The Declaration (6)

Both her parents put their hands to their mouths, and looked like they were eating something, and then her mother smiled, like she was laughing, like she'd just been given something she'd wanted all her life. And she turned to the Catcher, and she said, 'You can't touch them now,' and he frowned, and then her mother stumbled slightly, and she fell to the ground, followed by Anna's father. But they were both smiling, and their hands found each other. 'Anna,' her father said. 'Anna, you're free. You and Ben are free. A life for a life. It's in the Declaration. We've been waiting for this moment. Wanting it to come. Waiting to give you life again. A real life. A real future. We're so sorry, Anna. So sorry...' (pg. 291)

Anna struggled and suffered because of all the lies that Mrs. Pincent filled her mind with. She was told that her parents never loved her and that she was a waste of space. The government used their corrupt methods to manipulate and gain control over the people in the society. Anna was one of many that were under their control. Everything she did was for the sake of the government because she accepted the fact that she was a Surplus and her parents’ mistake. She cleaned for the Legals because they were thought to have a higher value than the rest of the people in the world. The government took complete control of the life of Anna. They kept her in Grange Hall to keep an eye on her and they never let her on the Outside because they feared she would absorb different ideas. Like Mrs. Pincent said in the novel, “Anna doesn’t have a mind of her own”. She was easily manipulated until Peter came to the hall and shared his view on society. He told her that she had a valuable life and that her parents loved her.

The moment Anna’s parents swallowed the pill to end their life, Anna’s life was saved from all the corruption of the government. She was no longer a puppet; she had a mind of her own and could make her own decisions. The author creates a world in which the people are conformists and must hate on the same group of people and praise the same group of people. Anna searches for a way out of this world and into a life filled with freedom and happiness. A world where every behavior and thought is the same is a dystopian world. Conformity only allows one person to take charge of the rest of the world. One leader leads to dictatorship and dictatorship leads to destruction. Hitler was a dictator who manipulated the Germans to follow every move he wishes to make. History can tell us that his rule did not result in a positive manner. A certain group of people (like Surpluses) were targeted and ignored, which led to the Holocaust and the extermination of millions of Jews.

The Declaration (5)

It's impossible to escape from Grange Hall. The Catchers will come after us, and Mrs Pincent will too. But we have to go. Mrs Pincent was talking about Peter and she wants to get rid of him. She said that I was stupid too. Indoctrinated. I hate Mrs Pincent. I thought I liked her. I though Mrs Pincent knew best. I thought she did horrible things for our own good. But she doesn't. She's cruel and mean and she doesn't think I'm Useful at all, even though she told me that I was, even though I've always done everything that she said I should. I'm scared about leaving Grange Hall, though. I don't know anything about the Outside. On the Outside I won't be a Prefect. I won't be set to be a Valuable Asset either. I don't know what I'll be on the Outside. Just an Illegal, I suppose...But Peter says we have to go to London. Peter says we have to go back to my parents...Peter says that in Bloomsbury I won't have to scrub and clean and be Obedient; that my parents will teach me about literature and music and that I can join the Underground Movement. (pg. 137-138)

 I feel that this passage from The Declaration symbolizes the struggle people have to break free from a conformist society. Throughout the novel, Anna struggles with choosing which path is the right one: Mrs. Pincent’s words or Peter’s words. In the beginning of the novel, she chose to listen to Mrs. Pincent, but in the end she realized the truth, which was she was using Anna. Out of anger and realization, Anna chooses to follow Peter and his urge to escape Grange Hall, along with the way the government is ruling society. Anna’s fear symbolizes her reaction to finding out the truth. Similar to when anyone finds out the truth about something, Anna is in somewhat of a denial state where she does not know which side is the right side. Though she is afraid to escape Grange Hall she knows she must do it in order to be free from a world where having a mind of your own does not exist.

Anna and Peter are people who step out of the ordinary and challenge the thoughts of the government. From the beginning, Peter saw that a common thought among the people was not the way a society should behave. Everyone should have self-expression and have different perspectives. At the end of the novel, they both see that a government like theirs does not bring happiness or a better life like they were told. Without a government with absolute control, Anna can live in a world where she doesn’t “have to scrub and clean and be Obedient”. People are born different because no two people share the same thoughts on everything. Since the world is so different, then it is wrong for people to be forced to follow certain behaviors and laws. Therefore, the government depicted in this novel where they establish a uniform thought among the people is corrupt and dystopian.

