“1984,” “The Long Watch,” and “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” depict conflicts between individuals and powerful groups. All three stories agree that power is an indispensable means because all the powerful groups need power to pursue their goals. In conflicts between individuals and powerful groups, whether or not the individuals have hope, they would take action and not retreat regardless of the results. The stories also imply that individuals do not have the ability to change the powerful groups or societies in which they live.
Whether humans desire for power or not, power is the indispensable means humans needed to pursue their desires. In “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas,” the author states, “The trouble is that we have a bad habit, …show more content…
The society of Omelas is not like our society, they avoid evil and pain, and they only desire for happiness and wealthy. Their happiness and wealthy depend wholly on a child’s misery. The mistreatment of the child is the source of the power they need to maintain their society. They feel disgust, outrage, and impotence when they see the child; so they do not desire for this kind of power. However, they have to keep mistreating the child for power to achieve their valued happiness and wealthy. On the other hand, in “1984,” power is not a means, it is the only true and valuable goal. In the history, the German Nazis and Russian Communists had their governing methods very close to the Party’s. However, they failed because they pretended that power was just a means to their ideal societies. The Party does not and will not fail. Its slogan is “War Is Peace, Freedom Is Slavery, Ignorance Is Strength.” The Party wants to keep the wars lasting forever to limit the wealth of everyone and even of the Inner Party members, to …show more content…
In “1984,” Winston, the individual takes actions against the Party – the powerful group – even when he is powerless and hopeless. Orwell states, “He [Winston] had accepted it. The end was contained in the beginning” (Orwell 159). Winston believes that he will be caught by the Thought Police soon after he writes in the diary. Then, he has an affair with Julia, but he also believes that “At the end we’re certain to be apart” (Orwell 166). His rebellion against the Party is motivated by his hatred to the Party and his love to Julia. He continues his rebellion because he believes that he can never escape from the Party’s control anyway. In “The One Who Walk Away from Omelas,” the Le Guin states, “They leave Omelas, they walk ahead into the darkness, and they do not come back.” The people who leave Omelas do not, or possibly cannot, turn back. The word “darkness” implies that their result is unknown and possibly negative. Although they have hope and they know where they are heading to, they are not certain to be in a better place. In “The Long Watch,” at first, Johnny takes his action with hope. Heinlein tells, “Better still, if he could hold them off with the threat of it, sooner or later help would come…and then: Johnny comes marching home.” Johnny expects himself to be alive after stopping the conspiracy, so he doesn’t blow himself with the bombs and he just stand his watch.
Whether humans desire for power or not, power is the indispensable means humans needed to pursue their desires. In “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas,” the author states, “The trouble is that we have a bad habit, …show more content…
The society of Omelas is not like our society, they avoid evil and pain, and they only desire for happiness and wealthy. Their happiness and wealthy depend wholly on a child’s misery. The mistreatment of the child is the source of the power they need to maintain their society. They feel disgust, outrage, and impotence when they see the child; so they do not desire for this kind of power. However, they have to keep mistreating the child for power to achieve their valued happiness and wealthy. On the other hand, in “1984,” power is not a means, it is the only true and valuable goal. In the history, the German Nazis and Russian Communists had their governing methods very close to the Party’s. However, they failed because they pretended that power was just a means to their ideal societies. The Party does not and will not fail. Its slogan is “War Is Peace, Freedom Is Slavery, Ignorance Is Strength.” The Party wants to keep the wars lasting forever to limit the wealth of everyone and even of the Inner Party members, to …show more content…
In “1984,” Winston, the individual takes actions against the Party – the powerful group – even when he is powerless and hopeless. Orwell states, “He [Winston] had accepted it. The end was contained in the beginning” (Orwell 159). Winston believes that he will be caught by the Thought Police soon after he writes in the diary. Then, he has an affair with Julia, but he also believes that “At the end we’re certain to be apart” (Orwell 166). His rebellion against the Party is motivated by his hatred to the Party and his love to Julia. He continues his rebellion because he believes that he can never escape from the Party’s control anyway. In “The One Who Walk Away from Omelas,” the Le Guin states, “They leave Omelas, they walk ahead into the darkness, and they do not come back.” The people who leave Omelas do not, or possibly cannot, turn back. The word “darkness” implies that their result is unknown and possibly negative. Although they have hope and they know where they are heading to, they are not certain to be in a better place. In “The Long Watch,” at first, Johnny takes his action with hope. Heinlein tells, “Better still, if he could hold them off with the threat of it, sooner or later help would come…and then: Johnny comes marching home.” Johnny expects himself to be alive after stopping the conspiracy, so he doesn’t blow himself with the bombs and he just stand his watch.