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Actions and Consequences

Isaac Newton's third law of motion states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. This theory holds true in life as well as physics. George Orwell's //1984// is a classic novel about the futuristic society of Oceania, in which there is total government control and citizen submission. Winston and Julia, citizens of Oceania, decide to rebel, and are caught and forced again into compliance at the end. //Little Brother//, by Cory Doctorow, is a modern day story about San Francisco in the time just after a terrorist attack. The Department of Homeland Security or, DHS, steps in and implements massive amounts of security measures, invading the privacy and lives of citizens, and removing individual rights. Marcus and Ange, smart, tech savvy teenagers, and a group of people on a network called the Xnet band together to take the DHS down. They end up partially succeeding, removing most of the security issues plaguing their society. By reading //Little Brother// and //1984//, the reader gains further insight into how actions affect consequences both directly and indirectly, how perspective changes the interpretation of an action, and how actions prompt consequences regardless of age or gender.

The consequences resulting from an action are sometimes desired, sometimes inevitably expected, and sometimes indirectly caused, though all can profoundly affect society. This is evident throughout both novels and is present in real life. In //1984//, Winston and Julia go to the home of a powerful government official in the hopes that they could join the secret society they believed he belonged to. “It had been a rash act to come here at all, and sheer folly to arrive together…” (Orwell 167). After engaging the trust of Winston and Julia, the official betrays them, turning them over to the police for interrogation. Winston and Julia knew that such an action could very well end as it did, but carried through with it anyway. This is a prime example of unwanted, but directly caused consequences. Though capture was inescapable, their actions brought it upon them with unsuspected speed. In //Little Brother//, Marcus is caught by the DHS. He reminisces on his way to jail about the escapades he has participated in. “After everything that had happened, I was caught, but it didn’t matter. I had gotten the information to Barbara. I had organized the Xnet. I had won. And if I hadn’t won, I had done everything I could have done.” (Doctorow 342). Throughout the book, Marcus constantly had to watch his back and be cautious, as one false move could get him imprisoned. He knew that eventually the DHS would catch up to him, but when that happened was always his question. Again, though incarceration was foreseeable, Marcus brought it upon himself faster than it may have happened otherwise. On a day to day basis, people across the world bring consequences upon themselves through their actions. Thieves, patriots, murderers, political outsiders, terrorists and devout religious leaders bring punishment upon themselves by committing acts that only they were responsible for. Society punishes them or their actions, sometimes justly, and sometimes because their ideals are different than the majority. This happens in modern countries such as China, where any dissent is met with harsh retribution. People are also duly sentenced for their actions. As of late June, 2009 there were over 1.5 million prisoners in the United States alone, and that number has only grown since then (Bureau). Stereotypical criminals are not the only people to make bad decisions. No one is immune. A textbook example is that of an American president, someone that the majority of the American populous of the time voted into position. In 1972, President Nixon became involved in a government scandal fueled by secrecy and deceit, which later became known as the Watergate scandal. Though almost all would agree that Nixon's actions were not ethically sound, but he did these actions with conviction that they would benefit the country. Watergate ended in the resignation of President Nixon, and goes to show that all actions bring with them direct and indirect consequences.

The perspective of someone can change their outlook on actions and the resulting consequences drastically from that of someone with another point of view. //1984// and //Little Brother// contain an abundance of contradicting perspectives. In //1984//, Winston thinks about the state of his society and the actions of children. “…for hardly a week passed in which the Times did not carry a paragraph describing how some eaves dropping little sneak-“child hero” was the phrase generally used-had overheard some compromising remark and denounced his parents to the thought police” (Orwell 24). This one quote shows two different stances on the actions that children have taken. Spying on their parents is interpreted by some as the kids’ duties, while others view this as disloyalty to their family. Issues such as this occur frequently in //1984//. The penalty of death given to some citizens charged with treachery or war crimes in Oceania can be considered too harsh or the correct punishment, and the degree of conviction varies person to person. //Little Brother// also contains similar points in which perspective affects the perception of actions and the consequences that they entail. Before this conversation between Marcus’ parents, Marcus is followed home by two policemen and questioned for suspicious use of public transit. He does not get into trouble, but Marcus and his mom are infuriated by the incident, while his father sides with the police. “‘Lillian, they were just doing their jobs.’ He was still wearing the blue blazer and khakis he wore on the days that he was consulting in Silicon Valley. ‘The world isn’t the same place that it was last week.’ Mom set down her teacup. ‘Drew, you’re being ridiculous. Your son is not a terrorist. His use of the public transit system is not cause for a police investigation.’” (Doctorow 109). San Francisco has split feelings after the DHS implements its security measures in //Little Brother//, though the majority agree with the police. America faces a similar debate today. The Transportation Security Administration, the TSA, has recently put full body scanners into effect in airports nationwide. Some feel that this is a necessary measure in order to protect our country from terrorists, while others disagree, saying that this is a direct violation of rights and privacy. Unfortunately, there is no clear cut guide to whether this should be done or not. Perspective also differs in large issues such as terrorism. From an American point of view, the 9/11 terrorist attacks were an atrocity that needed to be dealt with. On the other hand, the Muslim extremists that committed the acts considered them justified under the premise of jihad, or holy war. The issue of perspective and the variations that it causes when relating to actions and consequences is an exceedingly pertinent issue in today’s society.

