In 'The Sneetches', what is the name of the machine that adds stars?

The story behind the answer

In “The Sneetches”, the machine that adds stars is called the Star-On machine.

Sylvester McMonkey McBean, who calls himself the Fix-It-Up Chappie, brings the Star-On machine to the beach after seeing that plain-bellied Sneetches are excluded by Sneetches with stars. For three dollars, the machine puts a star on the belly of a previously unstarred Sneetch, apparently offering access to the privileged group.

The plan immediately disrupts the social order. To restore their supposed superiority, the original star-bellied Sneetches pay McBean to use a second device, the Star-Off machine. He then lets both groups move through the machines repeatedly, leaving the Sneetches unable to tell who originally had stars and who did not.

The Star-On machine is sometimes confused with the Star-Off machine because both are central to the same episode. The distinction is simple: Star-On adds the star; Star-Off removes it. The story satirizes prejudice, status symbols, and the commercial exploitation of discrimination.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026

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