can you find how many attitude values and belief or creator (brabury and scott) in the paragraph? BLADE RUNNER: THE FINAL CUT (1982) AND FAHRENHEIT 451 (1953) ARE TWO PIVOTAL WORKS OF SCIENCE FICTION IN THE 20TH CENTURY. IN A COMMENTARY ON THEIR PORTRAYAL OF TECHNOLOGY IN DYSTOPIAN MEDIA, DANIEL BARK EXMAINES HOW THE TECHNOLOGICAL CONTROL UNDERMINES INDIVIDUAL AGENCY AND AUTONOMY.
Ever wondered how certain regimes seem to erode peoples’ individualism? Have you noticed how they flood of society with government propaganda whenever citizens begin to show dissent? This is because modern dictatorships use mass media to quell opposition, which has the grave potential to silence protest, and control public opinion. This article will explore how authoritarian governments dehumanise individuals through the control of technology that suppresses intellectual curiosity and thereby enforces conformity.
Technological control takes place when a corporation, government, or other entity uses it to regulate human behaviour and rights. This has been a prevailing problem ever since the Industrial Revolution of the 1800s, and remains an ongoing global issue that persists to this day. We can see this from the transformation of labour surveillance to mass surveillance, through digital technologies and inbuilt social media platforms, which highlights the continuous tug-of-war between technology and individual autonomy in society.
Blade Runner is a science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott, set in a dystopian future where artificial humans called replicants are created by the Tyrell Corporation. Scott warns us of the potential consequences of technological control, mirroring the unheralded technological advancement in the 1980s, where issues of power, surveillance, and technology were becoming increasingly intertwined. Scott uses his characteristic cinematography and screenplay to convey his message to the audience, and his representation of replicants blurs the link between humanity and artificial intelligence, delving into the existential ideas of what it is to be human.
In contrast, Ray Bradbury went against societal norms by using a typewriter for his dystopian novel, Fahrenheit 451, to caution against the dehumanising effects of our overreliance on technology. It is set in a hypothetical future society where owning books is illegal and is burned by firefighters to suppress individual intellectual knowledge and expression. Bradbury uses an array of literary techniques in his representation of a dystopian society. Most importantly, his recurring symbolism of book burning alludes to authoritarian societies’ clamping down on intellectual freedom, as a reflection of Bradbury’s growing concerns about limitations to free speech.
The consequences of using technology to suppress intellectual curiosity and freedom are explored in both texts. In the world of Fahrenheit 451, the educational system is continually criticised, as more and more people are disincentivised from intellectual pursuit or critical thinking, which is evidenced by the juxtaposition between “runners, jumpers….and swimmers” and “examiners, critics…. and imaginative creators.” Indeed, this reveals how authoritarian governments strictly control society by suppressing intellectual curiosity and limiting freedom, trapping individuals in a “vicious cycle” of surveillance and controlled communication with the government. That is, people who are programmed to think a certain way cannot rebel against the government or realise that they are not the ones in control of their lives. From this, you may be reminded of the heavy isolationist nature of the North Korean regime. In a way, Bradbury makes us think, are we the “imaginative creators” or the “runners”?
Bradbury also questions the reader about the society we live in and our level of engagement—he encourages us to break free from the lingering effects of conformity and to feel empathy; and make simple connections, as seen in the quote, "We need not to be let alone. We need to be really bothered once in a while. How long has it been since you were really bothered? …” The use of anaphora as a stylistic device signifies the importance of overcoming adversity in stimulating humanity’s development, and a critique of the appeasement policy used in Britain pre-WWII. The rhetorical question, in a sense, breaks the fourth wall and asks audience, when was the last time you really tried for something? It acts as a call to action for both Montag and the readers, the necessity of breaking out of your comfort zone and constantly challenging the status quo.
A similar theme is depicted in Scott’s replicant "retirement" scene, where Deckard (Harrison Ford) has command over “retiring” the rogue replicant Zhora (Joanna Cassidy), exemplifying the desire of humanity to reign in technology under their control. In contrast to Bradbury’s literary techniques, Scott highlights technology’s smothering of freedom through masterful use of cinematography. Two contrasting angle shots show who holds power and authority; low-angle camera shots emphasise the replicant’s powerlessness, making us pity her. An extreme close-up depicts the replicant's emotional state as it stares death in its face, replicating humanity’s primal urge to survive. Meanwhile, high-angle shots diminish the Blade Runners, symbolising their lack of emotion. We are confronted with the irony that humans are the ones used as tools, to suppress the freedom of “robots”. The grim cyberpunk backdrop of the scene only emphasises the degradation of humanity's essence and a pervasive sense of hopelessness. The whole scene reflects Scott’s bitter pessimism regarding humanity’s increasing callousness, as he watched hyper-capitalism well and truly take off in his time.
