Strict Government Control and its Negative Effects on Society
Fahrenheit 451, Ender's Game, and Persepolis all depict a society in which the authority is very strict and controlling. at least a section of citizens are not happy with the authority. They are deprived of many rights that people in today’s society take for granted. While many people are happy or at least indifferent with their way of life, there are some who feel that they need to make change.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
What it's about...
Fahrenheit 451 takes place in a society where books are banned and the punishment for having one is your house being burned by firemen. Most citizens mindlessly follow the government and are essentially stripped of their personalities and feelings as a result. On the other hand, some disagree with this government and some of these are even bold enough to rebel. Guy Montag, a fireman, develops a desire to read and becomes one of these rebellious types after his eyes are opened to the wrongs of society by a young girl he meets one day. Montag is chased by police and eventually flees town after his own wife reports him for his actions against the authority. He meets a group of people with similar ideas to his and they watch as the entire city is bombed before making their way back in hopes of a better future.
Fahrenheit 451 takes place in a society where books are banned and the punishment for having one is your house being burned by firemen. Most citizens mindlessly follow the government and are essentially stripped of their personalities and feelings as a result. On the other hand, some disagree with this government and some of these are even bold enough to rebel. Guy Montag, a fireman, develops a desire to read and becomes one of these rebellious types after his eyes are opened to the wrongs of society by a young girl he meets one day. Montag is chased by police and eventually flees town after his own wife reports him for his actions against the authority. He meets a group of people with similar ideas to his and they watch as the entire city is bombed before making their way back in hopes of a better future.
How it connects...
Fahrenheit 451 shows the strongest examples of strict government control. This would be considered a true dystopian society while the other two novels are not as extreme. Books are completely banned to keep dangerous ideas from the public. It is thought that by keeping these ideas out of the minds of citizens, violence and rebellion will also be eliminated. It is an effective way to make sure that the people in power stay in power. "A little learning is a dangerous thing" (Bradbury 106). The effects of this are very unhealthy to society as a whole. The majority of citizens simply do not care that learning is nonexistent and do not become curious. Time is spent watching the "parlor walls" and nothing that would be considered productive in today's society is present. There are no new advancements made by society because no one is able to think in a creative way. "His wife in the TV parlor paused long enough from reading her script to glance up" (Bradbury 19). Other citizens were affected in a way opposite to this. They had ideas of what life could be like if books were allowed and were sometimes led to breaking the law. Complete rebellion never took place but some citizens escaped from society.
Fahrenheit 451 shows the strongest examples of strict government control. This would be considered a true dystopian society while the other two novels are not as extreme. Books are completely banned to keep dangerous ideas from the public. It is thought that by keeping these ideas out of the minds of citizens, violence and rebellion will also be eliminated. It is an effective way to make sure that the people in power stay in power. "A little learning is a dangerous thing" (Bradbury 106). The effects of this are very unhealthy to society as a whole. The majority of citizens simply do not care that learning is nonexistent and do not become curious. Time is spent watching the "parlor walls" and nothing that would be considered productive in today's society is present. There are no new advancements made by society because no one is able to think in a creative way. "His wife in the TV parlor paused long enough from reading her script to glance up" (Bradbury 19). Other citizens were affected in a way opposite to this. They had ideas of what life could be like if books were allowed and were sometimes led to breaking the law. Complete rebellion never took place but some citizens escaped from society.
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
What it's about...
Marjane is a young girl growing up in Iran during a time of war and revolution. the religion of Islam is being forced upon the people of Iran by the government. Many people do not agree with the ideas included in this religion. Marjane's parents take part in demonstrations that sometimes can become violent and Marjane has always been very interested in them. Many of Marjane's friends leave Iran for better lives in other countries. She is able to meet family members that had been previously punished for their beliefs. One such person is her uncle Anoosh who is executed soon after she meets him. Iranians are having more restrictions put in place and women can be punished for not dressing correctly. Marjane does not like the rules and becomes rebellious. She is kicked out of a school and disagrees with the teachers in her next school. Her parents decide to move her to Vienna to keep her safe from the hardships that she will have to face when she grows older.
Marjane is a young girl growing up in Iran during a time of war and revolution. the religion of Islam is being forced upon the people of Iran by the government. Many people do not agree with the ideas included in this religion. Marjane's parents take part in demonstrations that sometimes can become violent and Marjane has always been very interested in them. Many of Marjane's friends leave Iran for better lives in other countries. She is able to meet family members that had been previously punished for their beliefs. One such person is her uncle Anoosh who is executed soon after she meets him. Iranians are having more restrictions put in place and women can be punished for not dressing correctly. Marjane does not like the rules and becomes rebellious. She is kicked out of a school and disagrees with the teachers in her next school. Her parents decide to move her to Vienna to keep her safe from the hardships that she will have to face when she grows older.
How it connects...
The government in Persepolis is forcing a new type of government as well as a religion onto the people of Iran. Any ideas that oppose this new way of life are banned and many people refuse to give up old ideas and are punished because of it. Especially for women, wearing the wrong type of clothes can lead to trouble with officials enforcing the Islamic religion. "They were guardians of the revolution, the women's branch. This group had been added in 1982, to arrest women who were improperly veiled" (Satrapi 132). Forms of Western culture were also banned. It was felt that they went against the ideas of the Islamic Republic. This government control had many negative effects on society. There were demonstrations in the streets. Many of these turned violent as the authority tried to suppress them. "For the first time in my life, I saw violence with my own eyes. That was our last demonstration" (Satrapi 76). A number of people who opposed the government were sent to prison and some were executed. The children were also encouraged to get involved in the war. They were taught that it is honorable to die for your country and sent away at very young ages. "They told the boys that if they went to war and were lucky enough to die, this key would get them into Heaven" (Satrapi 98).
