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Chapter 21 - Technology

from Part V - Stances

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 March 2026

Allan Hepburn
Affiliation:
McGill University, Montréal
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Summary

This essay accounts for the pervasive presence of technology in Elizabeth Bowen’s life and writing, arguing that her work develops a nuanced, often ambivalent engagement with technological modernity. From her first novel, The Hotel, to the late and idiosyncratic Eva Trout, Bowen presents technology not merely as a backdrop but as a dynamic force shaping identity, social interaction, and temporal awareness. The chapter traces how Bowen’s characters interact with technological objects – including cars, telephones, radios, and computers – not only as tools but as extensions of the self and mediators of experience. Drawing on D. W. Winnicott’s theory of transitional objects, it demonstrates how Bowen’s characters use technology to navigate psychological development and social belonging. This culminates in a reading of Eva Trout, in which technology becomes a totalising force, anticipating postmodern concerns with cyborg identity and media saturation, and positioning Bowen as a prescient analyst of the evolving relationship between humans and machines.

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  • Technology
  • Edited by Allan Hepburn, McGill University, Montréal
  • Book: Elizabeth Bowen in Context
  • Online publication: 10 March 2026
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009535991.028
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  • Technology
  • Edited by Allan Hepburn, McGill University, Montréal
  • Book: Elizabeth Bowen in Context
  • Online publication: 10 March 2026
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009535991.028
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Technology
  • Edited by Allan Hepburn, McGill University, Montréal
  • Book: Elizabeth Bowen in Context
  • Online publication: 10 March 2026
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009535991.028
Available formats
×