Minority Report And The Road Comparison

Many works of dystopian fiction such as dystopian films or literature often share similar characteristics and traits. Examples of these common dystopian traits can be found within both The Road, a novel by Cormac McCarthy, as well as the film Minority Report, directed by Steven Spielberg. In spite of the fact that The Road and Minority Report have two dissimilar story lines, it is clear that common traits can be found within both dystopias. The distrust of outsiders and protagonists that question their societies, these are two common traits of dystopian fiction that are prominent in both The Road and Minority Report. Although these traits are present within both dystopian works, they are illustrated differently using the plot, characters,
The protagonist in this film, a man named John Anderson, is accused of committing a murder, and with the technology of “precrime” having being invented these accusations are given 36 hours prior to when his crime is said to take place (Minority). These accusations cause Anderson to go on the run. Initially when he first starts running away from the police he contacts his superior and friend, a man named Lamar Burgess, who tells John, “Come In, I can keep you safe until we get to the bottom of this.” in which John replies with,“No.”(Minority). The reaction that John has to Burgess’s gesture of kindness shows his distrust towards outsiders. Despite Burgess previously being a respected friend the accusations directed at John and his independence cause him to lose trust in everyone. The fear and distrust of outsiders is evidently present in both the novel and the book, However this dystopian trait is developed differently through the plots of both The Road and Minority Report.
A second dystopian trait that is present in The Road is protagonist that questions the society that they are in. The young boy’s uncertainty and questions of why things have to be the way they are is seen throughout the