This next article about symbolism is about Robots. (See the other enties about Demons, Ruins, the Undead, Deserts)
Robots, and trap machines, are another example of non-human enemies. I like using them as cautionary statements about the misuse of science and technology, and the creation of massively destructive weapons. They are dumb, very powerful entities created by the greater power of human intelligence, which is sometimes misguided in its applications because of its undefeated ghosts and demons. They represent someone putting their effort into developing something, without thinking about, or trying to curtail, the misuses of that development (uses like war and killing). Or even developing deliberately destructive technology that has no application but for war.
In The Well, there are robots from hundreds of years ago, built to protect the wealth of long dead people. The robots served their (dubious) purpose back in the day, but now cause harm without doing any one any good. It reminds me of the current making and stockpiling of nuclear (and other highly destructive) weapons. The ultimate end of their use could be the elimination of human beings, when their purpose, according to supporters, is to protect at least some humans. The actual purpose of such massively destructive weapons isn't to protect life, but to intimidate and control other people by threatening them with destruction, and sometimes to destroy them when they oppose you.
Even if we suddenly come to our senses and decide not to use and make such weapons, the current ones are still around and must be dismantled or dealt with or they could do massive harm in the future, even by accident. They would be like mines left in a field long after a war is over.
Read previous entries in this series about symbolism: of Demons, of Ruins, of the Undead, of Deserts.
