Gender, Technology, and Cyborgs

By Megan Hasenwinkel

Technology as an attempt to control women

It can be argued that technology does not exclusively control women, however. For example, Case in Neuromancer is controlled by technology: initially, his enemies destroy his immune system so he can no longer access cyberspace. Then, he is held hostage by sacks of poison that are inserted into his blood stream during the operation that fixed his nervous system. All of the characters in The Matrix are controlled by the computer program that runs the matrix, whether they are aware of it or not. This, in itself can be seen as a major difference in the styles of feminist science fiction and cyberpunk: rarely in feminist science fiction does technology have such complete control as it does in cyberpunk, regardless of gender.

However, the element of gender cannot be ignored in this discussion, either. Again, I refer to Huyssen's reading of Metropolis.

But neither technology nor woman can ever be seen as solely a natural extension of man's abilities. They are always also qualitatively different and thus threatening in their otherness. It is this threat of otherness which causes male anxiety and reinforces the urge to control and dominate that which is other. (72)

Also compare, for example, the treatments of Case and Molly in Neuromancer. Case is a "cowboy," Molly is a "working girl." Even in that, Case is portrayed as someone in control of his own fate, while Molly is controlled by others (some sort of cyber-pimp, presumably). Case is allowed free reign over cyberspace, and, more importantly, over Molly's body through technology. Molly is constantly under orders, following the directions and wishes of others, and is monitored by Case, something she cannot control and is not always aware of. Molly is also seen as much more dangerous than Case, reflecting, perhaps, male anxiety about strong women, or the desire to control them through technology. Veronica Hollinger refers to the concept of "womanliness as a mask, behind which man suspects some hidden danger. . ." (27)