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Regardless of age, gender, or time in history, human’s actions lead to consequences, often ones that are undesirable. In //1984//, mistakes and the subsequent consequences are plentiful from all sources. While being tortured in an attempt to make him support the government, Winston is asked questions that he attempts to answer the way that his interrogator wants him to. After a particular question, Winston tries to guess at how to answer it. He says the answer that his torturer does not want and is punished for it by being shocked with electricity. “He started and almost cried out. A pang of pain had shot through his body. O’Brien had pushed the lever of the dial up to thirty-five. ‘That was stupid, Winston, stupid!’ he said” (Orwell 263). Even an innocent answer, one that is supposed to cause no retaliation, is received with poor consequences. Julia’s actions also lead to her own consequences throughout the story. By initiating her involvement with Winston, Julia willingly prompted the consequences that they both agreed would inevitably ensue. In //Little Brother//, Ange is taken into custody towards the end of the book. Marcus had already explained to her the cruelty and low tolerance of the DHS, and tells her to give them whatever information they ask for, and avoid their harshness, but despite his warnings, she denies the DHS what they asked her for. They proceed to chastise her, giving her drugs and leaving her for long periods of time in her cell alone. “‘They drugged me,’ she said. ‘When I wouldn’t stop screaming for a lawyer’” (Doctorow 352). Marcus also refuses to respond to his interrogators. Because their tolerance for him was so low, he was water boarded and about to give in when he was rescued. Both Ange and Marcus knew that their defiance would get them in serious trouble, but continued to do so, accepting the penalties of their actions. There are endless cases of people, with more occurring daily, who bring consequences upon themselves through their actions. This principle is timeless, from the beginning of time into the future; people have and will receive consequences for their actions. Biblical stories, such as that of Adam and Eve, the first people on earth, encompass this theme. Eve is tempted to take the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, and then gives some to Adam. This is considered by some to be the original sin. These stories have been around for millennia, demonstrating the longevity of the concept of actions versus consequences. A more recent event in which a couple’s actions had a strongly negative result was that of the Hartleys’. They were jet skiing on a lake in Texas through which the Mexican border ran through the middle. Despite warnings to remain on the American side due to high drug cartel violence and activity on the other side, the Hartleys strayed across the buoys. Soon after crossing the border, they were attacked by pirates, David Hartley dying and Tiffany narrowly escaping (Tiffany). Actions have always brought consequences, from Adam and Eve to Watergate, to whoever committed them. No one is immune, and society must remember this, and not judge too quickly in the instant gratification world that is today.

After reading //Little Brother// and //1984//, the reader gains more insight into the power of actions and consequences, changes of view caused by perspectives, and the extensive reach of actions and the subsequent consequences. Though not all consequences are bad, those are the ones that are remembered and need to be learned from. Society does not take the time to stop and think about how others may view a situation, the reasons for those circumstances to occur, and how to deal with them. Everyone is affected by the actions they take, and sometimes others are also influenced. One action can lead to a chain of actions, such as when someone pays for the next person in a drive through, and the next person does the same and so on, affecting more people than ever originally imagined. So, take the time to consider the consequences of your actions. Think about how others will view them, and react accordingly. Most importantly, don’t become overly frustrated with a bad decision, because everyone makes them. Just learn from it, move on, and remember, someone has been in the same situation at some point, and you will not be the last.

Works Cited

AHDRCY. "YouTube - Different Perspectives." //YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.// 4 Nov. 2010. Web. 21 Feb. 2011. [].

//Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS)//. 2010. Web. 21 Feb. 2011. [].

//Department of Homeland Security | Preserving Our Freedoms, Protecting America//. 21 Feb. 2011. Web. 21 Feb. 2011. [].

Doctorow, Cory. //Little Brother//. New York: Tom Doherty Associates, 2008. Print.

"Full Body Scanner." //Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia//. 12 Feb. 2011. Web. 21 Feb. 2011. [].

Orwell, George. //1984//. New York: Signet Classics, 2000. Print.

"The Story of Adam and Eve." //Bible Activities//. 2011. Web. 21 Feb. 2011. [].

"Tiffany Hartley's 911 Call Details Falcon Lake Shooting of David Michael Hartley." //Top News & Analysis, US, World, Sports, Celebrity & Weird News//. 3 Oct. 2010. Web. 21 Feb. 2011. [].

//TSA | Transportation Security Administration | U.S. Department of Homeland Security//. 13 Feb. 2011. Web. 21 Feb. 2011. [].

"Watergate Scandal." //Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia//. 15 Feb. 2011. Web. 21 Feb. 2011. [].