ISU Draft 3
How can self-discovery lead to revolt against government censorship to facilitate growth and maturity?
It is true that self-discovery can lead to revolt against government censorship which is evidence of growth and maturity. While revolt against government censorship is evident in today’s society, it is also prevalent in the world of literature. First, self-discovery through an individual’s place in society, can lead to revolt against government censorship which is evidence of growth and maturity. An individual’s place in society refers to the social position of an individual within society, and includes their occupation, family and role in the lives of others. The place of an individual in society, aides in the recognition of the social position which helps the individual observe the impact of their social position on the function of a totalitarian nation. For example, self-discovery through an individual’s place in society, can lead to revolt against government censorship especially in Ray Bradbury’s classic novel Fahrenheit 451 through protagonist Guy Montag and Mildred. Margret Atwood’s Canadian novel Oryx and Crake, is also a valid representation of self-discovery through an individual’s place in society, can lead to revolt against government censorship through Jimmy. Second, self-discovery through the actions of an individual to overcome conformity, can lead to revolt against government censorship which is evidence of growth and maturity. In a nation with authoritarian leadership, conformity, the behaviour is accordance to social conventions, stems from the strict submission to the authority due to the fear of punishment and social ostracism. An individual’s rebellion of governance through the struggle to overc...
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... of the manner of defeat, Lord Rama replies “‘[Vali] should learn to forgive and treat his people with respect’” and that Lord Rama’s duty is “‘. . .[t]o spread righteousness and punish evils through any means’”(Ramayana Vol. IV-268). Self-discovery through the process of the realization of an individual’s vocation in life, can lead to revolt against government censorship which is evidence of growth and maturity, especially through the necessity to violate of societal laws through the utilisation of unlawful principles to provide justice to a dictator. To conclude, self-discovery through the process of the realization of an individual’s vocation in life, can lead to revolt against government censorship which is evidence of growth and maturity, especially through the preservation of faith, the acceptance of knowledge and the necessity to violate of societal laws.
You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty (Gandhi). The power society has over citizens is explored in the two texts Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury and “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut. The story Fahrenheit 451 depicts firemen who start fires instead of stop them. In this society censorship is valued and books are a main reason firemen burn. Books give you knowledge and knowledge is power which is what this society tries to prevent. In the short story “Harrison Bergeron” the topic similarly is about censorship in a more extreme way. People must wear masks and handicaps to prevent them from being different or unique. Intelligent people get a sharp noise in their ear every twenty seconds to prevent people from taking unfair advantage of their brains.
Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 leads from an average beginning by introducing a new world for readers to become enveloped in, followed by the protagonist’s descent into not conforming to society’s rules, then the story spirals out of control and leaves readers speechless by the actions taken by the main character and the government of this society. This structure reinforces the author’s main point of how knowledge is a powerful entity that would force anyone to break censorship on a society.
In Fahrenheit 451, the government exercised censorship supposedly for the purpose of happiness. Through technology and media, the government was able to eliminate individuality by manipulating the mind of the people into believing the propaganda of what happiness is. The people’s ignorance made them obediently abide that they failed to realize how far technology and the media have taken control of their minds. The free thought of characters such as Montag and Clarisse collided with that of Captain Beatty, who strongly believe in and enforce the censorship, and the firemen, whose role was to burn illegal books; these clashes were Bradbury’s way
Several conflicting frames of mind have played defining roles in shaping humanity throughout the twentieth century. Philosophical optimism of a bright future held by humanity in general was taken advantage of by the promise of a better life through sacrifice of individuality to the state. In the books Brave New World, 1984, and Fahrenheit 451 clear opposition to these subtle entrapments was voiced in similarly convincing ways. They first all established, to varying degrees of balance, the atmosphere and seductiveness of the “utopia” and the fear of the consequences of acting in the non-prescribed way through character development. A single character is alienated because of their inability to conform – often in protest to the forced conditions of happiness and well being. Their struggle is to hide this fact from the state’s relentless supervision of (supposedly) everything. This leads them to eventually come into conflict with some hand of the state which serves as the authors voice presenting the reader with the ‘absurdity’ of the principles on which the society is based. The similar fear of the state’s abuse of power and technology at the expense of human individuality present within these novels speaks to the relevance of these novels within their historical context and their usefulness for awakening people to the horrendous consequences of their ignorance.
teaches the reader that if we do not be wary of the censorship that goes on in one’s society, then
Imagine living in a world where you are not in control of your own thoughts. Imagine living in a world in which all the great thinkers of the past have been blurred from existence. Imagine living in a world where life no longer involves beauty, but instead a controlled system that the government is capable of manipulating. In Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, such a world is brought to the awareness of the reader through a description of the impacts of censorship and forced conformity on people living in a futuristic society. In this society, all works of literature have become a symbol of unnecessary controversy and are outlawed. Individuality and thought is outlawed. The human mind is outlawed. All that is left is a senseless society, unaware of their path to self-destruction, knowing only what the government wants them to know. By telling a tale of a world parallel to our own, Bradbury warns us of a future we are on a path to -- a future of mind manipulation, misused technology, ignorance, and hatred. He challenges the reader to remain open-minded by promoting individualism, the appreciation of literature, the defiance of censorship and conformity, and most importantly, change.
To conclude, because the government was able to use censorship and promote ignorance, they were able control and manipulate their citizens. This novel also has resemblance to our world, this novel is a reminder of how powerful media can become if used the right way, society can be mislead into thinking false things. By promoting ignorance, the citizens started having very bland lives with no depth. People did not talk about ideas and feelings because they were obsessed and dependent on instant pleasure, they will start denying they own feelings because of this. Television and easy access to entertainment made books nonexistent.