In our current society, technology can be used to stamp out individuality and make people conform to each other. Both Bradbury and Scott’s texts depict the dehumanisation of individuals in a technophilic society. Faber, a retired English professor, presents a prime example of how the pervasive influence of technology can be used to manipulate information when he says, "The televisor is 'real’… It tells you what to think and blasts it in. It must be right. It seems so right..." Bradbury’s masterful use of anthropomorphism of the televisor emphasises how rampant propaganda can insidiously damage the critical thinking abilities of a society, allowing the population to be easily controlled. The repetition of “it” reinforces the idea that the televisor dictates opinions without allowing room for dissent, changing subjective opinions into objective facts. With these damning words from Faber, it prompts us as readers to reflect on the nature of “fake news” in modern society, where the lines between fact and fiction are blurred. Here, Bradbury’s belief in the importance of preserving critical thinking and individual autonomy is clear. His portrayal of mass media pinpoints the dangers of unchecked technological influence being used as instruments of oppression in society.
Contrastingly, in Blade Runner, Tyrell Corporations’ desire to control the replicants positions us to reconsider what it is to be human, breaking traditional notions of identity and morality. The Voight-Kampff test scene the extreme close-up shot of Rachael’s (Sean Young) eyes displayed in a straight camera angle showcases the ambiguity between the identity of replicants and humanity. The contrast between the intense beeping of the machine and her tearful response implies that emotions are quintessential to the human experience and should not be suppressed. Eldon Tyrell (Joe Turkel), the CEO of Tyrell Corporation, contrastingly sees emotions and memories as a weakness, seen in his motto “More human than human. If we gift them with a past… create a cushion… (gift them) emotions… control them better.” This dialogue depicts how technology’s power to shape and control peoples’ thoughts and beliefs by inundating them with information and dictating their worldview.
In the climactic scene of the movie, Deckard corners the replicant Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer) in a run-down building. With the heavy rain adding emotional weight to his words, Roy Batty says, “Quite of experience to live in fear isn’t it? That’s what it is to be a slave… All those moments will be lost in time like tears in rain.” Roy’s poetic monologue transcends his artificial origins, forcing Deckard and the audience to confront the profound question: what does it truly mean to be human? This elevates the conflict beyond a mere physical battle into a philosophical discourse on the nature of existence itself. As Roy slowly releases a white dove to the dark sky, a motif of freedom and a glimmer of hope- a symbolic rebirth of humanity amidst the technological dystopia. Scott therefore encourages us not to become cogs in an oppressive system, and to embrace our emotions and vulnerability, just as Roy embraces his own eventual mortality.
Bradbury and Scott, both warns us that the control of technology dehumanises individuals in authoritarian governments by suppressing intellectual curiosity and enforcing conformity, via methods that are reflective of their own beliefs. Technological control remains an omnipresent threat today, seen in pervasive surveillance by the government and invasion of personal privacy with advanced technology like facial recognition. Let us be cognisant of the dehumanising effects of technology, and remember to use our freedom of expression and preserve our intellectual curiosity. If not, the worlds of Blade Runner and Fahrenheit 451 might well become reality.
The paragraph contains the following attitude values:
- Concern about erosion of individualism
- Criticism of authoritarian governments
- Reflection on limitations to free speech
- Emphasis on intellectual pursuit and critical thinking
- Call to break free from conformity and challenge the status quo
- Questioning of societal engagement and empathy
- Warning about the dehumanizing effects of technology
- Encouragement to preserve critical thinking and individual autonomy
- Emphasis on the importance of emotions and vulnerability
The paragraph also mentions the beliefs of Ray Bradbury and Scott:
- Ray Bradbury's belief in the importance of preserving critical thinking and individual autonomy
- Scott's belief in the dangers of unchecked technological influence being used as instruments of oppression in society
Overall, there are 9 different attitude values and 2 beliefs mentioned in the paragraph.
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