Social criticism through science fiction literature

Social criticism through science fiction literature Science fiction frequently involves social criticism. The use of social criticism is an author’s interest in addressing specific political, social, cultural, economic or religious issues in their work. When reading or critiquing these stories, it is necessary to see what the author might be saying about our lives, our society, our political and power relations, gender roles, or sexuality. Every author has a point to make, and may make use of social criticism as a means to this end. In the short story, â€Å"Baby, You Were Great!† by Kate Wilhelm, she employs one of the best ways to critique society, by playing with gender roles. This story was written in 1967, when sexism was rampant and her interpretation of women as commodities seems very timely. The story also works as a commentary on the future of media, celebrity, and the various forms of vicarious pleasure that can be acquired from our new technologies and the myriad fantasies that these technologies permit. Obviously, this story predates our current reality shows, which have become so popular. Nonetheless, it was a harbinger of things to come. This seems to be attributable to the universal human need to feel and experience novelty, and technology’s ability to allow humans to do so much more than their physical bodies may allow. Who doesn’t wonder what it is like to have some of the experiences that people have on these shows? Another, more obvious way that science fiction comments on society is through the relationship between man and technology. These stories are usually used to caution us against an over-dependence on technology. Humanity is seen as always searching for the next thing that can make our lives easier, but sometimes things can go radically wrong. For instance, in â€Å"I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream,† by Harlan Ellison, computers were created by humans to fight their wars. Somehow they join together into one linked and unified computer called AM, who discovers sentience. He quickly runs data to kill everyone on Earth except for five survivors with whom he plays out his sadistic and revenge-filled mind games. The goal of his game is not to actually kill them, but to torment them and to continue to torture them forever. Moreover, AM has acquired hatred for his creators. Obviously AM is only reflecting the traits that were inherent in the society that created him. The story demonst rates that there is a little piece of AM in all of us. AM is the watcher and Punisher. He is the terminator that cannot stop, for that is his job. The reader can feel and empathize with the survivor’s ongoing state of misery, apprehension and fear. In conclusion, the ending is pretty horrific with Ted ending up a slug-like, mouthless blob with no extremities. It is nice to know that Ted does care about the others because he frees them by killing them, leaving himself alone to face the music. The story shows us what we can look forward to if we choose to hand over our choices and our control, to the semi-sentient machine of government. This whole catastrophe happened due to a global world war. It is a warning as valid today as it was when this story was written, back when people realized that we should not be in Vietnam and anti-war sentiment had finally begun to spread on a mass scale. We lost that one too. Finally, Harlan Ellison comments on social control and regulation in the short story â€Å"Repent, Harlequin! Said the Ticktockman, which was published in 1965. The story describes the Marxist perspective of the inherent class warfare and contradictions that are part and parcel of a society subjugated and oppressed by a dominant ruling class. In any class society, there will be a dominant ideology, made up of the ideas and institutions which favor the ruling class. Ticktockman and Harlequin personify the struggles between law and order and personal freedom, as well as the paramount conflict between forced discipline and creative individuality. Specifically, it seems to have been written to protest the rigid bureaucracy ruled by an equally unfeeling social elite. It shows what can happen in the future if the world resorts to coerced labor forces and obsession with time. People then were already addicted to mass consumption and many countries were/are under totalitarian rule. At the e nd of the story, it is ironic that Ticktockman is even guilty of not being on time. The Harlequin is the solitary person who refuses to be controlled. Indeed, disruptive and rebellious, Harlequin is the obvious deviant because he is the only human being who goes against the powers that be. In short, the theme of the story basically shows how useless protest usually is in achieving social change. Only the great, tragic, jelly bean showering clown had the guts to go against the status quo of the government, only to be forcibly reprocessed by the ruling hierarchy and forced into conformity. All three stories exemplify the authors’ use of particular social issues to comment on and criticize many of man’s ongoing dilemmas that underscore the volatile state of the world and our place in it. Of particular importance is how we treat one another in a world so obsessed with consumerism, sex, power, and money. It is time for a reassessment of what is truly important as we trudge into an uncertain future. Question 3 During the 1950s and 1960s, the United States was in the midst of the Cold War with Russia, also known also as the Red Scare and McCarthyism. Americans had a fear of the communist regime taking over the U.S. Senator McCarthy investigated government employees and the Hollywood film industry in search of communist sympathizers. America had also gone to war with Korea, and the Vietnam War was spiraling out of control. In addition, the Soviets had launched Sputnik, so we were rivals in many areas. Subsequently, these mostly unfounded fears spurred conservatism and the compromising of many civil liberties. Many of the science fiction stories played on these fears. According to many people, the 1950s and 1960s is when science fiction â€Å"grew up.† I concur with this assessment. During the 1950s, science fiction was finally getting some respect by literary scholars. People were beginning to see that science fiction fantasy was actually becoming scientific fact. Many inventions which had been predicted in earlier pulp novels, such as the atomic bomb, transistor radios, ATM’s, the computer mouse, and television were now a reality. With the coming of the 1960s a radical change, known as the New Wave, took place in science fiction. These stories were about everyday people being influenced by science and concerned itself more with sex and violence than with the science itself. Without a doubt, it was a reaction against earlier science fiction. This New Wave created a more urbane and metaphoric style of science fiction much different from the past. Also, during this time, America was going through a cultural revolution known as the â€Å"Psychedelic Sixties.† Young people broke society’s rules in every imaginable way, especially through rock music and fashion. They rejected the establishments mores and manners. The hippie counter-culture was born. They were embracing new ideas, thoughts, and inspiration from the world around them because they had grown up in a changing society influenced now by drugs, as well as science and technology. They saw the first space flights and watched as the first man walked on the moon. Thus, science fiction matured along with society, incorporating these new influences which now appealed to adults, not just kids. Based on what we have read so far, I am in total agreement with the notion that it was during this time period that science fiction â€Å"grew up.† In short, these last series of stories demonstrate this maturation process. Stories such as â€Å"Baby, You Were Great,† which dealt with sexism, reflected the 1960s women’s rights movement, and the changing cultural and social climate of that era. Repent, Harlequin! Said The Ticktockman,† by Harlan Ellison, can be seen to epitomize the young hippies and other young adults’ aversion to being forced to be puppets of the ruling elite and drafted into the military as agents in a war they did not believe in. According to Timothy Leary, people were advised to Turn On, Tune In, and Drop Out. That is what the Harlequin did, but to no avail. Like the hippies, he succumbed to the powers that be. At least he valiantly tried, and who doesn’t like a clown?