The Declaration (4)

'He what?' Mrs Pincent demanded, her knuckles whitening visibly as her fingers clenched into fists over her desk. 'What?' Anna swallowed desperately. She couldn't tell her. For the first time in her life, she couldn't tell Mrs Pincent what she wanted to know. 'He said he got caught in Essex,' she said eventually. 'He said his parents hadn't told him about the Declaration and that he was sick of hiding all the time.'...But instead of shouting at her for her insolence, or telling her that Peter deserved to rot in Solitary, Mrs Pincent frowned, then stood up. 'Peter needs some time to think about his role in this world,' she said thoughtfully...'You understand your place in the world, you understand the debt that you owe to Mother Nature,' Mrs Pincent continued. 'But Peter does not think of himself as a Surplus. He sees himself as something better, as if he has a rightful place in this world.' Mrs Pincent paused, and as she did so, Anna noticed the familiar venom creep back into her eyes. Striding back to her chair, Mrs Pincent smacked her hand down on the desk. 'Peter is a danger to the other Surpluses, and a danger to this earth,' she said, her voice now harsher. 'That's why he's in Solitary. I won't allow anyone to mention that boy's name until we rid him of his illicit thoughts. Until I am sure that I have fulfilled my duty and that he understands the truth, I cannot risk him contaminating the rest of you.' (pg. 120-122)

Mrs. Pincent’s tone when speaking to Anna in this specific part of the novel is sincere and comforting. She wants Anna to feel comfortable around her and gain her trust in order for Mrs. Pincent to know Peter’s true meaning for being in the institution. All her life, Anna has been indoctrinated by Mrs. Pincent’s words, telling her which Surpluses misbehave and are disobedient. Mrs. Pincent sincerely interrogates Anna into exposing Peter; however, it does not work because Anna has been influenced by Peter and refuses to tell her the truth. As represented by Mrs. Pincent, the government creates a false bond with their people to gain their confidence and enter their minds.

The government is run by greed because they want all the power to themselves: the more people they control, the more power they have. They fear people like Peter who interfere with their master plan and “contaminate” the minds of the Surplus children. “Peter is a danger” because he makes the children see the truth of their corrupt government and how the government manipulates the minds of the children. Peter has already spoken to Anna about the truths of the government. He has gotten into her mind and has made her know what really is going on. Peter’s influence on Anna is great because he has given her the courage to disobey the commands of Mrs. Pincent. Anna lied to her about Peter’s purpose in Grange Hall by appearing to be oblivious to what Mrs. Pincent asks for. There is always at least one person in society that understands what is happening and knows the difference between what is good and what is bad. In this case, it is Peter preaching his thoughts and his wisdom to Anna so she can escape the horrors of their society.

The Declaration (3)

'Hit her,' ordered Mrs Pincent, who was now walking towards her. 'Maker her know her Sins. Help her to learn from her mistakes and to understand what being a Surplus means. Make her see that she is unwanted, a burden; that every step she takes along these corridors are steps that she has stolen. Maker her see that she is worthless, that if she dies no one will care, that in fact the world will be better off with her not trespassing on it. Make her understand all that, Anna.' Mrs Pincent's voice was low and menacing, and Anna found herself trembling. Tania had to understand, she told herself. Tania had to learn, for her own sake. For all their sakes. Slowly, she drew her hand back to swipe Tania across the face. Tania looked at her for a moment, then her eyes flicked up to Mrs Pincent and back again. And then she smiled at Anna, a mocking smile full of hatred and contempt...However much she wanted Tania to Learn Her Place, she couldn't hit her. And the realisation frightened her, particularly as another smile began to wend its way across Tania's face. (pg. 83-84)

The government depicted in this novel establishes fear and domination within the institution of where Anna and Peter live. In this moment of the novel, two Surpluses, or unwanted children, engage in an argument. In that institution, misbehavior is frowned upon and will result in severe punishment. Since Anna is one of the oldest Surpluses in the building, she is the right-hand girl of Mrs. Pincent. Therefore, Anna acts as an overseer who keeps order among the children and makes sure the rules of Mrs. Pincent are enforced. As the overseer, she is viewed by the other children as a teacher’s pet or a goody goody and receives many “mocking smile[s]”.

