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 "Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. Those who have known freedom and then lost it have never known it again .” (Ronald Reagan, http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/govspeech/01051967a.htm ) . America has the potential to turn into a society without freedom. In //1984// , a novel, government controls the whole society. One man in that society, Winston, realizes how much his society is brainwashed and he wants to bring down the government. He meets a girl named Julia who also believes the government needs to be destroyed. They go through a series of events together trying to improve their freedoms. Another novel, //Little Brother// , is about a boy named Marcus who is accused of being a terrorist. He is taken hostage by the DHS and tortured there for his private information. After putting Marcus through agony, the DHS finally gets the information it needs out of him. Once Marcus is released, he wants the government torture exposed to the public. Society in //1984// by George Orwell and in //Little Brother// by Cory Doctorow is very apathetic; since these books were written as a warning, they display Americans' potential to become an apathetic society susceptible to total government control without freedom with government use of propaganda, citizen uninvolvement in government, and citizen admittance to avoid fear.

Propaganda can cause people to become apathetic. The government's propaganda is shown in //Little Brother//. Marcus's dad thinks that the president is making honorable decisions even though his father's opinion changed due to propaganda."The President went on TV with the Governor to tell us that no price was to high for security…My dad cheered. He'd hated the President since the day he was elected…but now all he could do was talk about how decisive and dynamic the new guy was" (Doctorow, 141). The effect of government propaganda on Marcus’s dad alters his dad’s opinion. Marcus’s dad believes that the extra step of security will improve his life and there will be no more crime. But the president is only making everyday life more of a hassle. Now security is everywhere and his father will have to waste time because the government is checking all citizens to make sure no person will commit crime. Once a a person hears that the government will improve their life, even if the government is lying, they believe the government is helping. Propaganda and persuasion drastically change a person's perspective. Another example of propaganda's influence is shown in //1984// during Winston's experience at the movies. "All war films…a ship full of refugees…Audience much amused by shots of a great huge fat man trying to swim away with a helicopter after him…then he was full of holes and the sea round him turned pink…audience shouting with laughter when he sank" (Orwell, 8). This example displays how easily the government can slip an idea into the audience's mind. In this movie, the refugees are portrayed as people who are worthless and should be killed. The audience watching the movie begins to believe that killing refugees is humorous. This is the government’s way of saying that no one should help a stranded refugee; instead, the person should kill the refugee. Propaganda portrays how we view certain people. Government propaganda also has control over how we feel during everyday life. Bill Allin defines propaganda as making things seem good to those who are affected by it. ( Propaganda: [|h] [|__ttp://www.scribd.com/doc/69434/How-People-Use-Propaganda-To-Twist-Our-Minds__] )People want to believe in good things and that they are told they will be okay. They would rather believe that than the hard-to-accept truth. Lies are fed to people and if they believe the lies then the government wins; therefore, propaganda’s influence establishes an apathetic person.   <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> If no one makes the effort to be involved in their government or politics they will be unaware. //Little Brother// shows the uninvolvement of Marcus's father. Marcus realizes his father does not want to be involved with the government any longer. "My poor dad…seeing him now, miserable and broken, I wondered if it was better to be clear-eyed and hopeless or to live in a fool's paradise"(Doctorow, 135). Marcus’s father is no longer involved with politics and his father seemed lost. But when his father was involved with politics his father had no idea how corrupt the government was. Marcus needed to get his father involved again; however, this time following the right ideals. Likewise, an example from //1984// about the nonexistent effort to be involved are proles: society not part of the government and not caring to be a part of it. "But the proles, if only they could somehow become conscious of their own strength… Until they become conscious they will never rebel…"(Orwell, 69-70). The push to change the way they live is nonexistent. The proles have a large society in 1984 and they could make a large impact if they wanted to get involved. The proles do not have that push to go forward and change the society in which they live. This creates their hazy view of life. The society in America is also lazy when it comes to getting involved in government issues. Americans sometimes slack away and do not vote. The top ten reasons people do not vote include “Some people feel their vote won’t count so they say ‘Why vote’?...Many Americans complain the voting **l**ines are too long...Some Americans are not interested in voting or politics” ( [|h] [|__ttp://san-antonio.movingtoanapartment.com/living/top-10-reasons-people-dont-vote.htm)__] .These excuses are weak and the people obviously can vote; they choose not to vote. To counter these excuses, everyone’s vote has an impact, patience in the voting line is a time in your life you just have to wait, and people should have an interest in politics because it affects their everyday lives. For these reasons, people need to get involved to accumulate more knowledge on government and politics. <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The most important warning these novels heed to their readers is that citizens will admit anything to escape fear. I <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">n //Little Brother//, Marcus is held captive by the DHS and is tortured there for his private information. "She didn't want me to just unlock the phone. She wanted me to submit to her. To put her in charge of me. To give up every secret, all my privacy. 'The password,' I said again, and then I told her the password. God help me, I submitted to her will"(Doctorow, 56). He wants to escape from the government’s harassment. Marcus was told if he complied then he would be set free. Marcus's fear overtakes him and he tells the government his information making his privacy disappear. //1984// also warns us of admittance to dodge worry. Winston is held in Room 101 where his deepest fear becomes reality. Winston can escape his deepest fear if he admits what the torturer wants him to admit. "…one body that he could thrust between himself and the rats. And he was shouting frantically, over and over: 'Do it to Julia!…Not me!' "(Orwell, 286). Fear controls people, so, if someone can access that fear, then they can be in control of you. Winston did not have to admit anything, but, his fear had greater influence on him so he admitted that he would rather have Julia be fed to the rats, not him. The willingness to evade fear is greater than not admitting; furthermore, Americans display this admittance. Innocent people were confessing to crimes they did not commit to escape harassment and fear. ( Confess to anything Paragraph 3: [|h] <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2929ee; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[|__ttp://open.salon.com/blog/lawless_lawyer/2010/09/14/false_confessions_why_innocent_people_confess__] <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">) This is unfair because even though some of the accused are innocent, they may give the government satisfaction by saying they commited a crime. Legitimate people are accused, put through torture, and forced to admit lies. So, people with nothing to hide need to be careful of their confessions. To keep this warning from become a reality, Americans need to be the people of the government. <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Since //1984// and //Little Brother// were written as a warning against an apathetic American society readers must learn to filter out propaganda, to get involved with government, and to be careful what they admit. Freedom will not be extinct in any generation if citizens recognize deceptive government tactics while avoiding apathy. People must learn to protect their ideals and not have them altered by government tactics. <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times; font-size: 12pt; height: 100%; line-height: 24pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: normal; width: 100%;"> Works Cited <span style="display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 3em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; text-indent: -3em;">Allin, Bill. "How People Use Propaganda To Twist Our Minds." // Scribd //. Web. 16 Feb. 2011. <http://www.scribd.com/doc/69434/How-People-Use-Propaganda-To-Twist-Our-Minds>.Doctorow, Cory. // Little Brother //. New York: Tom Doherty Associates, 2008. Print."False Confessions: Why Innocent People Confess." Open Salon. Web. 16 Feb. 2011. <http://open.salon.com/blog/lawless_lawyer/2010/09/14/false_confessions_why_innocent_people_confess>.Orwell, George. // 1984 //. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1984. Print.Reagan, Ronald. "Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, National Archives and Records Administration." // Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, National Archives and Records Administration //. Web. 16 Feb. 2011. <http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/govspeech/01051967a.htm>."Top 10 Reasons People Don't Vote." San Antonio Apartment Living. Web. 16 Feb. 2011. <http://san-antonio.movingtoanapartment.com/living/top-10-reasons-people-dont-vote.htm>.