20 May 2002, 09:31 PM
G-DawgThe Concrete Mixer Ending
I just finished reading "The Concrete Mixer" in the Illustrated Man. This is one story where I'm confused about the symbolism at the end...what is it supposed to mean???
26 May 2002, 05:16 AM
dandelionOkay, I just reread it myself. I think the idea is that American Earth Society itself is the concrete mixer. It doesn't matter which way doom comes to the Martians--one way or another they will be mixed into one mass glob. I guess it symbolizes intelligent individual thought inevitably succumbing to dumbed-down collective thought. (I liked the bit about the evil chocolates.)