Domination is present in the government of The Declaration because of the impact Mrs. Pincent has on Anna. Specifically in this passage, Mrs. Pincent has complete control over Anna and the way she thinks. When Mrs. Pincent tells Anna to hit Tania, Anna does her best to follow the order. She has in her mind that the way Mrs. Pincent thinks about society is the correct way to view things. Mrs. Pincent preaches that the Surpluses are “worthless” and “a burden” because their parents committed the ultimate “Sin”. Anna, not able to have a mind of her own, agrees with this ideology and wants “Tania...to understand”. She has been brainwashed by Mrs. Pincent and preaches against the children.

Fear is present in this government, and is an important aspect to how the government rules the society. It is something that overpowers the mind of the children, causing them do whatever the superiors want them to do, such as cleaning, cooking, and building. Mrs. Pincent has a reputation being the most feared person in the institution, for that the children tremble and become frightened when they misbehave or do something that goes against the word of Mrs. Pincent. Anna knew that Tania had not yet “Learn[ed] Her Place”, which goes against one of the biggest rules in that society. The phrase “Learn Her Place” is capitalized because it is something that must be inserted in the minds of the children. It represents a commandment that cannot be broken unless it would be considered a “Sin”. Superiors like Mrs. Pincent have created a society in which they can manipulate the people to do whatever they desire. They have the people fearing the Surpluses and the Surpluses fearing their existence.

The Declaration (2)

Peter looked at her then and took her wrists firmly in his hands. 'Your parents love you,' he said in a very low voice. 'You're not surplus to anything, you're Anna Covey, and you should never have been locked away here.Your Mrs Pincent is the person you should hate. She's the one who brainwashed you, the one who beat you and starved you, just like she tried to do to me. Just like she'll do again when she realises she hasn't won. We need to get out of here. We need to get back to London.' Anna stared at him, her mouth set crossly. 'Brainwash!' she said contemptuously. 'That isn't even a word.' Peter smile sarcastically. 'Not a word they'd teach you in Grange Hall, I suppose, but it is a word, Anna. It means to indoctrinate. To make you think things that aren't true, to make you believe that you don't deserve to live on the Outside, that you're lucky to live in this prison.' (pg. 66)

At this point in the book, Peter has been placed in the same orphanage as Anna, Grange Hall. Unlike the rest of the children in this institution, Peter sees right through Mrs. Pincent and the other dictators of the multiple institutions spread across the world. As a child coming from the “Outside”, he has seen things that children like Anna—who have never stepped foot out of the building—have never seen.

Peter is a unique character in the novel, The Declaration. His character is similar to that of Clarisse from the novel Fahrenheit 451. They both share the same quality of supporting the main protagonist of the story, in this case would be Anna Covey. Peter innocently tries to convince Anna that they live in a dystopian society where the government tells the people what and what not to think. He says that Mrs. Pincent is “the one who brainwashed [her]”. This sort of relationship Mrs. Pincent has with Anna resembles the kind of relationship the government has with their people. Both the government and Mrs. Pincent control their subordinates through confinement, labor, and starvation. Peter wants to put an end to this lifestyle, so he blatantly tells Anna about what is going on. He explains how her real parents love her because they gave her breath and the opportunity to live life and how Mrs. Pincent does not love her because she has made her suffer.

The reaction that Anna has to what Peter has told her symbolizes how naïve humans can be. All her life, Anna was told that her parents did not love her and they were the reason for her sufferings. She was easily manipulated and therefore never dreamt that her mind was being “brainwashed”. Humans can be told that a certain behavior is the right behavior multiple times. Many scientists have performed tests on this topic, especially after World War II. The result was that if a person is told that something is right but they disagree, then they will be punished. The punishment will be carried out until they learned to select the answer that matched with the ideas of others. In other words, the human mind can be manipulated through fear. Mrs. Pincent creates fear within the minds of the children. Anna always craved to be Mrs. Pincent’s right-hand girl because she did not want to be on her bad side. Anna did what Mrs. Pincent wanted to please her. Anna was being manipulated and brainwashed without even knowing it was happening.

