“Johnny Mnemonic”: Humans vs. Cyborgs In “Johnny Mnemonic,” William Gibson portrays the future as a society in which identity is dictated by technology. The Hi Teks think they are the superior humans because of their technological advancements. However, it is actually the Lo Teks who, by resisting the tendencies of the Hi Teks, are more human. By creating a post-human culture where technological enhancements defines who one is in society, Gibson points out how being tribalistic is more humanistic than being an individual. One of the main themes in the short story is the idea of individualism versus tribalism. Gibson portrays the Lo Teks as being more tribalistic with their scars and animal teeth, whereas the Hi Teks are portrayed more as individuals because they only care about their own unique modifications. The creation of this theme leads the reader to question whether the Hi Teks or the Lo Teks are more like human beings, as we know them.…show more content… Though they believe that what they are doing is making them more human, it actually makes them more like a cyborg. One characteristic of a cyborg is that they can be classified as objects because they do not contain a sex, gender, or race. In describing the Magnetic Dog Sisters, Johnny says, “[T]hey were as nearly identical as cosmetic surgery could make them […] I was never quite sure which one had originally been male.” Also, the Hi Teks are similar to cyborgs in that they can be described as machines that can be controlled. After Ralfi Face uses the neural disruptor on him, Johnny says, “I put everything I had into curling the index finger of my right hand, but I no longer seemed to be connected to