1984 - In the face of pain there are no heroes free essay sample

George Orwell’s 1984 is a brilliant commentary on the dangers of totalitarianism, mind control, technology and both physical and psychological manipulation. The novel’s protagonist, Winston Smith, is a very pensive and curious man. He is desperate to uncover the roots behind the twisted caste system that has been set in place by an organization called the Party. The Party demonstrates absolute control over every aspect of life in Oceania (formerly London). They are a totalitarian organization using language as a mind control device as well as psychological and physical intimidation and manipulation in order to keep its citizens, or effectively its slaves, in line. One thing always holds true in Oceania, â€Å"Big Brother is Watching You. † Winston Smith never becomes a true hero because the very society in which he resides has changed the very nature of what a hero can and cannot do. A society in which war is peace, freedom is slavery and ignorance is strength makes individualism an act of blatant terrorism. We will write a custom essay sample on 1984 In the face of pain there are no heroes or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page When individuality becomes a crime the devastating power of the Party is illustrated through Winston’s attempts at freedom and independence. Oceania is a harsh, totalitarian state. The leaders of the Party rely on a message that they relay over and over again: â€Å"War is peace, freedom is slavery and ignorance is strength. † They are a state that monitors and controls every aspect of society and even human interaction to the point where disloyal thoughts are made illegal. For the Party, â€Å"power is in tearing human minds to pieces and putting them together again in new shapes of your own choosing. † Due to the fact that Winston chooses to refuse the Party’s ideals and controlling ways the point of their vast power is realized on an even greater scale. The true oppression of the Party, Big Brother and the Thought Police can be seen. Though Winston exhibits a sort of refreshing thoughtfulness (at least in regards to any other members of society) his main attributes are his inclination towards rebellion and his sense of utter fatalism. He goes to unbelievable lengths in order to rebel against the Party. He commits various crimes throughout the book ranging from simply writing, â€Å"Down with Big Brother† in is illegal diary to having a forbidden love affair with a woman named Julia and everything in between. He even gets himself accepted into the anti-Party brotherhood. However, it is only through the great efforts that Winston goes through carrying out his rebellion that the true effect of the power of the party can be seen. The beginning of the parties control stems from their ability to use language as a mind control device. In Oceania, â€Å"if you want to keep a secret, you must also hide it from yourself. † The Party implements a new language called â€Å"Newspeak† which simply eliminates any potentially disloyal words from the vocabulary. Orwell uses this to illustrate the point that language is the most crucial part in the generation of unique and original human thought. Without language, the formation of thought is nearly impossible. Even the conceptualization of an idea questioning the Party’s absolute power is made impossible by Newspeak. Therein lies another issue; once the Party controls language they have the ability to exercise psychological and physical intimidation and manipulation over the society. Winston comes to a terrifying realization, nothing is worse than physical pain, â€Å"for after all, how do we know that two and two make four? Or, that they force of gravity works? Or that they past is unchangeable? If both the past and the external world exist only in the mind, then the mind itself is controllable. † There is no emotional feeling or loyalty that can overcome the feeling of physical pain for Winston. Here the reader is able to see Winston’s sense of fatalism. He stresses the subjugation of all events to fate. Deep down in his heart he knows that he will be caught by the Thought Police and sent to the Ministry of Love to be â€Å"reeducated†. Winston never can become the hero that the people of Oceania need because of this fatalism. It is exemplified when he realizes that, â€Å"of pain you could wish only one thing: that it should stop. Nothing in the world was so bad as physical pain. In the face of pain there are no heroes. † Winston Smith never becomes the hero Oceania is asking for because the society in which he resides has changed the very nature of what a hero is. Oceania is a society in which war is peace, freedom is slavery and ignorance is strength effectively making individualism an act of blatant terrorism. When individuality becomes a crime the devastating power of the Party is Illustrated through Winston’s attempts at freedom and independence, which are ultimately overshadowed by his fatalism and the power of the Party leading Winston to his unfortunate and very predictable demise. As far as heroes are concerned, the perfect totalitarian state will always stifle and keep down any acts of rebellion and heroics. There are no possible scenarios in which a hero can emerge from a setting such as 1984, because as stated so eloquently by Orwell, â€Å"in the face of pain, there are no heroes. †

