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Adam LeJeune Period 3

“Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.”-George Washington. This saying holds true in terms of having inadequate leaders in a government. The worst type of fear a person can possess is the fear of their own rulers and governments. If the government does not operate in the best interest of the people then the whole nation will soon fall into turmoil. The idea that a government can shirk rights and subdue its people does not appeal too many, but the thought that one day the rulers of a nation will decide to take control lurks in the back of peoples minds. Both the novels [|1984], written by George Orwell, and //[|Little Brother]//, written by Cory Doctorow contain a society subjugated by authorities, with people having limited rights and freedoms. //1984// tells the tale of a man named to Winston, a citizen of a nation where there the government can torture and dispose of those who even think of opposing the government. Citizens have limited free will and all aspects of a persons life is controlled by the government figure known as Big Brother. Winston believes that this [|Communistic] form of leadership is incorrect, and revolts with his lover, Julia, to try and abolish the corrupt government. //Little Brother//, though very similar in plot to //1984//, takes place in a more modern-day society and brings forth the idea that if a terrorist attacks our country, the government should take drastic measures to cut peoples’ freedoms to give them a false sense of security. The main character, Marcus Yallow, is a senior in a California high school with an amazing ability to hack into internet servers, programs, etc. After an attack on the Bay Bridge, the [|Department of Homeland Security] (DHS) changes the entire way the citizens near the area live. They take Marcus and his three closest friends as hostages, and interrogate them as terrorists, torturing them. Marcus and two of his friends are set free, but the DHS contains Darryl, a very close, lifelong friend of Marcus. After his experience, Marcus decides to create an internet server known as the X-net, and uses it to defy the authorities, try and take down the DHS, and save Darryl. Each of these stories incorporates a sense of rebellion and freedom into them with how the protagonists act. Both novels contain governments that oppress the people of a nation to uphold power, a nation that tries to obtain a utopia through paranoia and fear, and uses symbolism to relate to the world today and how it should not become as demented as those in the books.

Both //1984// and //Little Brother// contain similar ideas that deal with government power and individual revolt. These books show how an individual should revolt when the government becomes too oppressive and controlling, and outline a way to revolt with success. A teacher and government expert, [|Mr. Brad Meyer] came in to the class to talk about government restrictions. He stated that the government limits freedoms especially during times of war and directly after a terrorist attack, much like the [| post-9/11 repercussions] America faced. Because of that attack, many government owned businesses, airports especially, have now increased surveillance to a whole new level, monitoring each person very closely. In airports, it is now possible for a machine to see every individual naked (unclearly, but naked, nonetheless) through an x-ray machine to scan for bombs. He then went on to explain if a person would rather loose freedoms for safety. Safety is important, but after a certain amount of time, the government will stop thinking about the safety of people and just limit freedoms to ensure they stay in power. Though Winston’s revolt in //1984// was unsuccessful, one can get a sense of how to oppose a government when it becomes too communistic. Through determination, trial-and-error, and courage, Winston brings up a small revolution. “We believe that here is some kind of conspiracy, some kind of secret organization working against the Party, and that you are involved in it. We want to join it and work for it. We are enemies of the Party. We disbelieve in the principles of Ingsoc. We are thought-criminals. We are also adulterers. I tell you this because we want to put ourselves at your mercy. If you want us to incriminate ourselves in any other way, we are ready” (Orwell 170). In order to obtain success in anything, a person must be willing to commit to that ideal with all of their body and soul. In //1984//, the characters pertain to a certain sense of self dignity, but at the same time are willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish a goal if it improves life. This is the correct path to success, which is applied to today’s time as well. //Little Brother// also informs the reader of how to challenge the system of the government. Marcus defies the government in a way that the government cannot trace; he is “invisible” to the authorities, a nobody. "They announced that the people were "naming names," compromising the "Xnet network" and that more arrests were expected soon. The name "M1k3y" was often heard."(Doctorow 242) Marcus is able to hold a press conference with major news stations dealing with the rash actions the DHS has implemented and talk openly about his operations using only his X-net name, M1k3y, and, though people are diligently trying to figure out this information, he remains unidentified. Marcus is able to have such a successful revolt because of the security he has all around him. The server he uses is very secure, and he has trust in each friends. He has made a “web of trust” with himself and only his closest friends, and their closet friends, so it is made sure no one would divulge the information that they possess to the public. A large group of people is needed to successfully riot, a secure network of trustworthy friends. One individual is not capable of making extraordinary change, but a mass of people that has congregated for a single, unified purpose can make a difference and change the world. Without these qualities, a successful revolt, uprising of any sort, would be fruitless, a wasted attempt. Both //1984// and //Little Brother// help the reader get a sense of what a successful rebellion takes, what each individual must bring forth in order to for the group as a whole to have success. One can parallel the information presented in these books and use it in this world. It takes an extreme sense of dedication and self-perseverance to start a revolt, and only with a large group of trusted allies will it hold strong and prevail.