Pornography on the Internet Essay -- social issues

Pornography on the Internet The Internet is a method of communication and a source of information that is becoming popular among those who are interested in the information superhighway. The problem with this world we know as Cyberspace, the ‘Net, or the Web is that some of this information, including pornographical material and hate literature, is being accessible to minors. Did you know that 83.5% of the images available on the Internet are pornographical? Did you know that the Internet’s pornography and hate literature are available to curious children that happen to bump into them? One of the drawing features of the young Internet was its freedom. It’s "...a rare example of a true, modern, functional anarchy...there are no official censors, no bosses, no board of directors, no stockholders" (Sterling). It’s an open forum where anyone can say anything, and the only thing holding them back is their own conscience. This lawless atmosphere bothered many people, including Nebraska Senator James Exon. Exon proposed in July, 1994 that an amendment be added to the Telecommunications Reform Bill to regulate content on the Internet. His proposal was rejected at the time, but after persistence and increased support, his proposal evolved into the Communications Decency Act (CDA), part of the 1996 Telecommunications Reform Act The Internet has changed the world by creating advertising, information, and businesses. However, there are the few bad apples in the Internet that have information, literature, graphics and images that have been deemed inappropriate for minors. Therefore, many people feel the Internet should be censored by the Government. The Government owns and operates the Internet and its agencies are responsible for what is on the Internet. However, for the parents with minors that are concerned about what their kids see- they should go out and get software to censor the Internet. Don’t ruin everyone else’s fun. Why should I have to be a peasant of the Government tyranny over the Internet? The people that worry about their kids and make the Government worry about it and pass legislation on censorship are the people that are too damn lazy to buy Internet Censorship software programs for their PERSONAL computers, NOT the entire United States’. The Government wants censorship, but a segment of the Internet’s population does not. The Communi... ... the user would exercise control of the information available on interactive media instead of the government or network operators. The CDA criminalizes "knowingly transmit[ing] or mak[ing] available" information on interactive media that can be accessed just as easily by wondering the isles of a book store. It also criminalizes "indecent" speech that is transmitted electronically between two consenting adults. i.e. Email. The punishment for such a "crime" can be up to 2 years in prison and/or a $250,000 fine. The Communications Decency Act is unconstitutional by banning speech that is protected by the First Amendment in a medium in which the user is giving the ability to select what he or she does or does not want to receive. The government gives citizens the privilege of using the internet, but it has never given them the right to use it. If we have a "Constitution" and, supposedly, a "First Amendment"- why is the Government using legislation to stop us from expressing ourselves? We seem to be a ironic and paradox country. We didn’t want to be the first to use nuclear weapons and the atomic bomb, but were the first and, so far to present day, the last to use them.

