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//Little Brother// and //1984// “The secret of happiness is freedom; the secret to freedom is courage.” This quote from an ancient Greek historian relates to all of the themes established throughout the novels //1984// (Jalic) and //Little Brother//. The goal of each main character is to achieve freedom and gain back lost rights versus having a false sense of security. In the novels of //1984// by George Orwell and //Little Brother// by Cory Doctrow (Word), two very different settings and characters are created, yet the novels share great resemblances. In //1984//, the character of Winston, an average 40 year old man, tries to challenge his oppressive, communistic government called Big Brother. Similarly, in //Little Brother//, Marcus, a 17 year old teen and his network of friends challenge the Department of Homeland Security after the most horrific terrorist attack the United States had seen. //1984// is not set specifically in any time period, just sometime in the future, and the setting is not in any current geographic location. San Francisco in our current times, on the other hand, is the setting of //Little Brother//__.__ Both novels show many similar ideas that revolve around oppressive and tyrannical governments. Although //1984// and //Little Brother// have different plot specifics, both novels displayed the important ideas of challenging the system, the advancement of technology and surveillance, and individualism.

Through the novels //1984// and //Little Brother//, how to challenge the system was offered to the reader as an important idea to learn. In //Little Brother//, Marcus demonstrates his way of challenging the system, which consists of intense perseverance to help him carryout his plan of “taking down” the DHS (Department of Homeland Security (US)). Marcus uses his drive to release Daryl from the prison camp and his perseverance to challenge the DHS. Marcus’s accomplishments can be attributed to his strong sense of perseverance. “The water started to trickle, a ladleful of water gently poured over my chin, my lips. Up my upturned nostrils. It went back into my throat, starting to choke me, but I wouldn’t cough, wouldn’t gasp and suck it into my lungs.” (Doctrow, 345). Many lessons can be learned from Marcus about how to take down a corrupt system, one of which includes utilizing perseverance and being willing to have the desire to fight with whatever it takes. In //1984//, the less modern story following Winston, shows that great power is needed to defy a utopian, communistic government. Winston uses his outer party status to discreetly work against Big Brother, the ultimate source of power for the government. “If there is hope, it lies in the proles”, Winston teaches a great lesson to be learned about challenging the system, which is that to take down a corrupt system, you have to have the right position. From the situation Winston was involved in, the most power laid in the proles, the lowest level of class who were considered ignorant and never surveyed by the government. Finally, both main characters in the novels demonstrated that to challenge the system effectively, one must exhibit the passionate trait of individualism and the desire to change what they believe is wrong. “Dad! Are you listening to yourself? They’re talking about investigating practically every person in the city of San Francisco…You think that this is what they intended when they wrote the Constitution? What about the Bill of Rights?” Individualism is an extremely important characteristic for someone who is challenging the system. Winston displays this trait by hiding away in the room above the shop with Julia and by reading the book, while Marcus sets up the Xnet and tries the thwart the DHS’s extreme surveillance. Both novels displayed the vital lesson of challenging the system.

Though each novel touched on important topics, there were many questions that were raised in relation to surviellance, technology, and personal rights. The idea of when does government surveillance become an extreme tended to be a reoccurring question throughout each novel. A history teacher at Arapahoe High school, Mr. Brad Meyer (Class Lecture), presented many interesting ideas to answer that question. Mr. Meyers discussed the fact that at airports, you are continuously losing more and more rights. The airport security (How) contains a machine that takes a full body, nude picture of you to assure the security of the passengers on the plane. Most people in the class felt this device was going too far in terms of security. Another question raised related to personal rights was which is more important, security or rights? According to the fictional character of Marcus in //Little Brother//, the advantages of rights far outweighs the advantages of security, possibly even a false sense of security. As Mr. Meyers pointed out, the terrorists or “bad guys” are always one step ahead of the security systems and surveillance. The final question //Little Brother// and //1984// initiated that also dealt with technology was what would our current society become if technology was as advanced as that in //1984// or even //Little Brothers//. Although this question is impossible to answer fully, a few ideas can be taken from each novel to help explain. The diminishing value of face to face and phone conversations are exposed through the novel //Little Brother//. If technology in this society became as it was in Marcus’s society, face to face contact would become almost non-existent. Also, the government would find more ways to survey people if technology became more advanced. As exhibited by //1984//, if technology becomes too superior, the government can use it against its people in a communistic (All About) and even democratic government to watch its societies every move and force most people to go along with its ways. //1984// and //Little Brother// allowed for much questioning on the topics of surviellance, technology, and personal rights, as there were many ideas that were not taught through the novels.

