Use Of P. D. James Narrative Logic In Children Of Men

All governments lie. It is the duty of the individual to uncover the truth. George Orwell and Arthur Miller warn the readers of the dangers when a corrupt government lies to their citizens to preserve their power in their texts, 1984 and The Crucible. Through their characters, the authors portray the conflict between the State’s propensity to lie and the individual’s desire for truth. Orwell depicts Winston Smith fighting against the “lies” of the party through the use of literary techniques such as symbolism and imagery, while Miller shows John Proctor fighting for truth through his interactions and dialogue with the other characters. In the modern day, the authors provide crucial commentary on the dangers of tyrannical rule.

1. Compare and contrast how, and for what dramatic purpose, the writers of The History Boys and Oleanna present characters who display both vulnerability and villainy.

This passage is from chapter nine of The Children of Men by P.D. James. This passage is the scene which the protagonist Theo observing Quietus from the little distant place and he re-realize the world’s sorrow. The significance of this passage is the illustration of justification by using christian symbols and tradition. The christian symbols appears in this passage suggests perspectives of society and the target group of Quietus.

Through anecdotes in his book, Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation, Joseph J. Ellis gives a new take on this crucial period of this country’s history. Ellis crafts this work of nonfiction in such a way so the reader may understand the revolutionary generation the way Americans currently do: the present looking back to the past, and as the Founding Fathers did: the past (their present) looking forward to the future. This allows one to understand the intentions behind some of these historical figures’ actions and whether those actions led to desirable outcomes. Considering these different perspectives in which he writes, Joseph Ellis comes to prove that in order to understand the true significance of the revolutionary generation, it is necessary to take into account the values and relationships between the individual leaders. The author emphasizes social history throughout the narratives by highlighting the major issues that the public faced at that time. Judging the content of Ellis’ writing, it is evident that he is biased toward certain people for he does not highlight many of their flaws, nor does he explain the impact of these flaws on the revolution. Joseph Ellis composed this piece in

One of the most enjoyable aspects of the book is Kinzer’s ability to present an argument void of clear one-sided bias. Although Kinzer does present Mossadegh as a sympathetic savior of sorts, describing him as courageous and righteous, Kinzer does not present a pro-US argument that would affect the overall presentation of the facts of the book, nor does his recollection of Mossadegh inhibit the facts surrounding the coup. In his work, Kinzer describes

“WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH”, this is one of the slogans of The Party and it is the perfect example to understand the level of manipulation the people of Oceania is subjected to. This is the first time we encounter the idea of doublethink in the novel. With the use of propaganda-induced fear, the Party is able to force the people to accept anything it declares, even if it is entirely illogical.

Authors often use their works as a way to express their own opinions and ideologies. However, it is the skill of the author that determines whether these ideas are combined with the plot seamlessly, making a creative transition of ideas from the author’s mind, to the reader’s. There is no doubt that George Orwell is a masterful writer, and one of his most popular works, 1984, clearly expresses his negative views of the Totalitarian government. A common theme in the dystopian society in 1984 is betrayal: The Party is very intolerant towards any form of disloyalty, and anyone who plots against them or Big Brother will eventually either betray their own mind and accept Big Brother as their leader, or be betrayed and revealed to The Party by

In this essay, M.D. will analyze the roles and choices the main characters made while relating them to the main theme of good versus evil and fate versus free will in Cormac McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men.)

Despite the rise of oppression and authoritarianism in societies, historically free will always prevails over determinism. Both Steven Spielberg and Arthur Miller in Minority Report and The Crucible, respectively, establish settings ravaged by authoritarianism as a means to embody fundamental concepts regarding the conflict between free will and determinism. Both authors use extensive imagery of religion, symbolism of characters and contrasting images of social responsibility and personal desire to draw attention to their idea that an individual always has choice and the capacity for free will despite the presence of determinism and authoritarianism in society. Spielberg and Miller use this idea as a foundation to establish universal messages connecting conflicting free will and determinism to oppression, suggesting that true freedom exists only when societies stand up to deterministic views designed to bring profit to only a select few.

When a government controls every aspect of one’s life, people tend to rebel in order to fulfill their desires. Julia, a character in George Orwell’s novel 1984, was constantly rebelling against the government Party. Even though Julia did not resist the authority in a powerful manner, she went against the government in order to be able live her life at the fullest. While living in a totalitarian government in 1984, through Julia’s rebelliousness, egocentrism and cleverness, George Orwell is able to portray her version of rebellion which was affected by the government Party since it included acting against the authority.

As we move along in the story, we find that the apparent victor of the fight falls into a conflict of his own. This brings us to another goal of cultural studies analogy- Politics and Power: who has it, and how is it shown.

The story focuses largely on the tactics of the Party?s manipulation. The major aspects of the aforementioned control stratagem are the alterations of history as the wishes, the invention of Newspeak to eliminate any chance of rebellion, psychological and physical intimidation, and the use of technology to monitor citizens.

Any government with total control is worth being feared and having a group of individuals who go against their government. With complete control, a government is capable of committing acts against their citizens, which can be perceived as “something good” from the government’s point of view. In 1984 by George Orwell, and “Harrison Bergeron”, by Kurt Vonnegut, the main characters, Winston and Harrison, feel oppressed by the government's acts and events, try to overthrow their government, and go through a realization of hopelessness and defeat.

In Frank O’Connor’s “Guests of the Nation,” the narrator, called Bonaparte by his fellow rebels, recounts his reluctant role in the execution of two English soldiers in retaliation for the slaughter of four Irish rebels. O'Connor develops this conflict between revolutionary attitudes in the strained relationship between the narrator and Jeremiah Donovan, the experienced rebel, who has the responsibility for fulfilling the Second Battalion’s order to shoot the prisoners. The young revolutionary Bonaparte discovers, in his imprudent acceptance of group values, evil within himself. Against his ideal of actions appropriate to him as an individual, Bonaparte and his fellow-revolutionary Noble, at the insistence of their superior officer who

           Since it was written, Henry James' The Turn of The Screw has been acclaimed by numerous critics to be one of the most immaculate, engrossing and terrifying ghost stories ever produced. Harriet Waters Preston described it as, "a sheer mortal horror, like the evil dream of a man under the spell of a deadly drug"1, and Gertrude Atherton said, "[it] is the most horrifying ghost story ever written!"2