Blue bouquet Essay

Have you even been in a situation when you have gone from total innocence to experience in a short period of time? In the short story â€Å"The Blue Bouquet† written by Octavio Paz, the main character starts off by waking up from a nap and going on a walk even after being warned not to by the owner of the boardinghouse. Whilst out the protagonist gets stopped in the middle of the night by another man with a knife who wanted something very unusual. It wasn’t money or jewelry; it was the man’s eyes. The stranger said his girlfriend wanted a bouquet of blue eyes for herself, but the innocent man didn’t have blue eyes, which the stranger soon found out and let the man go. After that night, the protagonist left the very next morning. This story illustrates how fast things can change and how you can go from very innocent to experienced in as little as an hour. Octavio Paz’s short story demonstrates that experiences are so important because we gain knowledge and learn from them, resulting in better judgment for similar situations in the future. Experiences are things that we come across and that changes us from the person we once were. It could be good or bad, we have no control over it. In this story the man goes from being safe in his town to being horrified by what he has experienced. At the start of the story that he feels safe: â€Å"I went to the little window and inhaled the country air† page 163. He also shows his innocence on page 163, â€Å"A gray winged butterfly, dazzled, circled the yellow light. The butterfly symbolises the innocence he once had, before everything happened. But when he left, the lack of experience appeared again. The boardinghouse owner had only one eye and told the man not to venture out in the darkness. Without really paying attention he plunged into the dark anyway. This detail of information by the author foreshadows the things that could happen to the protagonist later on in the story. But it’s not only how you experience things, it’s what you gain from them. When someone experiences something, it doesn’t just disappear and we forget about it. You always gain something; it could be psychological or physical. In this case he gains something psychological; knowledge. â€Å"I went in without saying a word. The next day I left town†, page 165. This shows thatbecause he went from not knowing anything about the town to being very experienced, the protagonist has gained the knowledge not to go back there again for his own sake. When someone experiences something bad, the natural reaction is to avoid doing it again. Experiences show us the outcome in an event, resulting in us having better choices in the future. For example if you fail a test, usually people want to know what type of questions they got wrong so it doesn’t happen again on a final exam. In this short story, Octavio Paz demonstrates that the protagonist has already learned from his mistake and to act accordingly; in this case the man leaves the town. So to conclude this short story emphasises the importance of experiences, how you react and learn from them, which results in sharpened choices and judgement in the future. People can relate to this short story because we all go through experiences which shape us as individuals. We can’t help but embrace experiences because good or bad we take something away from it that makes us better/stronger individuals. These types of literature show us these concepts in a presentation we can relate to.

The Difference Between Native and True Cedars

The Difference Between Native and True Cedars Cedar (Cedrus), also called true cedar, is a coniferous genus and species of trees in the plant family Pinaceae. They are most closely related to the Firs (Abies), sharing a very similar cone structure. Most true, old-world cedars seen in North America are ornamentals. These conifers are not native and for the most part have not naturalized to North America. The most common of these you will see are Cedar of Lebanon, deodar cedar, and Atlas cedar. Their native habitats are on the other side of the planet -   in Mediterranean and Himalayan regions. The Common North American "Cedars" This group of conifers, for the sake of taxonomy and easier identification,  are considered cedars. The genus  Thuja, Chamaecyparis, and Juniperus  are included because of their confusing common names and botanical similarity. Still, they are not taxonomically true cedars. The Common North American "Cedars" Atlantic white cedarNorthern white cedar  (eastern arborvitae)Port-Orford cedarAlaska cedarEastern redcedarIncense cedarWestern red cedar Major Characteristics of the Cedars Cedars have very typical scale-like leaves that can grow on flattened sprays or all around the twig. These small leaves are persistent, decussate, less than 1/2 inch and can be prickly on some species. Cedar bark is often reddish, peeling and vertically furrowed. When considering both our native cedars and old world cedar, bark identification  should be confirmed by using other botanical characteristics. Cedars have cones that can be variable in size, some are woody while others are more fleshy and berry-like. The cones can be oblong to bell-shaped to rounded but typically are less than one inch in size.

Aleksandr solzhenitsyn russian dissident

Aleksandr solzhenitsyn russian dissident *Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was becoming a dissident against the U.S.S.R. and the restricting communist government after he was arrested for the first time. He, through his entire life, was willing to sacrifice everything he had in order to point out that censorship was wrong and people should be able to speak their mind.*His childhood years were very rough. Aleksandr (pronounced Alexander) was born in Kisovodsk, Russia on December 11, 1918 (Academic American Encyclopedia Sno-Sz, p 59). His father was an artillery officer in World War I, and his mother was a typist and stenographer. Aleksandr never knew his father, because he died in a hunting accident before Aleksandr was born. After his father died, the Soviet government only allowed menial employment to his mother, so his family lived in relative poverty. Other than that, Aleksandr's childhood was relatively normal. He was a member of the Pioneers, the Soviet equivalent to Boy Scouts, and later joined the Communist Youth League.Aleksa ndr Rou - Kashchey bessmertnyy aka Kashchei ...At the age of nine he decided he wanted to be a writer, and before he was eighteen he decided that he was going to write a novel about the Russian Revolution. He said that during his childhood he "bore this social tension - on one hand, they used to tell me everything at home, and on the other, they used to work our minds at school. And so this collision between two worlds gave birth to such social tension inside me that somehow defined the path I was to follow for the rest of my life." Aleksandr had little literary education and read few western novels, and later said he regretted it (Major 20TH Century Writers, p 2792-2793).*After grade school Aleksandr went to the University of Rostov-on-Don and graduated in 1941, majoring in mathematics and physics (Encarta...

