Ashley McClure
Nadine Gordimer The Conservationist (61-82)
Towards the end of my section, the woman is trying to show Mehring that money is not everything; instead, money is the problem. Nadine Gordimer uses the woman to show that although development has helped society grow, it can make an agricultural society too dependent on new technology by relying on it for planning and means of income, instead of the ways which they are accustomed with. Gordimer is using this woman to show that technology is not overall bad, but total reliance on technology (especially for an agricultural society) can be bad.
The woman believes in the good of the people and what people can do, not what ‘gods’ in the sky or ground can do. She is referring to the gods on ground as the development that has been taking place. The more a place develops, the more the habitants of that area start to think more about money. In an agricultural society, the society’s usual concern is with farming, but they are starting to become too concerned with development. She says, “’Development’—one great big wonderful all purpose god of a machine, eh, Superjuggernaut that’s going to make it all all right, put everything right if we just get the finance for it” (82). In society’s that are modernizing and developing, the technology and machines are supposed to help make things better. They are supposed to help increase money and make human jobs easier, but she is showing the negative effects. Development in this type of society is bad because if the farmers became too reliant on the machine without fully learning how to use and mechanic it, then the whole farm season could be ruined. Through her sarcasm she is showing how development can change people to being money-hungry and concerned with trying to get money for the machines that do as much for them as they can, instead of manually working on their farms like they use to. The fact that the machines are so helpful is not the issue, but the fact that they are changing from probably mules and other reliant animals to machines without much knowledge of the new technology, it could ruin their farm season and leave their society with nothing to eat.
Gordimer is using this woman to show that technology is beginning to ruin a once simple, mostly farm based society by technologically advancing. The fact that the society is technological advancing isn’t the disturbing part; it is the reaction that the society has to it. There is nothing wrong with the farmer’s and their society advancing, but if they let go of their past and fully rely on the new technology, then if the new technology fails or breaks, and the user does not know how to fix it, then the whole farming season for that person(s) could be ruined. The woman seems to believe they are more reliant on machines than their older traditions of work; they let computers plan and decide things for them, and the change happens because the computer desires so, not the people. Gordimer is showing the problems with technologically advancing in a small agricultural area because all of the society may not understand that they cannot become fully reliant on the new technological developments; they must always remember other existences such as the animals and basic equipment which have gotten them to the points that their society is now in. In this society, technology is a mixed blessing with many opportunities, but the opportunities are risky and dangerous.
Global Environmental Literature 
In her blog, Ashley points out the negative affect that technology can have in a society. This is completely opposite from the stance I took on technology in The Hungary Tide, where I argued that technology was beneficial in its ability to bring people together. The two opposing views of technology serves as a reminder that there needs to be some kind of balance between the natural and technological worlds. When these people begin to rely heavily on the machinery to assist in agriculture they lose the deeper connection that they may have had because they are no longer experiencing physical contact with the land in a way that they would without the machines.
I believe that the technology greatly benefits the agricultural society. It makes completing tasks easier and more efficient than the more ancient methods such as using mules and horses. It drastically reduces the amount of time people have to spend on each task that the machines are used during. Development makes people’s lives easier too. It makes it easier for people to get what they need when they need it. It can improve their standards of living. I agree that the people living in that agricultural area should learn more about how to use the technology and how to fix it when problems occur.
I found your observation of the woman in your section compelling, Ashley! However, instead of trying to see what the woman is trying to convey, I asked myself why Gordimer used a woman. It’s kind of puzzling to me given Mehring’s views on women, but after reading Kendra’s comment on my blog, I realized that although he is seen as shovenistic, he sees women as dominant figures. He sees their physical, sexual power as something that is greater than his own. Perhaps this explains his position on women even more. Possibly, he sees them so objectively and negatively because he is intimidated by their power.