House of the Scorpion (6)

I always say the truth is best when we find it unpleasant. Any rat in a sewer can lie. It's how rats are. It's what makes them rats. But a human doesn't run and hide in dark places, because he's something more. Lying is the most personal act of cowardice there is.

The government and how El Patron runs the society is relies heavily on lying and manipulating the way the people think. They lie to the people by vaccinating them and taking control of their thoughts. They also lie to the children of Lost Boys and the rest of the people by saying obedience will give them privileges and how they are less than the Keepers. When a government turns to lying to gain the control and trust of the people, they are considered a dystopian government. This government promises the people privileges, however all they do is work until they are told to stop or, like the field worker, until they die from being overworked.

The government presented in House of the Scorpion shows their cowardice through controlling the people with a vaccine. They feel that their own power is not strong enough to gain the loyalty of the people. They need to enforce obedience rather than gaining their trust. As things seem to be comfortable, Matt is created and ruins the government's plan. Everyone was being obedient until Matt was given the opportunity to think for himself by not receiving the vaccine. In the presence of Matt, the government that El Patron created is the rat while Matt himself is the human that never hides in the dark. He pushes himself to free the people of Lost Boys and Opium and realizes the lies that the government has been telling. Their act of cowardice does not earn them the power to control the people and eventually lose that power because of Matt. 

House of the Scorpion (5)

Matt rose from the floor and saw that the room had darkened. Chacho and Fidelito were watching him from the top bunks near the ceiling. Someone was going to be sincerely sorry that he put Fidelito on the top bunk. Chacho pointed at the door and made an extremely rude hand gesture. Fidelito lifted his nightshirt and mooned the missing Jorge. Matt had to swallow hard to keep the tears from rolling down his face. He wasn't alone after all. With friends like these, he would triumph, as El Patron had triumphed over poverty and death so long ago.

Throughout the book, Matt has always been neglected and isolated because of who he was: a clone of El Patron. In this society, mindless slaves were common, however clones who were here for the original's protection were not common and were often alone because they were different from the rest. Matt has struggled to fight against this government and he hasn't gotten the support he needed at first because the society has trained the people to oppose those who were different. The government has complete control over the people, however they do not control Matt. Because he is free from El Patron's brainwash, Matt is the only person who can fight against the government and its ideologies.

Matt was taken to Lost Boys, an orphanage for children who lost their parents on the frontier. This transfer gave the chance for Matt to make his move against the El Patron and his government. Matt faces a struggle against El Patron throughout the book. Since he is the clone of El Patron's life, Matt is bound to fall under his footsteps. El Patron triumphed to get to where he is: the ruler of Opium and the Mexican-American border, so it is obvious that Matt will triumph in what ever he wants to accomplish. Matt faces isolation in Opium, but he takes the negative times in life and overcomes it when he makes big accomplishments. Matt works towards the freedom of the Lost Boys, and he is able to reach that goal. Matt works towards the freedom of the people in Opium, and he is able to succeed in that. Like El Patron when he was young, Matt overcame all the obstacles presented to him and rose to the top.Because of his determination to triumph like El Patron, Matt put an end to the corruption of the government of Opium and set everyone free for El Patron's control.

House of the Scorpion (4)

"The aristocrat is only a snot-faced boy who thinks he's too good for the rest of us. I am a true citizen. I've earned my privileges through hard work and obedience. No food for you tonight...No food for any of you! You will learn to obey the will of the people if it takes the next fifty years." Carlos rode off in a plume of dust and salt. "I'm proud to be with you," the little boy cried. "You're my compadres!"

 In the city of Opium, the perfect and "true citizen" is the person who obeys every single command and who performs their task without rebuttal. El Patron only wants people who listen to him and who give him absolute control over them. For that, he had scientists create the vaccine that allows him to control their thoughts and actions. El Patron makes everyone have the vaccine. Since the majority of the people are under control and obeying him then it would be normal and justice for everyone to obey him. People hypnotized by this drug promote and spread the loyalty to El Patron across the land. The Keepers of the Lost Boys orphanage tell the boys that they are worthy because they are obedient and hardworking. They convince the boys that with obedience comes a lot of rewards and privileges.

Though everyone in this world is under the control of El Patron, Matt does all that he can to free these people from this corrupt government. Matt fights against the words of the the Keepers and tries to get the boys to follow his word and his quest for freedom. Because Matt is a rebel and different from the rest of the people, the Keepers try to make him look unworthy in front of the children. The Keepers fear that Matt's different personality will spread and influence the children. Therefore, they call Matt a "snot-faced" aristocrat who thinks he is better than all of them. However, Matt works past all of his criticisms and gains the respect of the boys. Together, they do what they can to fight against the Keepers, and then against El Patron and his Opium Farm.

House of the Scorpion (3)

When the day came, Eduardo received the newborn into his hands as though it were his own child. His eyes blurred as he laid it in a crib and reached for the needle that would blunt its intelligence. "Don't fix that one," said Lisa, hastily catching his arm. "It's a Matteo Alacran. They're always left intact." Have I done you a favor? thought Eduardo as he watched the baby turn its head towards the bustling nurses...