Monsters Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Monsters - Essay Example The film assumes that artificial life creatures will be more female oriented than male and that technology will wrap itself around this premise. Keywords: dystopia, sexuality, technology, futuristic, robotic double, strata of society, freedom and equality, maschinenmensch, castration anxiety, love story, apathy, vamp, seven deadly sins, purge, male domination. The author of Metropolis, Thea Gabriele von Harbou (1888  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ1954), was the wife of film director and script writer, Fritz Lang (1890-1976), from 1922 till 1933. Von Harbou took two years to write what she started as a book in 1922, but converted into a screenplay in 1924. It did surface as a book also, in 1926. Forrest J. Ackerman (1916-2008), one of the foremost Science Fiction writers of the past century and the creator of the term ‘sci-fi’ (www.mania.com), felt that the book was, by the standards prevailing then, a shade melodramatic, had hints of propaganda, with the themes propounded somewhat naà ¯ve. Still, the novel was a remarkably powerful and forward-thinking dystopia with a striking denouement (ibid). Set in 2026 (www.answers.com), the scene is the futuristic sixty million strong megacity of Metropolis (www.moria.co.nz). In a ‘rich boy meets poor girl’ story, the boy falls in love with her, to the disappointment of his influential father. The boy begs his father to ameliorate the lot of the downtrodden. The villainous father does the opposite and seeks help from the modern-day Merlin, the mad scientist Rotwang, who creates a robotic double of the girl, devoid of empathy, who incites the oppressed to rebel and decimate the city (ibid), thereby forcing a reconciliation of each individual’s true worth. The 1924 script was screened in 1927, as the most expensive film ever made then, even though it was a silent film (www.moria.co.nz). Blazena Urgosà ­kovà ¡, a well-known film critic of that era,

Methods and History and Cases under the Criminal Justice System Essay

Methods and History and Cases under the Criminal Justice System - Essay Example In the case of Panetti vs Quaterman, the Defendant Scott Louis Panetti was sentenced to death row because of the double murder he committed, after killing his wife's parents. His doctors stated that Panetti have a mental disorder and the doctors concludes that Panetti believes that he will be put to death because he is preaching the Gospels. The case of Panetti is similar to the decision of Supreme Court in 1986, for the case of Ford vs Wainwright. The idea of mental illness is fundamental, and in a due process model the Criminal justice development, it has been contended, can be characterized as a structure whereby ever growing impediments are required to be prevailed over as the suspect continues further down it. (Institute of Criminal Justice Studies, 2003, page 66). It is also contended by Gelsthorpe (2002, page 106) that those caught up in defence work are more connected with due process whereas prosecutors and the courts are more connected with a crime control model. Due process recognizes that a number of culpable individuals will be exonerated but contends that this is fair with the intention of making sure the freeing of the innocent. (Institute of Criminal Justice Studies, 2003, page 66). In... A rule which driven the accountability for crime prevention beyond onto the responsibility of private individuals seemed foolish, given that it purely bared the shortfalls of a criminal justice system which was calling for a greater fraction of public expenditure. Possibly more vital, although, were the issues regarding creating a stronghold mentality, which would consecutively produce more apprehension than the lopsided quantity and previously subsisted, and which was swiftly being distinguished as an issue in its own right. As a general rule, the threat of harm must be real and present 48 and the proof of dangerousness clear and convincing. 49 We note at the outset that dangerousness has a special, though elusive, meaning in the context of involuntary commitment. It refers not only to the likelihood of violence to oneself or to others but also to severe self-neglect, to the point where the individual is unable to survive safely in the community, as the Supreme Court was careful to explain in its landmark decision in O'Connor v. Donaldson. Although civil commitment had been practiced in the United States for over two hundred years, O'Connor was the first case in which the Supreme Court considered the constitutional boundaries of the commitment process. The case involved a fifty-five-year-old man who was committed to the Florida State Hospital at Chattahoochee in 1957 and kept there for nearly fifteen years without treatment, although he had never been dangerous to himself or others, was capable of earning a living outside the hospital, and had received offers to live in a supportive halfway house or with a former college classmate who was willing and able to provide for his welfare. The