The Declaration (1)

Legal people generally have at least two names, sometimes more. Not me, though, I'm just Anna. People like me don't need more than one name, Mrs Pincent says. One is quite enough. Actually, she doesn't even like the name Anna--she told me she tried to change it when I first came here. But I was an obstinate child, she says, and I wouldn't answer to anything else, so in the end she gave up. I'm pleased--I like the name Anna, even though my parents gave me that name. I hate my parents. They broke the Declaration and didn't care about anyone else but themselves. They're in prison now. I don't know where. None of us knows anything about our parents any more. Which is fine by me--I'd have nothing to say to them anyway. (pg.8)

In the society depicted in the novel, The Declaration, the thoughts of the people are controlled by the government. Since thoughts are no longer an expression of freedom, the things they do and the perspectives they possess are not their own. The ideas are all the same, meaning this society is an example of a conformist society.

The children who were born because their parents disobeyed the “Declaration” were given the status of a surplus. The government placed these children in an orphanage-type of residence that forces them to perform hard labor. The government isolates the children of the law-breaking parents in order to send a message to the rest of society. It uses the children as an example of how people who break the law are treated. Everyone in this society lives the way the government wants them to live. The people are told to not have children or they will be placed in prison. The government establishes fear within the society to get them to obey their every command. It uses the basic idea of being considered an outcast to get the people to follow the rules. Everyone outside of the orphanages fears the surplus because they are different. With this fear, the government is able to create conformity within the community because everyone is given the longevity drug to stay young and they are forced to sign the “Declaration” that tells them how they should live their life. Not only does the government manipulate the minds of the people outside of the orphanage, but they also manipulate the minds of the children within the asylum.

The children are told that they were a mistake and that their parents committed a sin by deciding to give birth to them. The government ordered to put this information and this thought into the minds of the children. For example, in this specific orphanage, Mrs. Pincent drills the idea of the parents being criminals into the mind of Anna. In the beginning of the novel, all Anna knows is that their parents are in prison—meaning they are viewed as a danger to society. Only absorbing this thought on the people who go against the government, Anna is taught to “hate [her] parents”. The government tells the children that what their parents did is unjust and morally wrong in order to prevent them from rising against it. The government doesn’t want the children, and the rest of the world, to think it is normal that they are born. In my opinion, I believe that the government wants to easily keep track of its people. Therefore, it forces everyone to think and act the same way. The government would easily find out who is misbehaving when everyone is doing the same routine while one person is doing it reverse. This allows the government to obtain absolute control over everyone.

Wall-E

The film, Wall-E, gives a clear and very reasonabl prediction of the future in this short scene. The author predicts that the future will involve humans being very obese. According to the video above, humans will not be able to do anything for themselves. They will always have to be dependent on robots carrying them from place to place and doing what used to be a daily routine for them.

In our current soceity, many of the children are being sucked into the temptations of fast food and gaseous drinks. Fast Food joints have expanded all over the nation and there are probably more than one restaurant in each city. The youngest generation is starting to view physical education as a hassle and a waste of time. They are not interested in outdoor activites like the older generations once were. These children have been consumed by video games, computers, and television. When talking about the newest generation, all i can imagine is a lonely child hidden in the darkness of their house watching television.

The creator of Wall-E believes that the people of America are headed in the wrong direction. Their diet is focused and surrounded by greasy foods. If the people of America stay on this path, their future will look like the one depicted in the short clip above.

Obama's Change

In 2008, the first minority was elected president in the United States, the land of immigrants. Barack Obama brought change, or the feeling of change, because during the presidential elections he was the face of the immgrants and the minorities. After decades of African Slavery and the Exclusion Acts, immigrants finally have a voice in the highest level in the country. Many people saw the election of Obama as a vision of the future. They have predicted that Obama is just the beginning of an immigration revolution. Immigrants will rise to the top and will one day be the dominant race in the United States. They will slowly take over corporation positions, office positions, and important council seats. They will make their mark on the world and bring "change", which was the theme of Obama's campaign.

Barack Obama gave the minorities hope of change. With the help of Obama, there will soon be no racism and inequality. The message that was trying to be established since the beginning of time will finally be established in the future: all humans are equal and should be treated equally. For once, people will recognize immigrants and minorities as civilized just like themselves. Though there will be a lot of conflict before minorities can get their chance, they will eventually rise to the top.

