The quote "There are times...when one must lose a little
beauty if one is to keep what little beauty one already has," from "The Flying Machine,"
by Ray Bradbury, is a paradoxical statement. The Emperor is responding to his desire to
keep things the way they are in his kingdom in ancient
China.
The flying machine, invented by the man who is
brought to the palace, allows mankind the opportunity to enjoy the world's beauty as
never before. However, the Emperor is fearful that someone might use the machine for
something other than its access to the world's beauty. For instance, someone might try
to fly over the Great Wall of China, an evil intent as the Emperor sees
it.
The Emperor also does not want the word he knows to
change, so he is willing to sacrifice the beauty brought by the flying machine to
preserve the world he so enjoys—in the beauty he has created and
maintains, especially in his invention of the mechanical box with the miniature trees
and birds within it.
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