and the Tartarus of Maids” (1855) and Ambrose Bierce’s “Moxon’s Master” (1899)
True or False? People have correctly claimed that self-driving cars as the 21st century most sophisticated and commercially viable AI machine are sentient?
False; there have been no proven claims that show they can have feelings
What was the title of C.L. Moore’s 1944 novella about a woman whose brain is implanted into a robot?
No Woman Born
What was the name of the first novel in Isaac Asimov’s robot series, which was published in 1950?
I, Robot
Who wrote a short story in 1939 that inspired Isaac Asimov’s 1950 novel of the same name (I, Robot)?
Eando Binder
What is the name of the rules that Isaac Asimov created for the behavior of robots?
Three Laws of Robotics
What is the first rule of Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics?
A robot may not injure a human being or, through interaction, allow a human being to come to harm
What is the second rule of Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics?
A robot must obey orders given it by human beings unless it conflicts with the first rule
What is the third rule of Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics?
A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not cause conflict with the first and second rule
What science fiction novel inspired the 1982 film Bladerunner?
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Who wrote the 1968 novel Do Androids dream of Electric Sheep?
Philip K. Dick
Which popular android character from the television series Star Trek frequently questioned the meaning of its existence?
Data
What is an example in the Lathe of Heaven that can be used proof to the debatable question: Can a machine have a soul? regarding most people speaking of machines in personification
Dr. Haber calls his Augmenter his Baby
This Taoist symbol is an alike to the intertwined passive and the active _______
Yin-Yang
What does the novel The Lathe of Heaven value?
A fine-tuned balance
Who is Mannie Ahrens?
elevator guard and manager of Orr’s Corbett Avenue apartment
How does Mannie Ahren’s appearance ties into the 1960s youth countercultural moment?
because he is a “living emblem of a psychedelic, hippie past”
What does Mannie do for Orr that shows he is a compassionate person?
he does not judge nor criticize Orr but rather tells the authorities that he lent the Pharm Card so Orr wouldn’t get in too much trouble
What quality does Mannie Ahren possess that Haber does not?
Kindness and empathy
What repeated refrain does Ahren’s act of kindness toward Orr at the beginning foreshadow?
that everyone needs love and friendship; Orr was only able to defeat Haber with the help of his friends
Who is Tiua’k Ennbe Ennbe?
the proprietor of a secondhand craft store
True or False? All Adebaranians are exactly the same.
False, they look alike but have different names
What is the gift Orr receives from Ennbe Ennbe?
an antique 45 RPM Beatles record of the song “With a Little Help From My Friends” (an object central to how George finds a way to end his struggle with Haber)
What are the seven integral themes in Lathe of Heaven?
1). shifting versions of reality 2). technology v. humanity 3). philosophical view points, particularly Taoism and utilitarianism 4). the enduring problem of warfare 5). issues of racism, immigration, xenophobia 6). the power of friendship and love 7). the pitfall patterns of dominance and control
Who are the three characters that are aware of Orr’s reality shifting and the difference from the old reality to the new reality by the end of the novel?
Heather Lelache, Haber, and Orr himself
Reality is tied to what of Orr’s?
subconscious and dreaming mind
Who is the Aldebaranian that plays a crucial role in the reunion of Orr and Lelache after everything has returned to normal?
E’nememen Asfah
What is E’nememen Asfah’s profession?
he is the owner of a kitchen equipment shop and Orr’s employer
What year was The Lathe of Heaven published?
1971
How does the theme: shifting versions of reality relate to the sociopolitical and generational conflict regarding the Vietnam War?
different people and different generation had decidedly differing views of what was “true” concerning the war
What was the Watergate event?
a major political scandal that resulted from the Nixon administration’s efforts to hide the truth of its involvement in a break-in at the Democratic National Committee’s headquarters
What is Chinese Taoism?
a form of philosophy that emphasizes the search for equilibrium and balance
In The Lathe of Heaven, what are the opposing philosophical viewpoints?
Taosim and utilitarianism (similar to Western utopian thinking)
What novel does Western utopian thinking stem from?
