Imagine a world where civil liberties have been stripped away, a bare façade of civilization left behind. This is a world that is inhabited by people who were once free-willed and strong-minded. These people have become weak and obedient, easily bent to the will of their oppressive government. The world that these words have conjured up in your mind is the same existence that the characters occupy in Edwidge Danticat’s “A Wall of Fire Rising” and Alan Moore’s “V” for Vendetta. Danticat’s story is about a small family living in present-day Haiti with their small, ambitious son. The country is a mish-mash of people amassing obscene fortune while the rest scrape at the bottom of the proverbial barrel just to make ends meet; the class gap is seemingly far apart. In Danticat’s story, the husband spends his days either working at the sugarcane mill or searching for work elsewhere. Each day the husband watches the mill owner’s son take a hot air balloon up into the sky, and each day becomes more envious of the freedom attached to that action. After complaining to his wife about his exhaustion with their current situation he claims that he wants to take the hot air balloon for himself and leave Haiti for a far-away and better place. The following day, the husband makes good on his word, abandons his family, and takes the hot air balloon up into the sky. In James McTeigue’s version of “’V’ for Vendetta”, the country is a futuristic and dystopian London. Corrupt politicians control every aspect of the country and the citizens within. The main character, a masked vigilante by the name of V, grows tired of his country’s lack of freedom and decides to destroy an historic courthouse at midnight on the morning of November the 5th. The building i...
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...e instead of trying to pick it apart and understand why it works. I enjoyed watching “V” for Vendetta and reading “A Wall of Fire Rising” but, because of this in-depth analysis, I don’t think I could stomach either of them again; but, that’s just my opinion.
Work Cited
Booth, Alison, and Kelly J. Mays, eds. The Norton Introduction to Literature: Tenth Edition.
New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2010. Print.
Danticat, Edwidge. “A Wall of Fire Rising.” The Norton Introduction to Literature: Tenth Edition. Booth and Mays. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2010. 339-349. Print.
Edelstein, David. "Explosive Action." New York Magazine. New York Mag., 26 Mar. 2006. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
Jolin, Dan. "V For Vendetta." Empire Magazine. Bauer Consumer Media Ltd., 17 Mar. 2006. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
“V” for Vendetta. Dir. James McTeigue. Warner Bros., 2006. Film
Reynolds, Larry. “Patriot and Criminals, Criminal and Patriots.” South Central Review. Vol 9, No. 1.
In order to do so, I had to ask myself some important questions like: Is the telescreen in the book the same as the cameras at work watching us or the satellites the government has in space that can see you move about in your home or record your vehicles license plates? Is this just a mere coincidence or is the story a true telling of what has and is to come in the future? There are things in the book that will not be exactly as something that we have in our country today though it might serve the same purpose and they will be defined through logic and simple explanations. The three most obvious similarities that I will talk about are the classes differences, the slogan ?War is Piece? and the fact that even though with different intensity, both governments have their hands and control in every aspect of society?s life. The three differences that I will write about are the legal systems of the societies, the privacy people have or don?t have and love and emotions between people.
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.
A Separate Peace and Dead Poets Society revolve around a group of young boarding school attendees who form groups during their sessions. Although the book and the movie have different plots, they portray similar ideas as well as include some of the same scenes. The characters in these works; Todd, Gene, Phineas, and Neil have numerous similarities though their personalities and behaviors.
9/11 is a horrific moment in history, and is well recognized for it’s spawn of mass hysteria in America. Because of this, The Crucible and 9/11 are highly similar in that both situations caused people to become so fearful and paranoid to the point where they began to treat others unfairly, and become more vulnerable/gullible to people’s selfish schemes. In the Crucible, the people of Salem wished for there to be safety in their town and in their religion. However the fear of witchcraft interfered with that, causing a mass hysteria to flood throughout the town. They began to point fingers. It also caused them to be vulnerable. hence becoming more gullible. These same situations happened to America after 9/11 occurred.
...es of individuals can be used to explore a broader social wrong, in this case the injustice of a totalitarian government. Both authors use their protagonists to depict how a dictatorial state can destroy all sense of individuality, Orwell by presenting Winston in his fight against “The Party” and Niccol by depicting Vincent in his battle against society. Both authors also use individuals, who must isolate themselves in order to survive to expose how an unjust authoritative government can manufacture isolation. Orwell and Niccol also present conflicting views on the possibility of individual rebellion in an oppressive society, reflected by the success of Vincent and failure of Winston. In their prophetic dystopian texts both George Orwell and Andrew Niccol use the experiences of their protagonists to explore the broad social wrong of a totalitarian government.
