Modern technology and society induce fragmentation on a profound level, and on so many fronts that it cracks the human spirit. In the epic fantasy series Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson, crazy people can be made into puppets by powerful beings. Their very soul is fractured, and those cracks allow for control. As a result, such individuals cease to be free agents, instead they become pawns in someone else's schemes and forfeit any personal goals they might have had.