‘Piggy was dead and the conch smashed to powder’ enforces that Piggy represented the need for science and intellectual endeavour in society so the break of both of these symbols at the same time shows a sudden corruption of civilisation. Loss of hope: The rules that hold together a civilised society can easily break down due lack of hope. Golding’s novel of lord of the Flies explores the complexity of hope in keeping citizens committed to the chosen path. When hope is lost, savagery ensues. Golding portrays this through symbolism.
Shelley’s use of Galvanism and Genesis, with the support of biblical allusion to criticise humanity’s disregard for nature during the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century is used to exemplify the detrimental consequences of science on individuals. The struggles face by the Creature in an attempt to live peacefully, supported by the Creature stating: ‘You gave me life…but left me to die’, emphasises on Victor’s lack of responsibility for his own actions, the repetition of first person narration ‘I’ and ‘me’ and the use of oxymoron capture the responders’ sympathy and leads to the conclusion that the Creature is possibly more human than Victor. The Creature also struggles to gain companionship from his creator and other individuals due to his grotesque physical appearance: ‘When I became fully convinced that I am the monster that I am’, this is supported by his statement: ‘My heart yearns to be known…’, the use of personification emphasise on the Creature’s desire to be ‘loved’ by
Agent Smith also drives the post-modern view in the film, mentioning that he was sick of the Matrix, an attempt to rebel and tear down the system. Smith knew that the matrix wasn’t going anywhere, that the machines are simply surviving and nothing more, a very post-modern way of thinking. There seem to be a few points of modernism however. Like the joining of the “freed” humans to form Zion and the want to spread the knowledge that you are in fact being fooled by the Matrix. Also Morpheus stands for modernism in his belief in Neo early on and his dream for regaining control of humanity.
| A Clockwork Orange | Brittney Rieder | | | 12/5/2012 | | A Clockwork Orange is a portrait of how human nature reacts juxtaposed with the overarching powers that be molding its’ citizens into submission of their way of life. The loss of Alex’s free-will and its effects show the need for the capability to choose evil and that the efficient way for inmate treatment should not be the goal of the corrections system. There is also focus on the internal fight between good and evil and the power of choice in this struggle. The novel pertains to reality acting as a dystopian funhouse mirror of how the state controls society and treats the incarcerated and as a symbol of rebellion for those challenging the state. It depicts unflinchingly the battle between freedom and constraint plus society’s use of drastic means to set the deviant straight in the place of a rehabilitative program in conjunction with punishment.
His overall attitude towards technology is that the uncontrolled growth of technology destroys the vital sources of our humanity. It creates a culture without a moral foundation. It undermines certain mental processes and social relations that make human life worth living. (Postman, 1993) Postman defines technopoly as a "totalitarian technocracy", which demands the "submission of all forms of cultural life to the sovereignty of technique and technology". However, Negroponte is very optimistic about technology although he knows technology has dark side, and he makes many predictions for the future development of media and technology.
In Melville’s Billy Budd, Claggart, the Master-at-Arms aboard the Bellipotent, is a symbol for evil or Satan. John Claggart’s name characterizes his role in Melville’s novel. His common English given name paired with the harsh, cacophonous name of “Claggart” typifies his role as a conniving figure of evil. The fact that Claggart is evil is inevitable because the physical descriptions of Claggart are less appealing than those of Billy Budd, the ideal of an uncorrupted man newly aboard the Bellipotent, and help indicate his evil nature (Smith). The narrator describes Claggart by stating, “his complexion…though it was not exactly displeasing, nevertheless seemed to hint something defective or abnormal in the constitution and blood” (qtd.
Orwell warns the modern era of an impending government control that will suffocate society’s freedom through a defined class system, perpetual warfare and a society with suppressed thoughts and emotions. The division of classes must be avoided to prevent loss of freedom. As shown in the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, a troubled society with governmental separation of classes results in demeaning and unfair circumstances for its citizens. A defined class system inlays many freedom robbing rights that a person should have. Because of a permanent hierarchy of status and occupation, it is impossible for a lower class member to move up in society.
A utopia, or perfect world, gone awry is displayed in Aldous Huxley’s provocative novel Brave New World. Dystopia is drawn on "political and emotional events, anchoring its vision of a nightmarish future in contemporary fears of totalitarian ideology and uncontrolled advances in technology and science" (Baker 22). It is the situation that costs a piece of an unhealthy environment for human beings, is the theme of the novel. The dystopian setting is brought about by technology and by higher authorities. As technology increases, the use for human beings in the work force decreases leaving an overwhelming amount of depression among humans.
Wrong. The famous psychologist Sigmund Freud argued that without the innate human capacity to repress desire, civilization would not exist. In Lord of the Flies, Golding makes a similar argument. He depicts civilization as a veil that through its rules and laws masks the evil within every individual. So even while civilizations thrive, they are merely hiding the beast.
Chia Kang is a representation of the Nationalist party. The character of Chia Kang is introduced to the reader through the conversation regarding the city and its welfare. He then mocks Joy, and treats her harshly by pushing her aside(70). Joy is mentally challenged, yet Chia Kang enjoys this mockery because “ There is nothing else to do, there are soldiers and refugees everywhere”. He feels oppressed which leads to his cruel decision to mock Joy.