The Past In Steve Jobs Old Man's War
Steve Jobs was an American entrepreneur, seller, and maker, who was the co-founder and CEO of Apple Inc.. Steve Jobs once said, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards” explains how an individual must live his or her life to the fullest and not look back on life and wish they had changed something they did o did not do in the past.
In John Scalzi’s novel Old Man’s War, John Perry is a paradigm of someone who disregards the feelings from his past, which triggers a breakdown when he’s faced with past memories or decisions. It’s easy for Perry to say goodbye to his wife. This is not because he wouldn’t miss her but because he knows she does not like cemeteries. This is an example of Perry disregarding …show more content…
his feelings from the past and just dealing with it. Perry is shown as a strong figure, able to let go but when he thinks about his past he cannot take the pain of the past memories. While stomping on Covando, Perry realizes what he is doing and freaks out. Allen comes over and comforts him but is unable to calm him down. After Alan's unsuccessful attempt his squad tries to cheer him up by talking about past memories on Earth. This does the opposite of what it is meant to do and makes him feel worse. While talking with his squad Perry remembers his wife and his married life and misses being married as a whole more than his wife.
"The only thing I really miss is being married," I said. "I miss sitting around with my wife, just talking or reading together or whatever... "What is it about being married you miss?" Alan asked. "Well, I miss my wife, you know," I said. "But I also miss the feeling of, I don't know, comfort. The sense you're where you're supposed to be, with someone you're supposed to be with. I sure as hell don't feel that out here. We go places that we have to fight for, with people who might be dead the next day or the day after that." (Scalzi, 192-93)
Perry dwells in his past and cannot hold himself together which causes him to think about his married life. Surprisingly Perry is able to recover from his breakdown and is able to continue serving for the CDF. Job's quote ties in wonderfully with the actions of John Perry. Perry does look into the past and is able to connect the dots. The science fiction authors Pierre Boulle, H.
G. Wells, and John Scalzi connect the dots in their very own unique way. There are aspects of their novels which show a connection to what readers might wonder about in science fiction stories that deal with the future while still reflecting on both the past and the present. In Pierre Boulle's novel Planet of the Apes, Boulle connects the dots through his character of Ulysse. Ullysse does not spend a large amount of time thinking about his past on earth but he instead thinks about the future. He is a step ahead and is able to think on his feet. In H. G. Wells' novel The Time Machine, Wells connects the dots by showing how past actions affected the future to which the time traveler traveled. The actions of the past especially those of the Morlocks which lost there ability of sight because they working in the dark and wee not able to see anyway and evolved. The Elloi are also affected by the past, they are only there to serve as the Morlocks food. In John Scalzi's novel Old Man's War, Scalzi connects the dots by using Perry and his moments of reflection into his past life during his breakdowns. These authors all use different yet similar ways to connect the dots, mainly through their characters. There are aspects of these three writers’ novels that show a connection to what science fiction readers might wonder about in science fiction stories that deal with the future and reflect both the past and the
present.
In Boulle's, Wells, and Scalzi's the idea of the past effecting the future is a key topic. In Boulle's, novel the apes eventually evolved instead of the humans. This effected the society that the apes where living in different than if the humans evolved before the apes. The society that Ullysse discovered was one which had a completely different past and future from Earth's. In Well's novel the time traveler views how the past impacted the future. The time traveler later travels farther into the future and sees that the Earth is somewhat devolving. In Scalzi's novel the whole idea of space battle and starships are discovered. John Perry starts of on the Earth and enters into another universe, then another, and so on.
These authors and novels helped give examples of Steve Jobs’ quote and explain how they in there own style are able to connect the dots. Each author did it in a different way and in a different style but they all were able to connect the dots with key examples in their stories.
In John Scalzi’s novel Old Man’s War, John Perry is a paradigm of someone who disregards the feelings from his past, which triggers a breakdown when he’s faced with past memories or decisions. It’s easy for Perry to say goodbye to his wife. This is not because he wouldn’t miss her but because he knows she does not like cemeteries. This is an example of Perry disregarding …show more content…
his feelings from the past and just dealing with it. Perry is shown as a strong figure, able to let go but when he thinks about his past he cannot take the pain of the past memories. While stomping on Covando, Perry realizes what he is doing and freaks out. Allen comes over and comforts him but is unable to calm him down. After Alan's unsuccessful attempt his squad tries to cheer him up by talking about past memories on Earth. This does the opposite of what it is meant to do and makes him feel worse. While talking with his squad Perry remembers his wife and his married life and misses being married as a whole more than his wife.
"The only thing I really miss is being married," I said. "I miss sitting around with my wife, just talking or reading together or whatever... "What is it about being married you miss?" Alan asked. "Well, I miss my wife, you know," I said. "But I also miss the feeling of, I don't know, comfort. The sense you're where you're supposed to be, with someone you're supposed to be with. I sure as hell don't feel that out here. We go places that we have to fight for, with people who might be dead the next day or the day after that." (Scalzi, 192-93)
Perry dwells in his past and cannot hold himself together which causes him to think about his married life. Surprisingly Perry is able to recover from his breakdown and is able to continue serving for the CDF. Job's quote ties in wonderfully with the actions of John Perry. Perry does look into the past and is able to connect the dots. The science fiction authors Pierre Boulle, H.
G. Wells, and John Scalzi connect the dots in their very own unique way. There are aspects of their novels which show a connection to what readers might wonder about in science fiction stories that deal with the future while still reflecting on both the past and the present. In Pierre Boulle's novel Planet of the Apes, Boulle connects the dots through his character of Ulysse. Ullysse does not spend a large amount of time thinking about his past on earth but he instead thinks about the future. He is a step ahead and is able to think on his feet. In H. G. Wells' novel The Time Machine, Wells connects the dots by showing how past actions affected the future to which the time traveler traveled. The actions of the past especially those of the Morlocks which lost there ability of sight because they working in the dark and wee not able to see anyway and evolved. The Elloi are also affected by the past, they are only there to serve as the Morlocks food. In John Scalzi's novel Old Man's War, Scalzi connects the dots by using Perry and his moments of reflection into his past life during his breakdowns. These authors all use different yet similar ways to connect the dots, mainly through their characters. There are aspects of these three writers’ novels that show a connection to what science fiction readers might wonder about in science fiction stories that deal with the future and reflect both the past and the
present.
In Boulle's, Wells, and Scalzi's the idea of the past effecting the future is a key topic. In Boulle's, novel the apes eventually evolved instead of the humans. This effected the society that the apes where living in different than if the humans evolved before the apes. The society that Ullysse discovered was one which had a completely different past and future from Earth's. In Well's novel the time traveler views how the past impacted the future. The time traveler later travels farther into the future and sees that the Earth is somewhat devolving. In Scalzi's novel the whole idea of space battle and starships are discovered. John Perry starts of on the Earth and enters into another universe, then another, and so on.
These authors and novels helped give examples of Steve Jobs’ quote and explain how they in there own style are able to connect the dots. Each author did it in a different way and in a different style but they all were able to connect the dots with key examples in their stories.