Futurama

In the television series, Futurama, the main character ends up in the future after being frozen for 1000 years. He enters a world where technology has drastically advanced with the use of flying cars and interactive robots. Bender is an example of how far the author of the series thinks society will advance. He feels that the human race will develop so much knowledge that they will be capable of inventing anything. Robots will become human like and live amongst the humans. Leela is an example of how the enivornment of the world will change. The author predicts that in the future, humans will live with cyclops and other foreign creatures that will one day land on earth.

This television series is overall a vision of earth's future. The author uses this animation to expand his imagination of the future. With animation, there is no limitations on how to present the future. This symbolizes the further development of the human brain. They will overcome any obstacle that stands in their way of advancing the race. Humans will become one of the smartest and superior races in the universe because they have the capability of improving any form of technology. Humans have a bright future ahead of them with the inventions of flying cars and other machineries that will help the society function better and faster.

The Declaration

"Then one day a boy named Peter appears at the Hall, bringing with him news of the world outside, a place where people are starting to say that Longevity is bad, and that maybe people shouldn't live forever. Peter begs Anna to escape with him, but Anna's not sure who to trust..."

In the novel, The Declaration, scientists have discovered a new vaccination that allows people to never age and live forever. The people do not need to worry about dying or illnesses or anything else. However, there is a condition that comes with the gift of living forever: each person that accepts the vaccination must also accept the fact that they will never have children. People do not realize how bad this declaration is because they are taught to look down on those who had children and their children. They feel that their society is perfect when in fact their society is corrupt. The government does not permit the people to have children, and for many this is a source of happiness.

Peter is similar to Clarisse from Fahrenheit 451. They both act as a supporting character that helps the main character see the truths of their society. Peter is from "the outside world" and brings the different opinions with him when he meets Anna, the main character. He tries to gain Anna's confidence while at the same time showing her what the flaws of this society are. He teaches her that the couples who choose to have a child are not the enemies like Anna has been taught to view them as. They are actually giving the children the opportunity to see and live life. Anna changes her view of her parents and starts to thank them for bringing her into this world. She realizes that people come into this world for a natural reason. The government can not interfere with something so natural like life and birth.

Gattaca

Gattaca Film

In the future according to this film, the Gattaca Corp. uses living humans to test out their lastest form of biotechnology. The people in the corporation decides the future of any human with the help of scientific experiments. The people are forced to live the lives resulting from the tests that were done on their genes. The society in the film Gattaca is very corrupt and can be classified as a dystopian society because the people are trapped in a world where the government and their scientific partnerships have absolute control over them. The occupations they have, the types of housing they live in, and much more are dependent on the results of the test. The people do not have any decisions when it comes to their future. In the trailer for this film, the main character's misery grabs his attention. Unlike the other people in their world, the main character trys everything in his power to find a way to escape the government. He feels confined and wants to have freedom and make his own decisions.

In every dystopian society, there is always at least one character that notices what is truly going on around them. The main character takes in all the criticism and shunning in order to change the way in which the socitey runs. He is the one who takes all the blame and sacrifices himself for the good of the world. The protagonist of a dystopian society can be compared to Jesus. He sacrificed himself so everyone in the world can be free of sin. The protagonist in Gattaca goes through so much trouble so the people can be free from science and the government. Then they can live according to the decisions they make.

2012

The Mayans came up with the theory that the world was going to end in the year 2012. They believe that a series of natural disasters are going to strike the world and put the human species in danger. The director created the movie 2012 according to the beliefs of the Mayans. The Mayans do not agree with how the people are behaving towards the world and towards each other. They feel that their gods will punish us for our wrongdoings by creating what is seen in the video. The world will be consumed by the vicious attacks of massive earthquakes, volcanoes, and other disasters.

The clip from the movie shows how the director feels the world will end up. The world's habitat and environment will spiral out of control and cause destruction. People will once again be overpowered by nature. For example, people are killed by fallen buildings, as well as other things, when earthquakes break out across the world.

The movie is used as a way to raise awareness about the environment. The Mayan gods are believed to be punishing the humans for their inconsiderate actions toward the world. They feel that it is the humans' job to protect the world and nature. However, in our current society we have not done a good job and for that it is said that we will be cursed in 2012. The director foreshadows how our punishment will be like. If we don't do anything to change the way we are treating the environment, then nature will take its revenge and the consequences are not pretty.

Code Geass

"Before creation there must be destruction...The loss and destruction of all. That's right, one must destroy before creating. In that case, if my conscience becomes a hindrance to me, then I will simply erase it. I have no other choice but to move forward."