Thomas More’s Utopia
What is the main fundamental of an utilitarian perspective that Haber abides by throughout the novel?
an action is right insofar as it promotes happiness, and that the greatest happiness of the greatest number should be the guiding principle of conduct (if the majority is happy with the result, then the action taken is justible)
George’s belief system is closest related to what two religions?
Taoism and Buddhism (he doesn’t believe that the end justifies the mean)
How is the ‘Threat of Afghan Intervention” by the Americans (mention in chapter three of the novel: a newspaper headline Orr sees on the subway) relate to current/future events?
At the time of 1971 when the novel was published, America hadn’t gotten involved in Afghanistan’s internal conflicts. We would not get involved until 1979 when the USSR got involved that we did as well
Why can’t Orr’s subconscious mind imagine a human world with war?
because the motives of war are too hard for a rational person to understand, therefore, his dreams have unintended consequences
Where does Orr go to hide from society, Haber, and his dreams? (Hint: in a cabin in the forest)
Siuslaw National Forest
After the Aldebaran’s invade the moon, what does the moon represent?
“the Lost”, no longer “Unattainable” and “Attainable”
What does AABM stand for?
Anti-Alien Ballistic Missile defense network
During the alien invasion, the aliens took control of these missiles and sent them crashing into the State of Oregon?
AABM
The first intercellular war causes what previously dormant volcano to erupt?
Mount Hood
True or False? The aliens remain violent creatures
False, they become peaceful after Haber instructs Orr to dream the invasion stops and the aliens are transformed into amiable creatures
True or False? After George dreams the aliens are peaceful and they integrate into society, everything is right in the world
False; for example, football has become gladiatorial and fatal and citizens are armed with hypodermic guns so they can make a Citizen’s arrest to euthanize someone who is critically sick
Where did Heather Lelache’s parents first meet?
at a political demonstration
What happened to Lelache’s mom at the the age thirty-eight?
she died after using a dirty needle for heroin
What is the meaning of the name “Lelache”?
as a French word it means: The Coward
What concept does Heather Lelache struggle with because of her perceptions of her parents’ feelings toward each other?
her racial identity
Critics have MOST often noted that Le Guin’s depiction of Lelache
essentializaes her race because her complexity is seemingly denied when she is erased since she is biracial
Which issue does Dr. Haber mention after George Orr dreams of a world without racial conflict?
the caste system of India
What happens right after Orr dreams about eliminating all race-based suffering in The Lather of Heaven?
everyone turns grey
What star are the aliens from? (They are natives of a methane-atmosphere planet of the star…)
Aldebaran
What does Haber desire?
power
Who are two characters in The Lathe of Heaven Le Guin uses to display the power of love and friendship?
Heather Lelache and Mannie Alhren
What does Heather and Orr shaking hands (a brown and a white respectively) remind Heather of?
a pin made by the SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) for the Civil Rights movement
This person originally dismisses the symbol of interracial cooperation that Lelache and Orr are
Heather Lelache
How does Heather show a moment of dominance towards George?
when she hypnotizes Orr so that he might get some needed sleep, the outcome is catastrophic with the aliens invading Earth
Patterns of dominance and control are represented as the….
wrong way to act
What is the setting of The Lathe of Heaven?
Portland, Oregon
What is the Ring of Fire or the Circum-Pacific Belt?
a path along the pacific ocean that is characterized by its active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes; the Pacific Northwest in which it is apart of, length of 24,900 miles
Tectonic plates the Ring of Fire runs through
Pacific, Juan de Fuca, Cocos, Indian-Australian, Nazca, North American, and Philippine Plates
Number and percent of Earth’s volcanoes located in the Ring of Fire
75% (450)
Portland sits on which river?
Willamette River
What two dormant volcanoes (mountains) are visible residents of Portland, Oregon in The Lathe of Heaven?
Mount Hood and Mount St. Helens
Why does Heather Lelache disappear?
Because of Orr’s dream to end racism
What symbology does the egg whisk represent in The Lathe of Heaven?
Le Guin shows us that the tools our technologies provide us with should be made with balance and care, even a tool as simple and as ordinary as an egg whisk. technology should be used to benefit humankind.
Where was Ursula Kroeber Le Guin Born?
Berkeley, California
