'The Machine has been most merciful.' 'I prefer the mercy of God.' -"The Machine Stops," E.M Forester, page 69 Besides being well-written and impactful dialogue, these two sentences reveal a lot about Vashti, Kuno, and Forester's "The Machine Stops" as a whole. This exchange between Vashti and Kuno happens after Kuno tells his mother about him going outside, and essentially summarizes the different viewpoints of those characters. It also highlights how much the Machine has warped society as we know it into a mindless herd that essentially worships the Machine, rather than God or some other higher power, and that relies entirely on the Machine, not being able to take care of themselves or others. Vashti's statement of "the Machine has been most merciful" shows how much Vashti reveres the Machine and how the Machine has messed with familial relations (Forester 69). Her gut reaction to learning that her own son has discover...