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The french revolution
Enlightenment in the French Revolution
French revolutions 19th century
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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.
The first topic that comes to mind when thinking of a rise over oppression is the French Revolution. The French Revolution lasted ten years from 1789-1799, and was a period of radical social and political controversy. The monarchy possessing total control over France for centuries, collapsed within three short years. This sudden change caused the French society to undergo a huge transformation as feudal, aristocratic and religious rights began to disappear. Change was coming from an effort started by many liberal political groups fed up with the treatment given to them by the upper class groups. Enlightenment began to be the new form of knowledge and thought processes. For the suppressed groups, the French Revolution was successful. A new middle class was influenced by Enlightenment theories and fought for freedom and equality among society. During the time bef...
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...r Called Henry, Waiting For the Barbarians, and Persepolis that have discussed the significance of opposition to evil and preventative forces. Each event in history and each novel that we have read exemplifies this fact. In my opinion, people should have the right to stand up for what they believe is correct and that should not cause any unfair treatment of anyone.
Works Cited
Coetzee, J. M. Waiting for the Barbarians. Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England ; New York: Penguin Books, 1982. Print.
Domenach, J. -M. "Camus-Sartre Debate: Rebellion Vs. Revolution." Nation 176.10 (1953): 202-3. Print.
Doyle, Roddy. A Star Called Henry. London, UK.: Random House, 2000. Print.
Goldstone, Jack A. Revolution and Rebellion in Early Modern World. Univ of California Press, 1991. Print.
Satrapi, Marjane. The Complete Persepolis. New York: Pantheon Books, 2007. Print.
The Struggle for Power in 1984, Fahrenheit 451, Invisible Man, Julius Caesar, and Lord Of The Flies. & nbsp; If you delve into the content of almost any novel, there is almost always some kind of struggle for power. It could be for rightful integration into society; power over an island; power over a country; or in some cases, even power over the minds of others. These not at all uncommon struggles for power are what keep us interested in the plot of a book. The ongoing battle between a character and his cause makes it impossible to put down a good book. For instance, the a woman to somehow find a way to get out of the constant barrage of cameras and mind control conducted by their government. Although the two of them eventually lost the battle, there was still a victor in the struggle for power: their government. & nbsp; & nbsp; they believed, that it would be impossible to say that some kind of struggle for power did not exist. They were struggling for the power of freedom. There is not only one kind of freedom you can have. Some peoples struggle for the power of freedom might just be allowed to exist at all. & nbsp; When you read the Invisible Man, a novel by Ralph Ellison, in lies one of the most incredible and wonderful struggles for power that very possibly this world has ever seen.&nbs in very different ways. Some of the different characters mentioned above had to be handled in different ways. Mr. Norton and the superintendent had to be treated always with respect. The protagonist's ability to recognize these different forms of society and how to deal with each one of them eventually helped him adapt in a more appropriate way to different places in society. The protagonist, however, was not the only person whose deme around on egg shells when dealing with the protagonist. I believe that the protagonist sensed this. It was because of the struggles for power made by people like the protagonist that eventually turned the tide for black Americans in the 19th and 20th century. However, these struggles had been going on for several centuries before his own. & nbsp; & nbsp; The first major struggle for power in Julius Caesar comes from the conspirators. This group of "rebels" has the intention to free Rome and its people from the shackles of Julius Caesar. struggle for power in the play: winning the war that Antony will put up against Brutus and his followers. & nbsp; & nbsp; On one side of the battlefield there is Ralph, and on the other side is Jack. Just opposite of him is Jack who has an almost totalitarian kind of outlook on how to get tasks done. Of the two of them, Jack is the one who seems most likely to abuse the power that he is given. Ralph simply wants to have fun, while at the same time maintaining order on the island. This back and forth battle between the two of them continues all the way through the book until all of the boys who are still alive are rescued. & nbsp; Struggles like the ones I have mentioned are extremely common in almost all forms of literature. However, as I have pointed out, these kinds of struggles have been going on since the beginning of man.
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.
How does the power of an evil, controlling government negatively affect the lives of numerous humans in a society? In Anthem, by Ayn Rand, the communist government takes away one’s individuality by coercing the characters to obey strict rules and forcing the members of society to work only as a group. Equality, the protagonist, struggles to find joy and satisfaction in conforming to society’s demands, and encounters conflict as he comes to realize the flaws in his civilization. By comparison, Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 illustrates the dangers of the unnatural dependency on technology that causes citizens to be ignorant and shallow in order for the government to control their thoughts and actions. As the story progresses, the main character, Montag, experiences difficult circumstances after discovering the hidden value of books and the cruelty of his authority.
Throughout the world, failures seem to occur all around. Whether it be in the form of losing oneself or losing the people around the individual, many failures commonly occurs with the accumulation of power. In George Orwell’s dystopian novel, 1984, Winston Smith is a low-ranking government official under the oppressive reign of his leaders, Big Brother. He is just one example of the many characters in written works that will eventually be defeated in one way or another. In British literature, it has become evident that characters affected by tyrannies have ultimately experienced loneliness, paranoia, and defeat.