Imagine a society where books are prohibited, where the basic rights made clear in the First Amendment hold no weight and society is merely a brainwashed, mechanical population. According to Ray Bradbury, the author of Fahrenheit 451, this depiction is actually an exaggerated forecast for the American future, and in effect is happening around us every day. Simply reading his words can incite arguments pertaining not only to the banning of books but to our government structure itself. Age-old debates about Communism are stirred by the trials of characters in Bradbury’s unique world. By studying the protagonist and main character, Guy Montag, and his personal challenges we can, in a sense, evaluate our own lives to insure that we don’t make similar mistakes.
In the novella Anthem, Equality demonstrates a desire to learn, and although his teachers reprimand this action, he declares, “We wish to know...We asked so many questions that the Teachers forbade it” (Rand 23). Furthermore, Equality wonders, “what— even if we have to burn for it…what is the Unspeakable Word?”, epitomizing his determination to unveil society’s secret regardless of the consequences (Rand 51). His statements establish conflict within himself as he yearns for clandestine knowledge, but recognizes that society forbids his ardor. Similarly, in Fahrenheit 451, Montag begins to doubt the government’s views on literature, proved when he states, “There must be something in those books, things we can’t imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house” (Bradbury 51). Montag’s proclamations introduce a battle within himself because he must now decide whether to conform to society’s ban on literary works or transgress by exploring a book’s contents. Because the government in both Anthem and Fahrenheit 451 restrict certain knowledge from its citizens, Equality and Montag face the internal conflicts of deciding whether to comply with society’s dictums or to contravene laws in order to find this
Contradictions of beliefs can bring about war, despair, and anarchy. A society that does not have a set rules and guidelines cannot find agreement and a sense of direction. Yet, immeasurable change, progression, and development have all occurred in response to an idea that is contradictory to our understanding and rules of said concept. Throughout Ray Bradbury’s novel, Fahrenheit 451, the idea of how cruelty can manipulate and alter a society in the physical world is invigorated throughout the novel’s world. Its society is controlled by strict social rules, restricting all originality, removing all civil wars. Inaccuracies are placed upon the population, removing the society’s ability to know more than what is wanted by the government, so social
United States Justice, Potter Stewart once said “Censorship reflects on a society’s confidence in itself” Ray Bradbury used this concept when building the story Fahrenheit 451. In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury addresses the subject of censorship, suggesting that the major problem in society is self censorship. Ray Bradbury brings us one specific type of censorship, rather than censorship from ruling authority, he uses self censorship. This censorship is the cause of the many smaller problems in this society. In Fahrenheit 451 the citizens are censored from many things.
Much can happen in a matter of minutes; a man can go from thinking he is happy to thinking his life is falling apart, or can change from hating someone to loving them. These experiences sound outlandish, but they happened to Guy Montag, the main character in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, and Winston Smith, the main character in George Orwell’s 1984. These two dystopian novels are about the characters discovering major problems in their societies, and then trying to fix them. Montag lives in a society where television controls people’s lives and books have become illegal. On the other hand Smith lives in Oceania, a territory led by a totalitarian regime. This regime is headed by Big Brother and is referred to as the Party. By examining Fahrenheit 451 and 1984, it is seen, not only through the dehumanized nature of society, but also through the theme of lies and manipulation that both Orwell and Bradbury wish to warn of a horrifying future society.
The authors of Fahrenheit 451 and Standing Women both write about a government that seeks to control the way people act and think, which forces these people not to use their minds. Ray Bradbury writes about a man, Montag, who ends up testing the society he lives in since he realizes the importance of knowledge communicated in books. In Yasutaka Tsutsui’s story, he expresses his thoughts of a futuristic society that does not tolerate people expressing their opinions or going against the government. While both stories focus on rebellion against the law, Montag in Fahrenheit 451 realizes the importance of reading and knowledge while the society in Standing Woman is unable to express themselves with their thoughts.
In “1984,” Orwell portrays Winston’s secret struggle to undermine the totalitarian rule of Big Brother and the Party in Oceania. The different government agencies, such as the Thought Police and Ministry of Love, exercise unrestricted totalitarian rule over people. Winston actively seeks to join the rebellion and acquire the freedoms undermined by the Party. On the other hand, Heinlein’s brief narrative, “The Long Watch,” depicts a contrasting struggle championed by Dahlquist against the power hungry Colonel Towers and the Patrol. In his struggle to prevent the total domination of the world by the Patrol, Dahlquist chooses to sacrifice his life. Le Guin’s “The Ones who walk away from Omelas,” illustrates a communal form of injustice tolerated for the benefit of the entire city but necessitating the inhumane imprisonment of a child. He portrays the ambiguity of human morality and the individual struggle to determine right from wrong. The authors address social change and power in different ways, reflective of their individual perceptions. Hence, in each narrative, the author illustrates the individual’s role in effecting social change and the conditions under which such change becomes possible.
One issue that helps to shape the world socially and politically is the rise and overpowering of an oppressive force. Things such as corrupt or forceful governments, slavery or racism, and living conditions not suitable for living give reasons for such a rise against power. “Rebellion is important because you need to change the ways things are if they are inefficient or unfair” (Goldstone). This opposition to oppression allows reformation and advancement of society as a whole to occur. People who feel the need for change have gone into drastic actions to gain a freedom or change. Some of these efforts can be demonstrated through revolutions, battles, protesting, and even anarchy. The following paragraphs will attempt to exemplify how novels we discussed in class show textual evidence of rising over oppression as well as to explain and elaborate on real world revolutions.