The Bard is a complex symbol inhabiting a space as both character and object. The Bard ultimately symbolizes obsolescence, or something that has become outdated. It is described as having “aging and corroding vitals” (35), “scarred and discolored plastic” (28), and squeaky wheels. The stories it tells are simplistic and predictable to the two boys. As a symbol of obsolescence, the Bard illustrates a key problem with the computer-dependent society: Their society can only be as complex as the technology it relies upon.

Its symbolism is complicated, however, by its dual nature as a representation of both humanity and technology. On the one hand, the Bard is literally technology, and with its new vocabulary, it casts itself as such, even positioning itself in contrast to and sometimes in conflict with the human characters. On the other hand, the nature of the Bard, prior to Paul’s tampering, is to tell stories—a creativity-based pastime that, traditionally, only humans would practice. The blurriness between its natures has rich implications for what is obsolete in an existential sense. Perhaps technology is a dead-end for humanity, a force that will cause culture and the arts, which are key to humanity, to rust and decay.