The hero of The Red Badge of Courage, which was written by Stephen Crane in the late 1800s, was a young private named Henry Fleming, who was fighting for the North in the American Civil War. Like Pip, in Great Expectations, Henry was a commoner. He was new to the Army and few people knew his name. The main difference between Henry and the earlier heroes is that Henry was not born with leadership qualities or traits like bravery. In fact, in the first battle he fought, he proved himself to be a coward by running from it.
...ts to think it’s all rainbows in sunshine when it’s not. But defiance of authoritative figures, and a dystopian society, how is the offensive? In the book Alex defies everyone; the law, the millicents, his parents, his parole officer, and the societal norms(for our society). People are shocked by the violence Alex commits and “the apparent lack of moral condemnation of it by the author.” (Gordon) They are offended by the dystopian society because of the chaos and the violence and the fear and everything else that comes with a dystopian society. Where no one is good and it’s a dog eat dog world, a “kill or be killed” kind of world. People hate conflict and they don’t like to see the truth. They would rather believe everything is sunshine and rainbows instead of what it truly is chaos, destruction, a persistent battle between good and bad, violence, degradation, etc.
“A Wall of Fire Rising”, short story written by Edwidge Danticat, presents one man’s desire for the freedom and also, the gap between reality and fantasy which is created by the desire. Two different perspectives of evaluating the life bring the conflict between the Guy and Lili who are parents to the little guy. Throughout the story, the Guy implies that he wants to do something that people will remind of him, but Lili who is opposing to the Guy, tries to settle the Guy down and keep up with the normal life that they are belong to. The Guy is aggressive, adventurous and reckless while Lili is realistic and responsible. The wall of fire is the metaphorical expression of the boundary where divides two different types of people. One is for the people who accept their position and try to do the best out of it, and the other for the people who are not satisfied with the circumstances and desires to turn the table. Through this essay, I am going to reveal how the contradiction in an unwise idealist’s attitude and his speech, and also how it drove the whole family into a horrible tragedy as well.
Allusions to philosophers and other authors pepper “Create Dangerously,” reflecting how the people use the words of those that came before them to make the best of their own reality. The most highlighted philosopher within the paper is Albert Camus, by whom the title “Create Dangerously” was inspired. Not only does Danticat quote and speak of Camus within the essay, but tells of how the people of Haiti would put on his play quietly, quietly in the basements of their homes in secret, finding invigoration in the philosopher’s absurdist and poignant words. " 'Execution relieves and liberates. It is a universal tonic, just in precept as in practice. A man dies because he is guilty. A man is guilty because he is one of Caligula’s subjects. Ergo all men are guilty and shall die. It is only a matter of time and patience' " quotes Danticat in reference to “quietly, quietly.”. By picking this quote, Danticat draws parallels to the death sentences given to the people of Haiti by the dictatorship, including Numa and Drouin, perpetuating the consistency of Danticat’s message. Camus was part of a dialogue that was strikingly similar to that of the people battling the Haitian dictatorship. He himself opposed the Nazi regime by editing an underground newspaper in France (Kellman 2011). Danticat’s affinity for Camus’ work is made more palpable seeing the similarities in what they have faced through their lifetime. Inciting small forms of rebellion is a lifeline for those faced with domination, more specifically an autocracy. The overall theme of the story is the importance of literature, especially in times of oppression and pain, and how it can be used to aid the human
In the novel 1984 and the film “V for Vendetta”, the protagonist for both stories are captured while performing various acts of rebellion against the totalitarian government, of which is controlling their city. In punishment, the government tortures them with harsh, inhumane methods that are similar to those used in dictatorships during the 1900s like the USSR under Stalin’s rule. However, both protagonists are tortured by different sides, and by people from completely opposite ends of the political ladder: one a government agent, the other a rebel. Although the themes disclosed in relation to the purpose and meanings of torture are similar, the overall message and final opinion that is expressed and conveyed to the recipients are complete opposites.
...aw the reader's attention, and his non-stop action accounts make it hard to put the book down. His dramatic prose conveys a fiction story. He describes himself as a hero fighting the evil side of his own country. He criticizes the CIA and America a lot for what they have been doing, and what they haven't done.
...ulture. Together the characters of Watchmen reflect an unflattering image of American identity. We sacrifice morals to defend principles rather than saving people. We sacrifice ourselves for commercial gain and for the fame that comes from the worship of strangers. We worship our own achievements, obsess over time and in the end we lose what makes us human as we continue down a path that takes us farther away from each other and deeper into ourselves.
Welch, Michael Flag Burning: Moral Panic and the Criminalization of Protest (Social Problems and Social Issues).
Explore the characters. Are they believable and round, or flat and one-dimensional? Does the major character ( the protagonist) change? What causes the change?