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The farm that Paul buys symbolizes how life would be if society hadn’t made so much technological progress. Because its original owner stipulated in his will that the property had to stay exactly the way it has always been, this farm has remained entirely untouched by automation—it is, in other words, a microcosm of the past. This is why it appeals to Paul, since he’s eager to live a machine-free life. However, he soon realizes the many downsides of giving up the conveniences of technology, which make life undeniably easier. When he leaves his job, he spends no more than one day working on the farm, even though he’s been looking forward to farm life for quite some time. He quickly learns that “the charming little cottage he’d taken as a symbol of the good life” is nothing more than a tired old shack that requires serious work. In this way, it becomes clear that Paul has romanticized the idea of a machine-free existence, naively assuming that this old-fashioned lifestyle will make him happy. In turn, the farm itself comes to represent not only how far society has come from a technological standpoint, but also how easy it is to idealize the past.
The Farm Quotes in Player Piano
The Player Piano quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Farm. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 23
Quotes
“What am I going to do? Farm, maybe. I’ve got a nice little farm.”
“Farm, eh?” Harrison clucked his tongue reflectively. “Farm. Sounds wonderful. I’ve thought of that: up in the morning with the sun; working out there with your hands in the earth, just you and nature. If I had the money, sometimes I think maybe I’d throw this—”
“You want a piece of advice from a tired old man?”
“Depends on which tired old man. You?”
“Me. Don’t put one foot in your job and the other in your dreams, Ed. Go ahead and quit, or resign yourself to this life. It’s just too much of a temptation for fate to split you right up the middle before you’ve made up your mind which way to go.”
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Chapter 34
Quotes
“You know,” said Paul at last, “things wouldn’t have been so bad if they’d stayed the way they were when we first got here. Those were passable days, weren’t they?” […]
“Things don’t stay the way they are,” said Finnerty. “It’s too entertaining to try to change them.”
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Get the entire Player Piano LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Farm Symbol Timeline in Player Piano
The timeline below shows where the symbol The Farm appears in Player Piano. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 14
...leaving his job, wondering what he’ll do. But then he thinks about the possibility of farming, and the simple, machine-free life seems like a magical idea.
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There aren’t any true farmers anymore, since they’ve all been replaced by “agricultural engineers.” There is, however, an old farm...
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Chapter 15
Paul meets Doctor Pond at the farm and immediately falls in love with the property. The entire place is rustic and feels...
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Paul ignores Pond’s attempts to dissuade him from buying the farm. He isn’t even discouraged when he meets Mr. Haycox, the surly Reconstruction and Reclamation Corps...
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Chapter 16
Paul keeps his excitement about the farm to himself, and Anita assumes he’s in a good mood because he’s looking forward to...
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Chapter 18
On Wednesday, Paul has Mr. Haycox prepare the farm for a romantic evening with Anita. However, Anita is extremely uninterested in the surprise Paul...
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Paul drives to the farm. Haycox has cleaned it thoroughly and outfitted it to look quaint and charming. In fact,...
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...doesn’t care what Anita thinks. He’s going to quit his job and live on the farm no matter what she says. Anita then reveals that Shepherd told her Paul would surely...
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Chapter 27
...is still at the Meadows—including, presumably, Anita. He pays just one visit to his new farm, hoping to find some comfort in doing work for Mr. Haycox. But what he discovers...
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