Little Brother - Technology

Well... Technology is used quite often in the book, both for good and bad reasons. Technology is supposed to make our lives easier, but it can also cause more problems. In the book, Marcus encounters a variety of different types of technology. At first, his use of technology is just to bypass the security measures at their school. As the book goes on, I feel like the ways in which he uses the technology get more and more insidious.

In the beginning, Marcus uses his knowledge of technology and computers to fool around at school. He uses secret IM programs to chat privately with Darryl and and secret internet browsers so the school can't track him. We are actually introduced to Marcus as he is about to get into trouble as w1n5t0n. I think this is foreshadowing the fact that technology is very important to the story and so is Marcus getting in trouble for his uses of it. Due to his extensive knowledge on how the school's security system works, he and Darryl are able to sneak out. When Darryl realizes that he has a library book on him, Marcus uses technology to his full advantage. They microwave the book to kill the arphid inside and bomb Charles' phone using botnets.

Later, technology is what gets Marcus in the most trouble with the DHS. As he will not unlock his phone or give them his passwords, they think that he has something to hide. The truth is, Marcus probably does have something to hide. Years of hacking and illegal programs would have gotten him in a lot of trouble had they been seen. Even so, Marcus is not a terrorist. The DHS believes that he is because he will not give them access to his technology. In the end, Marcus relents and gives them everything. Even so, the DHS stil has heightened suspicion of Marcus. So, they bug his computer.

After the attack, Marcus' internet name changes to M1LK3Y, signaling a change in him. Technology is really the arena for this rebellion. After returning home, Marcus creates hundreds of copies of the program, ParanoidLinux, to distribute and create a secret network. This allows him to communicate with other people who are unhappy with the government, like he is. This works out for a while but soon things start to fall apart as information starts to get leaked out. To combat this, Marcus creates another secret network. This time only including trustworthy people and using encryption to communicate.

Even though technology is such a big part of the book, the things that have the most influence are actually not technological. One such object is Zeb's note. Zeb slips this note to Marcus one day after school. It explains about how he was a prisoner of the DHS along with Darryl and that they were being held on Treasure Island, dubbed Gitmo-of-the-Bay. It is because of this note, and all it's effects on Marcus that he decides to come out with his story. The note reminds Marcus of his original goal, to save Darryl. It makes him see how far off course he had gotten. And so, he tells his story and gets it published. The article has a profound effect on society and gets Marcus re-captured by the DHS and brought to Gitmo-of-the-Bay. Though technology may seem to be the focal point and all, in the end, it't the old school things like a handwritten note that prevail.

Technology, it's supposed to simplify our lives, but it often seems to complicate them. Throughout the book, technology causes paranoia. The night after Marcus gets home, he is completely freaked out because of technology. After finding a bug in his laptop, he can't sleep in fear that he is bugged in other ways. Even after thoroughly checking his room or tiny cameras, he still can't relax. Later on, Xnet is turned against him when the presence of a spy becomes evident. Marcus gets paranoid once again and makes the even secret-er secret network. Technology is a major cause of problems for Marcus.

When it comes to technology, I think that whether or not it is used for "good" purposes is all based on perspective. The ways that Marcus uses technology can be seen as either good or bad. Because Marcus is the protagonist, we are drawn to seeing his actions as good and right. It is justified by saying that rebelling is right, as the government is being unreasonable. But, when you really look at it, Marcus is breaking the law. Many laws, in fact. He is going against the government with a secret network and lots of illegal hacking. Though what Marcus does might seem right, at the end of the day, "right" and "wrong" all depend on perspective.