Rhetorical Reflection

Theme:

My main themes are the topics I decided to include in my personal manifesto about the future, as they are the most important to me. The story I wrote was a mix of climate change and AI, and I focused on what could happen to our planet if we don’t make enough progress in cleaning up our Earth. The protagonist, Eric, lives in a world where he acknowledges our past mistakes, and is tasked with cleaning up plastic from the Pacific ocean. He also struggles with the morality of valuing artificial life just as he does his own, which is another theme showcased in the story. 

Setting:

I set the story in Cairns, Australia, the biggest city on the coast of the Great Barrier Reef. I did this because I wanted to write about the effects of pollution on the Pacific ocean, and I feel as if the reef is a landmark people would regret losing in the future. It takes place several decades after our own, around 2060/2070, because I wanted enough time to see the full effects of climate change in the Pacific if we continue to pollute at the rate we do. It also gives a reasonable timeframe for humans to progress to a society inhabited with advanced AI, so I could introduce both themes of the story.

Plot:

Even though Eric lives in a world that is high concept, his story and the journey he goes through is kind of simple. Eric signs up for a government initiative to clean up the great barrier reef, and is sent out to a loading dock in Cairns, Australia. There are inflatable boats and government workers everywhere, and the dock sometimes receives DNA samples of animals they wish to repopulate the reef with. He is ordered by his boss, Baxter, to clean-up an area next to a mountain, and is assigned an AI named REEF, as his partner. At first, Eric is disappointed, as he does not consider AI to be human, and he prefers to keep his distance from them. However, after REEF commits an act of kindness out in the field, Eric gets to know him on the oat ride back, slowly changing his mind. Eventually, he invites him back into his room to play cards, ignoring the potential judgement of others.

Character:

Eric is the main character of this story. He comes to Cairns after his application to become an astronaut and move to a colony on Mars is rejected, as he feels he can make a difference to clean up the planet so nobody has to leave. He keeps to himself, and has a soft spot for animals, especially octopus. After watching a training video and getting to see what the reef looked like decades ago gives him the dream of fixing it so he could swim with all the animals he’s seen in pictures. He’s very judgemental of AI, as their bodies and movements feel off putting to him. He does not want to create relationships with them, as he knows they have been programmed to predict responses and produce artificial interactions. However, at the end of the story, he begins to change his mind, as he learns that REEF may be a lot more human than a lot of people he’s known.

Figurative Language/ Other Literary Devices:

The main literary device in this story is the octopus. It serves as a metaphor for REEF and other AI, as Eric compares the two by thinking that they both create their shape to be pale imitations of something else. Eric initially believes that REEF is just a pale imitation of himself, with movement and dialogue that isn’t quite human, just someone else’s basic interpretation of one. Eric also uses the octopus metaphor because he wants to change who he is in the beginning, or at least change his situation. He wants to change to a person living in a world free of plastic and pollution, so he could swim freely in the reef with the animals he’s learned about and not worry about what others think. Finally, when Eric changes his mind about REEF, he compares him to an octopus again, but this time to compare them as beings that are a lot smarter and “human” than people give them credit for.

Connection to Emily Eternal:Emily Eternal played a big influence on REEF, as the struggle of both characters is existing as a sentient computer and wanting to be regarded as human. While the issue from REEF’s perspective is never really explored, they both introduce the issues of whether or not their lives should be valued the same as their human partners. Eric’s arc throughout the story is beginning to realize that REEF is lot more human than he initially thought, just as Emily’s companions did with her. REEF and Emily both showcase qualities of humanity that surprise the people they surround themselves with, such as empathy, kindness, and having preferences and personalities that differentiate themselves from others. They both act in ways that highlight their humanity and compassion for others, and change the perspectives of their human counterparts by presenting a reflection of themselves. In both cases, they don’t really expect AI to have a personal life, motivations, and emotions, but their perspectives change by the end of the story.