The French and American Revolutions were derived amongst similar motivations to better their governments. However, they differ on other levels based on their actions and outcomes. The American and French revolutions both wanted its citizens to be viewed as equals, just as well as allow them to have some natural rights. Sovereignty however is, viewed differently by the two parties. The core reason for each revolution differs, but they both have the same ending results of a declarations document. Both documents are composed based off enlightenment thinkers John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government and Jean Jacques Rousseau’s Social Contract. The Declaration of Independence was mostly Locke’s theory. While the Declaration of the Rights of Man favored both theories.
The French Revolution evokes many different emotions and controversial issues in that some believe it was worth the cost and some don't. There is no doubt that the French Revolution did have major significance in history. Not only did the French gain their independence, but an industrial revolution also took place. One of the main issues of the Revolution was it's human costs. Two writers, the first, Peter Kropotkin who was a Russian prince, and the other Simon Schama, a history professor, both had very opposing views on whether the wars fought by France during the Revolution were worth it's human costs. Krapotkin believed that the French Revolution was the main turning point for not only France but for most other countries as well. On the other hand, Schama viewed the French Revolution as unproductive and excessively violent.
The French Revolution was the event that changed much of the way Europe was governed. The French rebellion pitted the poor against the ruling rich and monarchs and though the path was not straight, it did eventually lead to equality for France and much of Europe. The French Revolution occurred over a period of ten years (1789 – 1799), and appeared to be a failure because of its brutality. However, as the years passed, the feudal life that existed for most of France's population died and the monarchy of France (and eventually those throughout Europe) ended.
People in this world must stand up for what they believe because many people will take advantage of their power and infringe their rights. When Einstein said what he said about civil disobedience that you should trust a person?s conscious and not his government he was telling people to make a stand. A prime example of standing up for what you believe in and not bowing to a law or demand that a person doesn?t think is right would be Sophocles Antigone she didn?t stop trying to bury her brother because she believed it was the right thing and she stood up for herself ?I shall rest, a loved one with him whom I have loved, sinless in my crime, for I owe a longer allegiance to the dead than to the living: ...
Sophocles' Antigone, Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound, Jean Anouilh's Antigone and Ridley Scott's Blade Runner The representative population of a community is not comfortable when confronted by an individual who defies the laws that bind them. Whether or not the laws or the powers behind them are just, the populace must deal with any challenge to their authority. In some cases, the community, fearful of a powerful regime, will side with that power and avoid the risks associated with rebellion. Others find the tyranny too unjust to stand idly by and, risking their lives, join with other defiant individuals against it.
The later 18th century was a time of crisis for the old regimes of Europe and their economic systems and political agitation sometimes breaking out into revolts. English Industrial Revolution vaulted Britain to the fore. France was the most powerful and the most typical of the old aristocratic absolute monarchies of Europe. (lower taxes off backs of lower classes).
The French Revolution began in 1789 and ended in the late 1790’s (staff). Just like the American Revolution the French Revolution started with new ideas of enlightenment. French citizens started to uproot everything that was considered normal, things such as absolute monarchy and the feudal system, they wanted to redesign everything (staff). Although a lot of the attempts failed people continued to try to make the change.
Oppression; something that has been around since the beginning of time; Mesopotamia. It is a cruel trait that takes advantage of others for the advantage to conquer and attain a goal in one’s life. From one of the first known literary works “The Epic of Gilgamesh” to William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” Acts 1 and 2, the theme of oppression has been playing out in societies. In relating to these two stories through postcolonial theory we will look at different aspect of oppression. Oppression has shown it is one of a self-sustaining system of power that is used to dis-empower, disregard, silence, enslave and eventually could lead to death.
“Society was cut in two: those who had nothing united in common envy; those who had anything united in common terror.” The French Revolution was a painful era that molded the lives of every citizen living in France and changed their ways of life forever. Beginning in 1789 and lasting ten years until 1799, the people of France lived in a monarch society under King Louis XVI’s rule. He was a very harsh ruler and had many restrictions placed on his people. They eventually overthrow him and become a monarch society. Among his deceptive ways, the people also experienced “The Reign of Terror,” which was a period where many lives were taken by the guillotine. Other revolutionary events included rebellions, constitutions, and groups. One of the popular groups that contributed greatly to the French Revolution were the Jacobins who were led by Maximilien Robespierre.
George Orwell uses setting, characterization and symbols to show that true power come from following the dictates of one’s conscience. The state of power established through the imperialistic backdrop show that Orwell should have control over the Burmese. Also, the perspective and ideas given by Orwell show his true character and lessens the overall power set up for him. Lastly, the symbols Orwell uses show representation of traditional forms of power, but take on different implications in the story. These points come together to prove that power exists within one’s self and not through one’s position, conquests or by the items they possess. In the end, it can be said that man’s journey for power will be a continuous struggle until the end of time but that in order at attain power, one must learn to listen to one’s conscience.
...hich those who have insight into the situation may affect change, one of the most powerful of which is through fiction. Skilled writers can convey the flaws in the system through their narrative without explicitly stating them, thus engaging the reader to think through the implications of the narrative on their own. This way, any conclusion arrived at feels like the reader’s own insight, making it more plausible than if the conclusion is thrust upon the reader by an overtly didactic text. In “The Tempest”, Shakespeare never explicitly states that enslavement is not logically justified, but instead subtly implies it through his narrative. I believe that it is in part because of writers such as Shakespeare who have—whether intentionally or not—used the medium of fiction to expose the problems in their society that our world is gradually moving towards social justice.