In the two different novels of //1984// and //Little Brother//, both authors show that from this point in society, citizens need to be more aware of rights, and and security so that freedom of thought and individuality will be secured. Both Marcus and Winston possess an ulterior motive for challenging the system, which is revealed to be freedom and individualism. Winston in his communistic society feels oppressed and wishes to gain more freedom. As Winston talks to O’Brien about joining the Brotherhood, he states through a series of questions that he is willing to give up all he has to regain freedom and individuality, (Orwell, 174). This can be applied to our current society as the government continues to take away more rights and tries to become more socialistic and potentially more communistic. Many people in our society are not aware of the rights that they have and the rights that are continually getting taken away. Both novels display the idea that at this point in society, citizens need to become more aware of the rights that are given to them specifically by the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. In addition, the society of //1984//, tries to make identical people who have to perform their duty for the “Party” and have no independent thought. Citizens like Winston are told to only have children for the benefit of the party, as they will have more party members for the future. Winston’s government establishes hate weeks to draw away people’s anger from their own government to someone else. They try to direct the society’s anger towards an innocent scapegoat just so the government can take more and more control. Although hate weeks in this society are nonexistent, society is becoming increasing more litigous, giving the government more control. Finally in //Little Brother,// after the bay bridge bombing in San Francisco, the government, namely the DHS, got severely paranoid and decided to drastically increase security. This is similar to the current society because after 9/11 (Nation), the government greatly increased security, especially in airports. Although not as extreme as //Little Brother//, security always takes away some rights and privacy from society, which makes it easier for the government to control and survey and more difficult for citizens to have freedom and individuality. This goes to show that although security is very important, there is a fine line and balance between securtiy and rights. Both //1984// and //Little Brother// continually warn readers to be more aware of rights as to keep individualism and freedom of thought.

Clearly, challenging the system, surveillance and technology, and freedom of thought were extremely crucial ideas presented through //1984// and //Little Brother//. These novels taught the reader a multitude of lessons, raised interesting questions to be discussed and also showed an indication of where to go from this point in society. All of the information taught through the novels brought up many distinct comparisons to the current society. Novels such as //Little Brother// and //1984// are crucial to one’s learning, as they show what society could become and allows the reader to be aware of important issues occurring in society, such as security versus rights. Both novels also dealt with the increasingly frightening issue of surveillance. In addition, many new technologies are being created in this modern society. For example, a new camera called the “Sixthsense” (TED), allows for the person wearing the camera to receive access to an endless amount of information about people they are talking to, the types of products that are being bought, and a multitude of other items. Although this is a superior invention, through the stories of //1984// and //Little Brother//, it is learned that technology can be taken too far, and must be used correctly and in the right amount to be effective. As you can see, the main lessons taught in the novels consisted of showing that this society is becoming more and more technologically advanced, and there needs to be people who challenge the system when the government becomes corrupt to keep the important rights and individuality of the society’s citizens.

Works Cited

AllAboutPhilosophy.org. //Communism- Marxism and The Communist Manifesto.// 18 Feb 2010. [|http://allaboutphilosphy.org]

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

How Stuff Works, Inc. //How Airport Security Works.// 18 Feb 2010. 

Jalic, Inc. //The Literature Network.// 18 Feb 2010. [|http://www.online-literature.com]

Littleton Public Schools. //"Mr. Brad Meyers".// 18 Feb 2010. 

Meyer, Brad. Class Lecture. 14 Jan 2010.

The Nation. //Increased Security after 9/11.// 18 Feb 2010. [|http://www.thenation.com]

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

TED Confrences, LLC. //Pattie Maes and Pranav Mistry demo SixthSense.// 17 Feb 2010. 

US Department of Homeland Security. "//Counterterrorism//". 18 Feb 2010. .

Word Press Entries and Comments. //About Cory Doctrow.// 18 Feb 2010. 