Amy Lee Essays

Amy Lee Essays Amy Lee Essay Amy Lee Essay Amy Lee Amy Lynn Lee, singer-songwriter and classically-trained pianist, is co-founder and lead singer of the alternative metal band Evanescence. Inspired by her mother, Lee spent nine years of her life practicing piano. Lee was born to parents John Lee, radio personality, and Sara Cargill. Living in Florida and California, they finally settled in Little Rock, Arkansas, where the band Evanescence began. Hearing Lee’s beautiful voice and heartfelt words, tears fall from the cheeks of some listening. Her words resonate in the soul of the receiver. At a summer youth camp, Ben Moody noticed Lee on the piano playing the song, â€Å"I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That),† by Meatloaf. A month later, the two began writing songs, eventually producing Evanescence EP in 1998, Sound Asleep EP in 1999, and the full length demo, Origin, in 2000. Signing with Wind-Up Records, Evanescence released Fallen in 2003, selling six point six million copies and spending 43 weeks in the Billboard top ten. Evanescence’s major label debut single, â€Å"Bring Me to Life,† was a major hit for the band and reached number five on the American Billboard Hot 100, while the equally popular â€Å"My Immortal† peaked at number seven in the United States. Their inclusion in the soundtrack for the action movie, â€Å"Daredevil,† helped propel both songs into widespread popularity and firmly cemented Evanescence within the music scene. â€Å"Bring Me to Life† gained recognition for the band at the Grammy Awards of 2004, where the band was given the Best Hard Rock Performance award. At the same time, Evanescence was awarded Best New Artist. Lead-guitarist Ben Moody abruptly left the band during the middle of their European tour. Relieved of an abusive relationship with Moody, Lee states, â€Å"Before, I wasn’t allowed to play any organ because Ben didn’t like it. This time I could do whatever I wanted, and there’s lots of organ. It’s all over. † (Lee) Moody was replaced by Terry Balsamo, the former Limp Bizkit guitarist. Meanwhile, the band went through numerous obstacles: Balsamo suffered from a stroke, Lee sued her manager, claiming sexual assault, and Lee broke ties with her boyfriend, Seether’s Shaun Morgan. Lee and Morgan produced a duet, â€Å"Broken,† which appears in the soundtrack to â€Å"The Punisher. † After three years absence, Evanescence’s second album, The Open Door, was released. The Open Door debuted at the top of the Billboard charts, selling more than 447,000 units in its first week and reached platinum status in just over a month. The album is defined by Lee’s beautiful melodies, compelling lyrics, deeply moving piano and amazing vocals, blended with Terry Balsamo’s urgent yet intricate guitar to form a seamless, delicate mixture that perfectly channels the band’s hard rock and classical sensibilities. The album’s first single, â€Å"Call Me When You’re Sober,† bashes Morgan for his drug addiction. Lee began writing at the tender age of eleven. She remains true to herself through life’s trials, writing and singing from the heart, captivating audiences worldwide. When Lee and Moody, co-founders of Evanescence, began singing, Lee was only sixteen. Lee has matured over the years, as is reflected in the album The Open Door. As Alen Meltzer, CEO of Wind-Up Records, states, â€Å"She is the female voice of her generation. She’s come into her own as a writer and a singer. She made this record with no label involvement. It was all her. † (Meltzer). Some may find the lyrics of Evanescence offensive, yet others may find them soothing, finally having someone put words to their pain and anger.

Public Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6250 words

Public Policy - Essay Example Using a given set of models for test against determination of the level of interest amongst the masses and enabling the identification of problems is made possible through the different models that are used in the entire course of agenda setting. Key words: Agenda setting, evaluation, agenda building, models, rule making, bureaucracy. Agenda setting defines the content and subject of material that would be published and promoted in the media. This further includes prioritization and characterization of information which may be displayed and published in a given order. Keeping the public’s view in sight and publishing the material according to the requirements of modern day and problems faced is determined through the agenda setting. Agenda setting also entails the budget allocation, the activities determination, the standard operating procedures that would be adopted along with the clear roles and responsibilities assignment on behalf of the people associated with the media an d the government agencies who administer over the policies. Bringing a uniform working pattern between the agenda setters and other stakeholders makes up for the agenda setting principles. Regardless of the nature of organization or entity, agenda setting is declaration of the purpose of operations, the aims and achievements underpinned against the work undertaken, and providing a level of familiarity to the clients in a direct or indirect manner. Agenda setting may also pertain to a particular organization, or political party’s manifesto determination and sharing with the masses and direct client of the respective entity. Formulating the steps for actions that would be taken in the entire course of project, activity or any other endeavor undertaken privately, collective or on government scale makes up for agenda setting. Political debates, political parties, political movements, other social movements and government actions and projects all are handled through the agenda set up (Peters, 179). A problem becomes the priority and part of agenda once it gains the attention of the media, and also causes uproar in the society. Based on this the governmental pillars and institutions are brought into action for the purpose of eradication of the problem faced by the masses. Or any problem that the government and other decision making units feel can hamper their performance or bring about the economy or people’s discontent with regard to the government’s office bearers and their performance makes up for the direct agenda and resolution seeking problem. Based on the experts opinion and reviewing of the material in newspapers and other media sources, the think tank teams determine the level of severity and action that needs to be undertaken for the purpose of problem solving. With regard to the public problems, agenda are set on basic of multiple steps. These steps include the strategies as well the use of concrete force, tool and application for the purpose of resolving the problems. A team and resources are allocated in first place to determine the overall nature f the problem. This is followed by the assessment and evaluation phase. Which may include the data collection, or strategy determination for the at hand problem. The assessment phase is guided along by