The Machine Stops

These prompts can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before or after reading the story.

Pre-Reading Warm-Up

What is the purpose of studying history? What about the arts and humanities? How do these subjects differ from topics such as science and engineering? How might history, arts, and the humanities be practical areas of study? How might they not?

Teaching Suggestion: This question connects to the theme of The Study of History and can help students understand how all of these subjects can be practical, but they can also be used to traverse into esoteric territory, creating the academic busy work that occupies Vashti in “The Machine Stops.” After they’ve read the story, students can connect their initial responses to the use of lecture and academia in “The Machine” and consider how this might be a critique of the way academia functioned in Forster’s society.

• Posted by the American Historical Association, this article addresses the question of why we study history beyond the idea of “being doomed to repeat it.” This information can help students understand the broader practical purpose of history to prepare them for the impractical way Vashti studies and lectures on history in the story.