Through each of these novels outline a way to rebel, the reader becomes confused on when the right moment to revolt should occur. It is unclear whether or not an individual should start to oppose the government before it becomes too demanding, directly after the authorities start to shirk rights and oppress the people, or after the nation is deprived of liberties and the person notices an intense need for change. The two stories both have differentiating opinions on this idea, but it is unclear whether or not either of the protagonists in //1984// and //Little Brother// implement a rebellion at the appropriate time. Orwell believed that the most acceptable time would be after the nation has be deprived of what today’s world considers to be granted morals and freedoms, as depicted in his novel. Winston’s life in //1984// had not always been so controlled and vexed by Big Brother and the police of his time. But only after Winston believed the situation to be at its climax did he begin to find a need for a revolution and implement his ideas. “They had done it, they had done it at last!...At the far end of the room O’Brien was sitting at a table under a green-shaded lamp.” (Orwell 167) Though Winston eventually did triumph in started a small uprising, this event occurred very late after the government had seized total power. Whether or not this time is the most appropriate is not clear. Though the time seems the most acceptable in the book, it may not be the most convenient in this time. //1984// even gives evidence that contradicts this theory. During a walk in the slums of the city, Winston encounters a bomb that was dropped in the same vicinity that he was located. The reader can infer that this bomb is intentionally dropped by the government to try and plague the public to believe that the nation is at war. Can waiting until the perfect moment to implement a decision appropriate the loss of innocent people? This topic seems very relevant to today, with unnecessary wars and conflicts occurring. Who is to say that the authorities even know what is best for the public? It seems that when a government makes decisions affecting the entire nation, more so the civilians, soldiers, and fighters over the government officials, that people who have experienced first hand what has been happening to cause the change should have the major say in this decision and how its outcome would affect life. While in //Little Brother//, Cory Doctorow takes another path to inform the reader when it is necessary to revolt. In the book, as soon as Marcus is afflicted by the bombing of the [|Bay Bridge] near his home in California and is taken by the Department of Homeland Security, he immediately conducts an upheaval to take down the DHS and save his enslaved friends. Through this rash acting, though, Marcus and anyone using the secure network (the X-net) is seen as an accomplice to the terrorists that destroyed the bridge. Every character using this X-net is now a target that the government and city authority will try fervently to capture. “They do terrorists’ work on the home front. When- not if, but when- California gets attacked again, these brats will be as much to blame as the House of Saud.”(Doctorow 241) The general feeling of the public toward the quick mutiny established by Marcus is that these teenagers, students at public high schools, are to blame for the terrorist attack and for any future attacks. With a quick revolt comes an even faster blame. Though the uprising in the book was a success, it seemed like a bit of a stretch in relation to today’s world. The world today stereotypes very abundantly and frequently, and it seems that to have a rebellion over what the government has approved of would be less beneficial to those that revolted due to the new difficulty in life that would happen due to these changes. Based off of the revolts in both of these novels, it can only be fair to assume that the correct time for an uprising is based on each individual. There is no set time that it would be best to revolt, it is a matter of how the authorities will act and the rebel's readiness. What must first be accomplished to have a successful attack is a difficult question that should be more thoroughly touched on in each //1984// and //Little Brother//.

