User:Jmdeane1/Robot

= Robot- Helena Bell = Background

Helena Bell lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. She was influenced to write robot because she is so academically diverse. Considering she is not only a poet, but also a writer, her talents are broad. Helena Bell is an international traveler, one can draw conclusions as to how Robot came to existence. She has a broad imagination with a plethora of evidence and experience. She portrays her findings in her writing. So one can say some of it is made up, and some of it is not and based on other facts. Furthermore, she acquires a BA, MFA, JD, and Tax LLM. All of which are her academic accomplishments. The background of robot is very much portrayed by her knowledge in her past. Her analysis and interpretations are so advanced as to imagine a robot acquiring human body functions. However, since she is so intelligent, symbolism is very much present in her work. She used tried writing something about her theory of the future of society, and so she chose objects like the robot to represent something deeper.

http://www.helbell.com/index.html

=  Characters:  = Narrator – A diseased, old woman suffering atherosclerosis with a newly acquired robot helper.

Robot/Fred – A flesh eating robot that eats unhealthy flesh of diseased human and recycles it for fuel/energy.

Husband – The old woman’s husband, whom she ignores as she is too preoccupied with her own deteriorating life.

Grandchild – The old woman’s granddaughter that the woman knits sweaters for to maintain a relationship with our families.

Children – The old woman’s children that do not keep much contact with their parents.

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/atherosclerosis

= Synopsis = This science fiction short story, “Robot,” is about an elderly woman with atherosclerosis who was given a flesh eating robot to take care of her. It is a monologue consisting of the woman narrating instructions and rules for the robot. It can be inferred that it is a “female” robot as the woman allots instructions to keep the robot as distant as possible and for aiding purposes only. In fact, this monologue tells a lot about the woman then it may appear superficially. The woman is very insecure and uses her grandchild to feel connected to her family as it is evident her children never or rarely speak to her. Her illness has negatively impacted her mental health and feels that she is slowly diminishing into an outsider of her own life. The story ends with a vague thought that the robot may not be just a robot as it appears to be and that it will eventually be recognized as human and replace her.

= Sources = "Author Spotlight: Helena Bell - Lightspeed Magazine." Lightspeed Magazine. N.p., 09 Nov. 2015. Web. 21 Feb. 2016. http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/nonfiction/author-spotlight-helena-bell-2/ "Clarkesworld Magazine - Science Fiction & Fantasy." Clarkesworld Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2016. http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/author/Helena%20Bell/ "Review." Robot. N.p., n.d. Web. http://www.stainlesssteeldroppings.com/robot-by-helena-bell

"Robot by Helena Bell." - NICKNAN. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2016. https://www.wattpad.com/story/5890794-robot-by-helena-bell

"Shimmer." Shimmer. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2016. http://www.shimmerzine.com/authors/author-page-helena-bell/