Violence.
In the science fiction realm, this word might conjure up images of Martian massacres, light saber standoffs, or robot regimes. While these scenarios certainly exist within many works of science fiction, however, the genre is not confined to such unbelievable and grotesque depictions of violence. Beyond its stereotypical guts and gore, the science fiction genre presents readers with unpredictable and unconventional—yet hauntingly believable—manifestations of violence: the mutilation of language; the burning of books; the destruction of identity; the commandeering of thoughts.
Drawing on dangers of the past, present, and future, science fiction writers employ violence as a tool with which to nudge readers into unease. Once readers
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By painting dystopian visions of dehumanized worlds, science fiction writers use the art of absence to unveil the heart of human nature.
Violence, of course, is one of the most valuable tools for a science fiction writer who wishes to explore the question of humanity in dehumanized worlds. Two novels that present some of the most compelling depictions of such violence are George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four and Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. Published in 1949 and 1953, respectively, these novels employ unconventional methods of violence to convey the political fears of the 1930s and 40s—ultimately asserting that it is not rage but a lack thereof that denotes the highest form of dehumanization.
In Nineteen Eighty-Four, readers are presented with a cruel, most dehumanizing form of violence: psychological torture. By eliminating human emotions (like love and pleasure) and rights (like the freedom of speech and thought), Big Brother—Orwell’s omnipresent mustachioed symbol of totalitarianism—strips man of his very essence in order to convert him into a puppet of the
2. According to Sobchack, contemporary screen violence greatly differs than portrayals of violence in years past. Today, violent scenes are careless and lack significance because we as audiences have become calloused and desensitized to any acts of violence. She states that there is “no grace or benediction attached to violence. Indeed, its very intensity seems diminished” (Sobchack 432). Senseless violence, gruesome acts, and profound amounts of gore are prevalent in movies today, and because even this is not enough, it must be accompanied by loud blasts and noise, constantly moving scenes to keep audiences stimulated and large quantities of violence for viewers to enjoy what they are watching. Decades ago, it was the story that was engaging to audiences and filmmaking was an art.
Violent scenes and scenarios are now a common go-to for movies, books, comics, and much more.
One could easily dismiss movies as superficial, unnecessarily violent spectacles, although such a viewpoint is distressingly pessimistic and myopic. In a given year, several films are released which have long-lasting effects on large numbers of individuals. These pictures speak
Many timeless novels have impacts on our everyday culture, not only as a book, but also through music or movies. Many popular novels have multiple adaptations, which shape how we approach their interpretation, in ways we may never even notice. In some films, humans are depicted as monsters, whether through their actions, or through the thoughts of other beings. In these films we find issues with our own society, and in turn see ourselves as monsters, and look for ways we can change, for the better. One particular novel that influences this side of Hollywood is Mary Shelley's “Frankenstein”. The ways Frankenstein influences pop culture can be seen in science fiction films in which humans are depicted as monster, and “monsters” are seen as more humane beings, such as I, Robot, and Ender’s Game.
Williams, Raymond (ed). Deutscher, Isaac: `1984 - The mysticism of cruelty' George Orwell: A collection of critical essays Prentice Hall Int. Inc. (1974)
Nineteen Eighty-Four, by George Orwell, is a superb novel with outstanding themes. One of the most prominent themes found in this novel is psychological manipulation. Citizens in this society are subject to ever present signs declaring “BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU” (Orwell 1). Along with psychological manipulation, physical control takes place. The Party not only controls what people in Oceania think, but what they do as well.
Westerns and science fiction are two genres employed by popular culture that are, in that order, chronologically consecutive in history in terms of their popularity. When analyzed, they show themselves to be also extremely similar to one another, both thematically and structurally. Yet the shift in desirability from the dominant trend of western works to those of science fiction did occur, and I would argue is still occurring today. The reason for that shift in spite of the many similarities of the two genres, along with the factor of the added differences over time, may therefore be a convenient tool in revealing where exactly the ideologies of these respective generations diverge.
Westfahl, Gary. “‘Man against man, brain against brain’: the transformation of melodrama in science fiction.” Themes in Drama: Melodrama. Ed. James Redmond. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992. 193-211
In 1984, George Orwell presents an overly controlled society that is run by Big Brother. The protagonist, Winston, attempts to “stay human” in the face of a dehumanizing, totalitarian regime. Big Brother possesses so much control over these people that even the most natural thoughts such as love and sex are considered taboo and are punishable. Big Brother has taken this society and turned each individual against one another. Parents distrust their own offspring, husband and wife turn on one another, and some people turn on their own selves entirely. The people of Oceania become brainwashed by Big Brother. Punishment for any uprising rebellions is punishable harshly.
Dystopian literature highlights social flaws perceived by the composer and questions the basis for contemporary social practice. Unlike utopian fiction, which is rarely more than speculation regarding a self-perceived ideal, dystopian works call upon their audience to consider inadequacies present in their own society. Works such as Ursula LeGuin’s short story The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, Eoin Colfer’s children’s novel The Supernaturalist and the 2006 film V for Vendetta directed by James McTeigue address such issues as human rights abuse, totalitarianism and mass consumerism through the medium of the dystopian genre, and in doing so embody the principal components of dystopian literature: The enforced acceptance of an imperfection as an ideal, the questioning of social practice, and the revelation of the imperfection and the consequences thereof.
“Science fiction often plays off the real against the artificial, either in the form of humans versus non-human (androids, cyborgs, synthetics), or the world versus the non-world (cyberspace, inner-space, intentional space)”.
The object of torture is torture. The object of murder is murder. The object of power is power” (Orwell____). All Big Brother wants is a continuous flow of power, and they will stop at nothing to get it; even if it means wiping out all the identity and diversity of the millions of people in Oceania. Works Cited Feder, Lillian. A. "Selfhood, Language, and Reality: George Orwell's 'Nineteen Eighty-Four.'
Authors tend to use violence to make their works of literature more appealing to the readers. It has been examined for many years and by several philosophers, but its exact character and the reasoning behind it is still questioned. It is proven that children learn from what they are exposed to and that if they read or watch violent material, they may eventually develop a negative persona. Violence today is very widespread and needs to be acknowledged as a major issue for everyone. There are many incidents where violence in literature has affected individuals in a negative way. It has affected their thought process and made horrific acts seem intriguing to the point where they want and do, in some cases, participant in carrying out ferocious acts. The violence in literature should be minimized and replaced with more influential topics that reflect on a more positive impact on
Due to the fact that science-fiction mirrors reality, and that this work does so by showing a culture that on its surface is a polar opposite to ours, aspects of the counterculture
Science Fiction is a genre of speculative fiction that has evolved. This genre is used as a form of escape from the current living conditions, as it often reflects the current mindset of a society. Now, in contemporary culture the amount of utopian literature has decreased whereas dystopias proliferate. Many Science Fiction works depict different worlds set in some unforeseen future, where some form of humanity is lost. This paper will argue that Science Fiction is the best way for us to see our future and better reach utopia. First, I will define Science Fiction, and its role in our society. Then, I will compare the earlier works of the genre to the current rise in dystopian entertainment, and how it is based on society’s current issues.