In Truman Capote’s novel, In Cold Blood, he follows the story of two young delinquents who robbed and viciously murdered the highly respected Clutter family in the small town, and in the fictional novel by Ellen Hopkins, Identical, readers journey through teenage Kaeleigh that is sexually abused by the alcoholic father and neglected by an absent politician mother. Both authors shed light on the struggle of pursuing daily existence. Friedrich Nietzsche’s quote, “There is a certain right by which we may deprive a man of life, but none by which we may deprive him of death; this is mere cruelty.” further justifies the fact that people should be allowed to take control of their lives if they aren’t happy.…
“When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw” (Nelson Mandela). This quote expresses that each person is cable of circumventing the law to believe what they cerebrate is true and just. This however, is not implicatively insinuating that everything they do is veridical or ending with the best consequences. In the following short stories “Harrison Bergeron”(Kurt Vonnegut), “On the Sidewalk, Bleeding” (Ed Mcbain), and “Lamb to the Slaughter”(Roald Dahl), all the characters have thwarted around the law to get to what they believe in is postulate. A theme can also be illustrated that resisting oppression could lead to calamitous consequences.…
How would the world be if it is being controlled with oppression by its own government? Fahrenheit 451, written by Bradbury, is a novel that talks about a society controlled by a government who tries to brainwash people’s minds and get rid of their knowledge. Guy Montag, the protagonist of the novel, is a firefighter whose job is to burn the possessions of those who read books. After he meets Clarisse McClellan a girl with free thinking ideals and a liberate spirit causes him to question his own life and his perspective of happiness. Montag also finds out how empty his life is, how little he knows about his wife, and that they barely have anything in common. This is a powerful commentary on humankind's urge to suppress what it doesn't understand.…
In science, biologists use some species as a “bioindicator” in a marine ecosystem, that reflect on the quality of the environment. This method is very accurate and a bioindicator species can detect problems that physical and chemical testing cannot detect. Similarly, in William Golding’s adventure novel Lord of the Flies, a group of young boys are stranded on an island and build a miniature society there, and there are many symbols within this society that reflect on the quality of the environment there. The unfit but intelligent boy named Piggy owns a pair of glasses can be used by the reader throughout the novel as a bioindicator for the quality of the environment there on the island. Piggy’s glasses represent rational thinking and reflect on the strength of the boys’ reasoning; as the logical reasoning of the boys begins to atrophy, the glasses also become damaged.…
Oppression, the exercise of power or authority in a cruel or unjust manner (dictionary.com). Throughout history there have been many situations where a group of people have been oppressed for their way of thinking, skin color, beliefs or even gender. Through the speeches, books or peaceful protests of several figures throughout history, these people have gotten the peace or freedom that they have been wanting. The conjectures of society have been heard through the work of historical figures. The impact left on society have been phenomenal and had changed the future.…
A leader with coercive power has control over punishments; people comply to avoid those punishments.…
The renowned Martin Luther King Jr know for being a social activist on the matter of equality of all races and ethnicities exclaims that, “The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people”. Through Martin Luther King Jr, one can presume that notion of oppression causes a society without tolerance and ethical diversity. Power is a quality desired by every human being, some people crave the notion of complete and utter dominance over any human being it is a sense of control that gives them a certainty of confront that no other desire can live up to it, the desire of power goes as far as committing atrocities such as murder, genocides and wars to gain absolute control over one…
A totalitarian government must be simultaneously admired and feared by its citizens in order to maintain absolute control. Oceania’s Inner Party in George Orwell’s 1984 takes extreme measures, such as putting its people through physical and mental torture, to ensure that they will always remain in power. Citizens are robbed of any personal rights and freedoms, bringing about their suffering and the Party’s success. Inequality between the social classes as well as unreasonable punishment for crime keeps the citizens in line and the Party in…
In a letter from Birmingham jail, Martin Luther King wrote these famous words to encourage protesters to fight oppression. “Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor, it must be demanded by the oppressed.” These words carried a significant meaning to people around the world, especially to the millions oppressed because their inability to speak up and take matters into their own hands. Audre Lorde, the author of “The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action,” reveals to the readers of a woman named Winnie Mandela. Through Mandela, Lorde is able to demonstrate that silence will only continue oppression, and oppression can only be stopped if the oppressed speaks up for themselves. Lorde’s argument of oppression through silence relates to Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by portraying the ideas of tyranny and freedom, which is also supported by my own portrayal of silence in the face of an oppressor.…
In “Harrison Bergeron” the government makes a world where everyone is equal to each other. This story shows that too much equality can cause a great deal of conflict. By putting numerous types of handicaps on Harrison, he got so tired of being equal to everyone around him he lashed out on the…
places these restrictions formally or covertly on oppressed groups so that they may be exploited…
Jail", also touched on the idea of oppression expression. In his terrific piece to the clergymen, that "oppressed people…
In the novel The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay and real life, some people stand up to oppression and prejudice while others don’t. Different things allow people to do this and sometimes it can be different for each person. In the novel, We see two main people standing up to the system of oppression in South Africa. Mrs. Boxall stands up to prejudice and oppression by starting the Sandwich Fund, an effort dedicated to giving clothes and supplies to the needy families of South Africa and the families of the prisoners in Barberton Prison. Mrs. Boxall was only able to stand up in this way because of the unique opportunities she had in the first place.…
Hate is human nature for some--those who are in a position of power toward others who seem less than equal. This repugnant behavioral trait is often implemented on those who deserve no such treatment. Those who are disenfranchised do not have same rights and equal opportunities as those who are not discriminated against or those who deprive power from others who are innocent. Literary works can be used to give examples of disenfranchisement and how people have the the responsibility to to aid the disenfranchised as well as the disenfranchised to help themselves.…
In “The Prisoner Who Wore Glasses” by Bessie Head, one reason the warders are intimidated by the political prisoners is because their actions were not justified by their morals. These prisoners were constantly fighting for what they wanted, and they, “felt no guilt nor were outcasts of society” (Head 127). This quote shows that the prisoners do not feel guilty for disrespecting and intimidating the warders. The prisoners act out from time to time, and intentionally impose their beliefs on the warders even though they know they are not supposed to do so. On Hannetjie’s arrival and poor treatment to the prisoners, the inmates do not attempt an escape because they believe that someone like Warder Hannetjie would be a useful attribution to the…