Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

By the middle of the book, it is understood that Phaedrus is the narrator's name for himself before he underwent Annihilation ECS. With this knowledge, identify ways that the Narrator and Phaedrus are alike and ways in which they are different.

As the Narrator attests, Plato often used names for his characters that suggested the nature of their personalities. When Pirsig choose the name "Phaedrus," he thought it meant wolf. When the Narrator is describing Phaedrus' contemplations, he recalls a meeting with a timber wolf (Chapter 7). How might readers come to the conclusion that Phaedrus and the wolf have some similarities?

Pirsig points out that "Phaedrus" actually means brilliant, while "lykos" means wolf in Greek. Though an oversight, explain how both wolf and brilliant apply to Phaedrus/the Narrator.

Technology plays a pivotal role in the book. From the lessons imparted by the narrator, how can people best pursue technology, and how can it be used to enrich human life rather than degrading humans, as John and Sylvia see it? Can technology ever be art? 

In the text, the narrator claims that peace of mind is a prerequisite for producing anything of Quality. Explain this reasoning, providing examples and/or illustrations from the text.

The narrator introduces the dichotomy of classic vs. romantic to help set up Phaedrus’ conflicting worldviews. Explain the two mindsets, providing examples of “classic” and “romantic” individuals and their traits from the text.

The narrator uses Quality to explain what he initially meant about caring for what one does. To provide a practical application, he again uses the example of motorcycle repair. Explain the relationship between care and Quality as outlined by the narrator.

While exploring Phaedrus’ ideas further, the narrator came across a thinker by the name of Jules Henri Poincaré. How did Poincaré’s research into scientific reason mirror Phaedrus’ research? Explain the similarities.