In the anime series, Code Geass, the people of Japan are under complete control of Great Britian. They are closely watched by the military of Britian. Many of the people of Japan accept the fact that they have no freedom while others like Lelouch (the main character) and the Black Knights (an underground rebel group) try all they can to break free from the British government. This show represents futuristic technology, government, and war.

The methods the military uses to gain absolute control over the people of Japan includes gigantic human-manuevered robots that wander around the city keeping the Japanese people in places that don't have the same features as the British cities. The author uses this series to imagine a world where humans have designed specialized robots that function as a police force and for military combat. Also, in the series, the British government installed cameras all around Japan and are connected to headquarters located in Great Britian. This is an example of how the author depicts the future. He believes technology will advance so much, that people can be watched and tracked from across the world.

This anime series focuses a lot on the government and military. The government is depicted as the source of all trouble because the British government stripped the Japanese of their identity and of their freedom. The people of Japan are looked down upon by the British and are viewed as "Elevens" instead of Japanese. Also, the government controls everything that the Japanese people do. At one point in the series, the British government relocates a group of Japanese people to an abandoned city. There, they are not allowed to come in contact with anyone outside of the boundaries and they are not allowed to leave. The author believes that our current government is heading in the wrong direction. He feels that the government is too controlling and does not let the people freely express themselves. The author uses the government he created in Code Geass to show what he thinks the government will be like in the future. In another part of the series, the government targets a city filled with Japanese people and bombs it for no reason. The author feels that the government will take advantage of its current power and transform it into one of dicatorship over a weaker country.

Other than the government, this series also focuses on war between the British and the Japanese. In a futuristic dystopia, there is always someone who tries to free their society from what is happening. Lelouch, the main character, forms a rebel group called the Black Knights that fight against the Britsih military and wins back the freedom and name of the people. War plays an important role in the series because it is the turning point where the society restores itself. Lelouch states that the creation of a new rule must come after the destruction of the old. Therefore, he does everything in his power to destroy the British government/military and create a new place in which the Japanese (and the rest of the world who at the same time is facing other wars) can live peacefully.

The author believes that the world is in the middle of war and can lead to corruption. He uses Code Geass to show that if countries continue to ignore each others' cries for help, then the world will be separated and all hope for order will be lost.

iRobot

In the film, I, Robot, humans live in a world where robots and other forms of machinery possess absolute power over them. Humans are forced to live according to the laws enforced by the robots. Robots establish curfews for the humans and they become prisoners in their own homes and offices. The film shows the struggle for equality and power the humans face.

Never did anyone imagine humans would be controlled by robots. The writer of this film creates a society where the unexpected happens. The superior human race finally falls to a rising, powerful robotic race. In the film, the theme of inequality appears; the humans are mere slaves for the robots. Many people say that "histoy repeats itself" and the writer of this film supports this idea through his work of art. In America's early history, white landowners had African slaves who they controlled by setting curfews and educational limits. In I, Robot, history is a cycle and there are once again slaves in America.

Usually writers write about the future to raise awareness in the present. In this specific film, the writer is trying to say that the society that we live in is a dystopia. He uses the image of robots controlling humans in order to make the humans realize the wrong things they have done. He uses ourselves as a victim of slavery to get his message across. The people will see that they are being attacked so they will view slavery as a bad thing. The writer wants the people to realize that what they did in earlier years of imprisoning African people was not correct and was a sin.

The Jetsons

In the picture of the television series, The Jetsons, the creator foreshadows the futuristic life of an ordinary family. In the image, and in the entire series, the family's daily lives are consumed by the extensive use of technology. All of the houses are on floating platforms, there are levitating cars, and by the image above their work is done by advanced technology.

To conjure up this idea, the creator adopts the mind of a child. As a kid I, along with many other children, dreamt of a futuristic life where cars will be floating and robots will be our servants. The creator takes these ideas to create his own prediction of the future. He imagines a world where robots become our maids. Also, he sees a future where dentists and doctors do not have to do much work like they do in our current society. They control the tools normally used through a machine that does all the work for them. In the picture, all the dentist needs to do is just sit in his seat and press a couple of buttons. The machines do the rest, and they do a better job than the humans. In the photos in the dentistry, the people have a perfect smile.

