Term Paper Part 1

In life, every being has something that influences the decisions it makes, the actions it does and the reasons it gives. Like an engine drives a car, passion drives humans, it can cause us to start a world war just like passion can be the only reason that we are at peace with ourselves. Among the multitude of themes and ideas that Pirsig explores in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, passion is the one that stands out the most because it is this that allows for all his other complex ideas to be explained and to fall into place. 

One of the first issues that Pirsig identifies in the novel is the clash between humans and technology. The relationship between these two is very complex and cannot be easily explained. It can be said however that the way some people like the Sutherland's cannot seem to come to terms with technology, there are others like the narrator who have found a way to embrace it. The narrator uses his motorcycle as his portal to unify the human world with the world of technology. He believes, and acts upon his belief that embracing technology and learning to control it is the only way for it not to control you. The main character understand that technology is a necessary evil and that it is here to stay, instead of letting it run his life, he decides to learn to keep it under control. Pirsig uses the motorcycle to exemplify this decision. When the Sutherland’s bike breaks down, they curs it and give up, they believe that their day has been ruined because technology has destroyed it. The narrator refuses to let technology ruin his day, he decides that he will fix the bike and continue on with his plans. It is important to note that although the narrator does whatever it takes to make his technology function, he does it himself. He refuses to let other fight his battles for him, this is not to say that he is a stubborn man, there is a reason behind this. The narrator believes that the only way to do something right it to doe it oneself. He doesn't want others to cope with his technology for him because he wants it done right and thus he does it himself. His methodical ways pay off because his bike always turns on and it runs smoothly for most of the trip, and whenever it does give him problems, he always knows exactly what to do to fix it. 

His passion for motorcycles extends a bit beyond coping with technology. This passion enables the narrator to set his roots into the earth. These long motorcycle trips with his son give this man an out from all the troubles in his daily life, they allow him to clear his head and get back in touch with nature and his family. It is thanks to this passion that the narrator is able to to keep his sanity and is able to be victorious in the never ending struggle between humans and technology.