In remote China, the fairyland of Andersen’s story, much as in our society, science and technology rule over the minds and imaginations of the people, machines and devices have become small gods, while efficiency trumps creativity. Faith and pride in humanity’s rational powers expel mystery from life. Pride in what humans have made and can understand supplants reverence for what God and his nature have given. When it is discovered that the real Nightingale has fled, this is all the justification needed to officially banish it and its music from the kingdom.