Another factor the creator takes into consideration for his television series is the use of technology in our current society. Today, technology has become a big part of our daily lives; from simple things like the escalators to more complex things like machines used to aid scientists in their works. It is more than likely that in future years, people will discover new ways to do things without much work for humans. This means that machines, similar to the one in the picture, will perform all the tasks. The creator of the series feels that technology will advance and we humans will use them for our own benefits. Again, the dentist sits on the side while the dentistry machine performs the cleanup for four people at once.

I believe that the creator of the series is also trying to say that the only purpose humans serve in the world is to improve machines and other forms of technology. He feels that the humans don't evolve as much because they create things that do their work. The humans, like the dentist, will be on the side observing what the machines do. They will not have much importance in the society because the robots and machines have taken over their duties. 

Pledge of Allegiance

In recent discussion in our class, the question of dystopia existing in our current society has arose. We analyzed certain propaganda in the topics of war, government control, and religion. Dystopia has been proven to exist in the United States with its own pledge of allegiance.

In the U.S Constitution, the people are promised many forms of freedom such as freedom of speech, freedom of happiness, and freedom of religion. We see all types of people practicing different religions. In some cities we see Catholic churches while in other cities we see mosques for Muslim practice. Not everyone in this country believes in the same God or in any God. Having "under one God" in the pledge of allegiance gives the feeling that the everyone in the United States praises the same figure. The government is promoting a certain religion when the document they live by states that everyone has the right to believe in what ever they want.

Their has been controversy over reciting the pledge of allegiance in public schools. School systems have made it mandatory for all students to recite the pledge. Since the schools are public, the student body includes foreigners and people of different beliefs. The society that we live in is most certainly a dystopia because the government system is coercing people to participate in praising a God that may not exist to some people.

I have seen many people become affected by the recitation of the pledge of allegiance. Some students, who come from different countries where they have different beliefs, are not content with having to honor the pledge. Unfortunately, they can not refuse because the teachers make them recite it.

The pledge of allegiance foreshadows the future in which the government will use national symbols, along with other figures, to promote their beliefs.We will live in a society where the people are manipulated and brainwashed by the simple tricks performed by the government.

Eureka!

In the television series, Eureka, the scientists and investigators are equipped with much more advanced technology than what we are used to seeing. In one scene, Jack Carter is given an electronically-powered house that has been programmed to perform any task the homeowner desires. The smart house is programmed to familiarize itself with the person’s personal interests and adjust itself to accommodate them. This gives the audience a “sneak preview” as to what regular technology would be like in the future.

The lifestyle that the smart house provides to Jack has made me believe that we humans are mere pawns for technology. I feel as though we are feeding them the power they need to act and think on their own. In the show, the humans have advanced so much in technology that we start to lose our values and live our lives relying on technology. The smart house interacts with Jack and does not need him to do any work at home. We humans are just guinea pigs, testing out the amount of power and control they have over us. According to this particular scene in the show, the humans will be overpowered by technology in the future.  

Fahrenheit 451

"We must all be alike. Not everyone born free and equal, as the constitution says, but everyone made equal . . . A book is a loaded gun in the house next door. Burn it. Take the shot from the weapon. Breach man’s mind."

Fahrenheit 451 represents a society in which the lives and the minds of the people are controlled by the government. The government has made the firemen, along with the other workers, believe that the society they live in is a perfect utopia where everyone "must all be equal". However, the protagonist of the novel, Montag, has realized the truth of his world and the truth that the government has been hiding from the people.

This passage in particular reveals what the government has transformed their society into. They have hidden their deepest reasons within the words of the Constitution. The Constitution is used to gain the support of all the people so there will be no opposition in what the government wants to do. They have blocked off all things that will enlighten the people; the government has forbidded their people from gaining knowledge by burning all the books in the world. In the passage, the government compares a book to a "loaded gun in the house" because they want the others to fear books and treat them as a threat to their society. Not providing their people with knowledge or a different point of view allows the government to obtain absolute control over the people. They won't be able to see the flaws of their society and they won't be able to protest against it.

This type of government is similar to the one in the Gattaca because the people of that society are forced to live the life that the government determines for them. Using technology, scientists analyze their genetics and decide which career fits their traits. The people are not given any freedom to think and act for themselves. Burning all the books in the world does not allow the people in Fahrenheit 451 to think freely and express their thoughts. They are forced to live a certain way under complete control of the government.