need for control and self-restraint. Scientific discoveries and the responsibilities behind them still plague us today. One well-known example is the cloning of Dolly the sheep. While scientists saw this as a wonderful medical advancement, average people feared the next object to be cloned. Human beings are comforted with the idea that they know everything, and when a new theory is introduced they tend to separate into two groups: those who want to encourage change and advancement, and those who are afraid of what it will mean for their life, and shy away from that potential change.We’re much the same today as we were in Hawthorne’s time. We insist on questioning everything in our lives. We often lose sight of our beliefs and religion, and we still have trouble agreeing that both genders are equal. Also, the desire to play God is something that is almost instinctual in human beings. We enjoy challenging modern advances and seeing if we can make things better, faster, smaller, less expensive, etc. Hawthorne’s story is, in a way, the equivalent of a billboard along the highway. It asks you to stop and consider what is happening, changing, and if responsibility is being taken. Much like in the 1800s, people today are coming up with new and amazing devices. There will always be a fear of the unknown and science is the greatest unknown of all....