Each of these stories gives real-life experiences based on the characters and how they are portrayed in [|defying the government]. Both //1984// and //Little Brother// can relate to the modern era due to the similar features in government and individual beliefs. Using the ideas presented in the book on defiance and rebellion, one can get a sense of what it takes to successfully oppose authority when it becomes too hounding and influential. When an individual believes that the time is right to schism from the general way that society is functioning, that person may take the information presented in these novels. Marcus in //Little Brother// decides to create a mass disturbance in the government force after a personal experience scars him physically and emotionally. “‘I’m going to get them,’ I whispered, staring at my soda. ‘I’m going to get them.’ Jolu shook his head. ‘You can’t, you know. You can’t fight back against that.’” (Doctorow 71) Marcus had an inner need to demolish and demoralize the Department of Homeland Security after encountering horrible experiences at their hands. Today as well, one must revolt when the moment is believed to be precise, and then revolt with all of their ability. Though in this era, the government will become no where near similar to that in //Little// Brother, some similarities may become apparent. If the government today was to start taking away rights for reasons that remained hidden from the public, the nation would not look kindly on it. Using similar features to how Marcus revolted in his situation, one could parallel that to a revolt in this life. A technological rebellion would be most suited for this time period and country, due to the massive amount of electronics used every day by millions of people. Similar to Winston in //1984//, when he felt that the pristine opportunity to defy all beliefs he had held his whole life. Leaving these principles behind is the first major step to a revolution. A person must forget any type of life with these restrictions, benefits and detriments, and begin a new life. Only when one believes that it is time to revolt, and with a plan of action as well as a large group of support, it is possible to create a mass uprising to change how the government runs this day.

In each //1984// and //Little Brother//, similar ideas are presented that deal with government restraints on their citizens to maintain full power, how that nation is turned into what is believed to be best for all, a utopia, through fear and paranoia caused by the government, and how one can stop and revolt to make a stand against any sort of any uprising of a communistic government. If by some extreme change, the government does become oppressing and forceful, it is up to the people to rebel, take a stand to make things right again. To create a successful uprising though, one must be willing to try with all their power, give it all of their attention. No victory can come from a half-hearted battle. The individual must create a secure network of trustworthy people to help with the attack, and try to remain as “underground” as possible, without letting the authorities have any knowledge of the uprising. The people must also know when to revolt. Only at the precise time will the defiance be any good, but that time is to be determined by the individual, based off how the authorities are acting/will act to this turning event. The information found inside each of these novels must be taken and applied to this world with only the intention to better life. Using the ideas presented in the book as an outline to what should occur to be successful in a revolution now, one can get a good sense of what should take place. Every uprising will differ from one another due to time, place, and reason for an attack, but the same basic outline is applied to each, and this becomes apparent as the two books are read. Revolution is a powerful act, and one must be ready to back it with all of their potential if they wish to succeed. Only the wise at heart have reason for revolt, but only the strong-willed will be successful.

Works Cited

All About Philosophy. //Communism and Amorality//. 18 Feb. 2010. .

Bay Bridge Public Information Office. //Bay// //Bridge// //Info.// 18 Feb. 2010. < [] >.

Doctorow, Cory. //Little Brother//. New York: Tom Doherty Associates, 2008.

Meyer, Brad. Class lecture. 14 Jan. 2010

Orwell, George. //1984//. New York: New American Library, 1950.

Post911Timeline.org. //Post 911 Timeline.// 18 Feb. 2010. < [] >.

US Department of Homeland Security. //Homeland Security.// 18 Feb. 2010. < [|http://www.dhs.gov] >.

You Tube. //1984 George Orwell Movie Trailer (1984). 18 Feb. 2010. <[]>.//