The government in Persepolis is forcing a new type of government as well as a religion onto the people of Iran. Any ideas that oppose this new way of life are banned and many people refuse to give up old ideas and are punished because of it. Especially for women, wearing the wrong type of clothes can lead to trouble with officials enforcing the Islamic religion. "They were guardians of the revolution, the women's branch. This group had been added in 1982, to arrest women who were improperly veiled" (Satrapi 132). Forms of Western culture were also banned. It was felt that they went against the ideas of the Islamic Republic. This government control had many negative effects on society. There were demonstrations in the streets. Many of these turned violent as the authority tried to suppress them. "For the first time in my life, I saw violence with my own eyes. That was our last demonstration" (Satrapi 76). A number of people who opposed the government were sent to prison and some were executed. The children were also encouraged to get involved in the war. They were taught that it is honorable to die for your country and sent away at very young ages. "They told the boys that if they went to war and were lucky enough to die, this key would get them into Heaven" (Satrapi 98).
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
What it's about...
Ender's Game takes place in a society that is preparing for third war with an alien race know as the Buggers. Ender is taken from his home at a very young age to train with the International Fleet to become a soldier in the next war. Ender is despised by many students because of his superiority and ability to constantly win. The teachers at battle school offer him almost no help throughout the entire book and even tend to make things worse for Ender. Ender also deals with a number of emotional struggles as he remembers his brother and sister. His skill is far beyond that of the other students and he is advanced much faster than the others. He is given the role of commander over a group of students he had worked with at battle school. Ender is able to defeat the Buggers and end the war forever but he is not happy with what he has done.
Ender's Game takes place in a society that is preparing for third war with an alien race know as the Buggers. Ender is taken from his home at a very young age to train with the International Fleet to become a soldier in the next war. Ender is despised by many students because of his superiority and ability to constantly win. The teachers at battle school offer him almost no help throughout the entire book and even tend to make things worse for Ender. Ender also deals with a number of emotional struggles as he remembers his brother and sister. His skill is far beyond that of the other students and he is advanced much faster than the others. He is given the role of commander over a group of students he had worked with at battle school. Ender is able to defeat the Buggers and end the war forever but he is not happy with what he has done.
How it connects...
The government's only focus in this novel is to build a strong army in preparation for the next war with he Buggers. Unless specifically notified by the government, families are only allowed to have two children in order to keep population from growing too rapidly. The government has control over the children especially when a third is had. They are closed monitored until it can be know if they are right for battle school, in which case they would be taken from their families and trained for the war. At battle school, the teachers play the role of the government over the students. They are not allowed to do what they want and some students are very upset by this. The effects of this control can be terrible. Ender feels that he has no control over his own life. He is practically forced into battle school and put into advanced leadership positions without having any say in the matter. He is very stressed at times and knows that everybody is depending on him to do something that he does not want to do. "You never asked me! You never told me the truth about anything" (Card 342). As a result of the government's focus on winning and nothing else, the personality and views of the children can be negatively effected. Some become too focused on beating the other students and the true purpose of battle school is lost.
The government's only focus in this novel is to build a strong army in preparation for the next war with he Buggers. Unless specifically notified by the government, families are only allowed to have two children in order to keep population from growing too rapidly. The government has control over the children especially when a third is had. They are closed monitored until it can be know if they are right for battle school, in which case they would be taken from their families and trained for the war. At battle school, the teachers play the role of the government over the students. They are not allowed to do what they want and some students are very upset by this. The effects of this control can be terrible. Ender feels that he has no control over his own life. He is practically forced into battle school and put into advanced leadership positions without having any say in the matter. He is very stressed at times and knows that everybody is depending on him to do something that he does not want to do. "You never asked me! You never told me the truth about anything" (Card 342). As a result of the government's focus on winning and nothing else, the personality and views of the children can be negatively effected. Some become too focused on beating the other students and the true purpose of battle school is lost.
Reflection
Many of the works used in class this semester had common ideas of strict, controlling governments. Extreme censorship is a common characteristic of strict governments. These three novels are no exception to these ideas. The examples of censorship depicted in these works are very extreme but censorship is not always so obvious and it is very real in today's world. Media is one place where a large amount of censorship can be seen. It can come in the form of not allowing children to read certain books or see certain movies or replacing sections of these arts to make them more appropriate for all audiences. This is similar to items from western culture being banned in Iran. Marjane had to go to extreme lengths to find music tapes and posters. It can be very noticeable or very small. These novels show just how bad this type of control can become. The societies depicted in these novels seem far off and completely fictional. While this is true, there are a number of aspects in these novels that make them feel familiar. They are able to say things about society today. One example is everyone being obsessed with "parlor walls" in Fahrenheit 451. This is almost frighteningly similar to the direction in which today's society in headed with everyone spending more and more time on smart phones and other electronics. Persepolis shows that societies with governments like this can be very real and not just in fictional worlds. This novel is based on real world issues that took place only two or three decades ago. While the society in the United States is not likely to transform into something that was discussed this semester in the near future, some of these ideas are not as ridiculous as one may initially think.
Presentation
Sources
http://www.post-gazette.com/image/2014/10/06/Fahrenheit-451.jpg
http://justinswapp.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/enders-game.jpg http://images.mic.com/ptuoboavs3dk74zyycf0bfexsakywart7fr4lfierzeqsgnjw6qcuscvgcmjmx0w.jpg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PXHeKuBzPY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP0cUBi4hwE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0OnobqlDlY
http://justinswapp.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/enders-game.jpg http://images.mic.com/ptuoboavs3dk74zyycf0bfexsakywart7fr4lfierzeqsgnjw6qcuscvgcmjmx0w.jpg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PXHeKuBzPY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP0cUBi4hwE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0OnobqlDlY