Reading Notes W5: Moxon's Master, PART B

Citation: "Moxon's Master" -Ambrose Bierce p.235-243

Significance of Title: Moxon's Master would be the being that kills him. Not only does it kill him, but it drives him. From the narrator's perspective it was an automaton, and Moxon, being a skilled machine builder, was convinced and dedicated in the belief that there is intellectual capacity and life in everything, *noted below* including machines.

Panpsychism: the belief that everything has a degree of consciousness, in this case, Moxon thinks that all things are intellectual, the narrator however, at first, disagrees. He thinks that Moxon has been so caught up in work and insomnia that he has gone mad.

Literal Personification: It seems that Moxon gives the human characteristic of intellectual capabilities to all things and while it is connected to Panpsychism, its an interesting device to note.

Setting: The narrator paints the machine shop as a dark, with little light and secretive(separate room that no one is admitted). I think the author uses little description in order to focus the reader's attention on the "machine", and also to give the reigns to the reader in terms of imagination.

First-Person Point of View and an Unreliable Narrator: The story is told by a friend of Moxon, and although we as readers have to believe him, Haley's commentary at the end forces us to rethink the entire scenario. He had asked him if he knew what he really saw, this could mean that he didn't actually see a machine kill Moxon, but, maybe it was Haley himself. Afterall, it was dark, he "saved" him after the fire, AND before the narrator's abrupt leave, he witnessed Moxon return from the room with a gash on his face and mocked that the machine "should have her gloves on the next time [he] think it needful to stop her" (239) so maybe there was another person involved. By unreliable narrator, I cant help but think that at this time, intellectual conversations (and in this case argument with cruel mocking and irritation) were accompanied by alcohol. I'm then left to assume the narrator may have been under the influence of alcohol and his judgement and memory were affected, which could have been the reason he passes out after witnessing the attack.