Other Dystopia/ Videos
Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, shows a dystopian society where thoughts, feelings, and ideas are suppressed by way of burning books. Instead of putting out fires, Guy Montag, starts the fires. Although he does not know why he burns the books, he along with the rest of the society goes along with the program. Ironically, in order to purify the oppressive world hell bent on burning, the oppressive world must burn first. The book has a lasting image as it resembles modern society with the neverending attempts by parents and adults in secondary schools to censor books that are supposedly inappropriate to young adults. Another key aspects is the over commercialization of books. Are books still effective and original when it is acessible to everyone? Or does the commercialization of books create more opportunities to more people to read?
In an ultimate role reversal humans are seen as animals, while apes are seen as the dominating race. Pierre Boulle writes the horrid tale of Ulysse who lands on a world controlled by intelligent apes who govern their world in the manner of humans. Although Ulysse is able to befriend the apes, he soon discovers that the apes are no different than humans; they yearn for power. A key aspect of Planet of the Apes is the thought of evolution. The apes take control over the humans because they simply have evolved into superior beings. The regression of the humans into ape like creatures exemplifies the apes desire to dumb down their adversaries and keep them at bay as mindless creatures. The fact that apes gain control of the universe at stories end is not totally in evil, instead it simply shows they were fit enough to rule the universe.
George Orwell's epic details a world where video surveillance has gone to the extreme. The entity known as Big Brother provides an uncomfortable, neverending watchful eye on his citizens in hopes that they continue to worship and love him. The book gives a scary yet interesting take on dystopia, and portrays a world where the citizens' true feelings are suppressed and ultimately must be altered to fit the dominating power's ideals in order to survive. The video survillance is a important aspect of the novel and it raises the question to what extent is the "watchful eye" of authority gone from simply keeping an eye on out on potential crimes to dominating a person's life and controlling them through intimidation. Winston, the lead character is the only figure who seems to find Big Brother's over imposing force wrong, but in his final defeating words at stories end, he shows that any person no matter how determined or strong can be broken. Orwell's story may not take shape in our modern society quite how 1984 is portrayed, but as long as those in power continue to exert their power and intervene and enforce questionable laws, who is to say those in power may not soon enact "thought crimes" as a justified law?
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