Title: Moxon’s Master
Author: Ambrose Bierce
Date of First Publication: April 16,1899
Place of Publication: The San Francisco Examiner
Type: Short Story
Characters: No Characters
Themes: BYRONIC HERO; MAD SCIENTIST/MONSTER; POSTHUMAN
Critical Summary: “Moxon’s Master” by Ambrose Bierce is a first-person narrative about a machine gone bad. Most of the story is a single conversation. Moxon, a man of great brilliance, is conversing with the unnamed narrator, a student of his. They argue over whether machines can think, or if they are only metal, non-contemplating objects of human creation.
The narrator is astonished that Moxon believes machines can think. The narrator believes that Moxon’s mind must be off. He suspects Moxon’s obsessive studying, isolation, and insomnia must be afflicting his mind. When questioned by the narrator on how a machine thinks without a brain, Moxon asks how plants can think. Spitefully, the narrator sarcastically responds that he had forgotten plants belong to the philosopher class.
Moxon then gives an example. He had once planted a climbing vine in his garden. A few steps away, he pierced the ground with a stake. At once, the vine began to grow in the direction of the stake. After several days, Moxon removed the stake and put it a few feet away. The vine darts toward it, making a distinct change in angle and direction. He then repeats the process several times until the vine, seemingly fed up with Moxon’s experiment, forfeits the stake in exchange for a small tree.
The narrator is unconvinced. Moxon quickly gives a few more examples before he is interrupted by a loud thump coming from Moxon’s machine shop. Moxon leaves the narrator.
None are allowed in that room, even the narrator. Only one other man besides Moxon had entered the room: a skilled metal worker. For this reason, the narrator is surprised to hear a scuffle in the room, as if two people were struggling. The narrator is even more surprised when Moxon comes back with four cuts on his face, as if someone had clawed at his cheek with their nails.
Moxon continues his argument for why machines think. He recalls Hebert Spencer’s definition of life. Using the definition, one could make a solid argument that machines are alive. The narrator counters, stating that the definition gives no explanation of the cause of life. The narrator then asks who Moxon has in his machine shop, to which Moxon chuckles lightly. Moxon responds that no one is in there. It was just a machine left without something to do. Moxon then continues his argument, stating that consciousness is a creature of rhythm.
Angered by this answer and the apparent deception, the narrator grabs his coat and leaves. It is on his walk home that the narrator reflects on what Moxon had said. He begins to understand Moxon. Ultimately, the narrator, lost in his ruminations, comes back to Moxon’s home.
He notices the door is open and lets himself in. He opens the door, and there is Moxon playing chess with an automaton. Focused on the game, Moxon does not notice the narrator’s return. Moxon makes a move and states, “Checkmate.” The automaton leaps across the table and strangles Moxon to death. In the struggle, the narrator can see the automaton’s face, relaxed like one who had just solved a difficult problem.
Moxon is similar to Victor Frankenstein: he is a Byronic hero. He is smart and intelligent, and uncaring where his experiment might lead. However, Moxon seems to lack some of Victor’s ego. Furthermore, the relationship between the mad scientist and monster can be seen between the chess playing robot and Moxon. Moxon’s own destruction is by his own hand. He is not able to recognize the power he creates and much like Frankenstein, is punished gravely for it.
Administrative Notes: Eduardo Alcaraz, CSUF; Jonathan Donabo