 The main character, Matt, of the book House of the Scorpion is shown to be different from the rest of the people born in Opium. In this part of the book, Eduardo the scientist is told to vaccinate all the children with a drug that "blunts its intelligence". Their lack of intelligence makes it much easier for El Patron to gain their loyalty and control their every move. However, El Patron assigned the scientists to create a clone of himself so that when he becomes ill, he would be able to take the clone's organs in order to survive. Matt is chosen to be the clone of El Patron. As a clone, Matt is allowed to keep his brain untouched and he is allowed to use his brain to its fullest potential; however, he will be watched over and neglected because of who he is.

Matt is the main focus of the book, making him the dystopian protagonist. The world in which he lives in is controlled by El Patron, the richest and most powerful man in the land between Mexico and the United States. Being the only child not vaccinated by the scientific-developed drug, Matt is the only child in Opium unaffected by the results of the drug. His brain does not function on the commands of El Patron. Matt has a mind of his own and can think for himself. Because he is a clone, he is allowed to see what is right and what is wrong. The incident where him and Tam Lin find a worker dead in the fields makes him see the evils of the way El Patron makes the world work. Since Matt is given the freedom to think, he is the only hope the people of Opium have. Towards the end of the book, he is told that he is the only one who can save those people from the tyrannical control of the walls of Opium. Matt sees this world from the inside, seeing how El Patron controls the people. He then sees a different perspective, the view of the children from Lost Boys. Able to combine the information to make his own inferences, Matt works to stop the rule of El Patron. He sees the dystopian society for what it is and does all he can to end this tyranny.

House of the Scorpion (2)

"Drink," said Tam Lin. The horse trotted forward and dipped its muzzle. It blew noisy bubbles as it drank ravenously. "We'll walk the rest of the way." "Can't we take the horse?" said Matt, looking doubtfully at the streambed snaking into the hills. "It wouldn't obey. It's programmed to stay on the Farm...It's a Safe Horse, which means it has an implant in his head. It won't bolt or jump. It won't even drink unless you tell it to."

The people in House of the Scorpion are possesed by the ideologies of El Patron. They do not have a mind of their own and they are not able to develop their own thoughts and beliefs. Because of El Patron, the people are not able to be "normal people" because they do not have the same privileges as El Patron and his family. In this world, the social classes are very strict. All of El Patron's family are at the top of the social pyramid, compared to the eejits and other workers in Opium. The eejits and the rest of the people must obey every single command the chief family gives them. They must attend to all their problems and must put them in front of everyone else, including themselves. In the orphanage home, Lost Boys, the keepers are at the top of the pyramid. The boys placed in this orphanage must work hard without good treatment and they must not expect anything in return for all that they do. The boys are worked to death, only being fed when the keepers feel their work is sufficient.

These social distinctions make it easier for El Patron to control the population of Opium. The people at the bottom have no privileges are can not defend themselves. El Patron has established a society in which the people praise him. He is the center of their world and everything good that is discovered or made belongs to him. The people do not have any freedom and do not need it because of the life that El Patron made for them.

The people were vaccinated at a very young age. Growing up obeying the laws, the people feel that it is normal for them to not think and work hard for someone much "superior". El Patron attacked them at a young age, which makes it easier for them to obey him. All the years that the people live, they live working for him. They never had the opportunity to see how much they are worth. They feel that being servants is normal and their freedom is much different than what we feel is freedom. According to their lifestyle, the people feel free when they please El Patron. They can not live without him controling them and telling them what and what not to do. The amount of control El Patron has over the people clearly shows that the society he created is a dystopian.

House of the Scorpion (1)

He has his good side and his bad side. Very dark indeed is his majesty when he wants to be. When he was young, he made a choice, like a tree does when it decides to grow one way or the other. He grew large and green until he shadowed over the whole forest, but most of his branches are twisted.

The person who the quote is referring to is El Patron. He is a very rich drug lord who controls the land between Mexico and the United States, Opium. El Patron owns every aspect and controls everything that goes on in Opium with the help of scientists who are hired to create a vaccine. The vaccine is then implanted into the people and the result is them obeying anything El Patron requests. Because everyone is under his control, no one is able to recognize the negative side of what he is doing and no one is able to stop him.

El Patron is "very dark...when he wants to be". In our eyes, the way he carries out his plan for absolute control is corrupt; however, in the eyes of the "eejits" and others in Opium, they do not see El Patron as an evil man manipulating them. They can not see what he truly is doing and for that the people accept every task they are told to complete. His plans for absolute rule is compared to a tree. In the beginning of his ultimate plan, he took small steps and worked his way up to the top. The small steps he took is compared, in the quote, to the growth of the tree. Tam Lin has witnessed its growth and is aware of its size. He has come a long way from where he started (that is, a poor boy) and has made great accomplishments to have thousands of people work on his farm. El Patron truly has "twisted branches". The use of this word makes the readers believe that Tam Lin understands what he is doing. His actions of implanting people by force is twisted; however, El Patron is unstoppable and no one can match up to his power.

El Patron is a personified representation of a dystopian government. Under his rule, the thoughts of the people are neglected when the vaccine is placed inside of them. He manipulates their minds and does not allow them to have their own personality. One the farm, one man was never told to stop working in the fields so he continued working without rest. His mind has been so brainwashed from the vaccine that he could not decide when to stop working on his own. He was left on the field until he died of thirst, starvation, heat, or many other things. The people living in Opium do not have a mind of their own; they can not make their own decisions and they don't have their opinions. They are trapped in El Patron's twisted branches and there is no escape unless they realize what is going on and stop it.

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.