What drives you to desire freedom? Does it occur with too much control or could it result from insufficient power? I will explore these two ideas through the analysis of two texts, the famous "1984" by George Orwell and the science fiction book "Elysium" by Neill Blomkamp. These two works offer comparable insights into the desire for freedom and represent different individual and collective human experiences. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay George Orwell establishes the paradoxical nature of constant surveillance despite the absence of regulations under the control of the ruling party, the Party. Using political satire, the constant reminder that “Big Brother is watching you,” forces citizens to self-monitor and internalize surveillance, resulting in diminished personal freedom and submission to mainstream authorities. However, we later understand that “Nothing was illegal, as there were no more laws.” This forces us to ask how the Party has extreme control despite having no laws, since in today's society laws reinforce authority. Three Panopticons is related to this idea, explaining the concept of higher authorities in a prison possessing the ability to see all "inmates" at all times, but the prisoners are unable to see them. As the French philosopher Michel Foucault explains, “the ultimate purpose of the Panopticon is to induce a state of conscious visibility in prisoners”. This objective certainly parallels that of the Party; convincing people that they are visible at all times, reinforcing the idea that individuals never receive complete freedom. Similarly, in Blomkamp's Elysium, we are given an insight into how abandonment can cause a desire for freedom, but also for protection. Our initial vision of Earth, shown through a panning shot, is a poor, bleak land, contrasted with the advanced, futuristic utopia of Elysium. Likewise, in the opening credits, we understand that "the richest inhabitants of Earth fled the planet to preserve their way of life." These opening scenes show the inconsistent human behavior of neglecting those who belong to the lowest social divisions of society, regardless of their inherent desire for freedom from oppression. Furthermore, the protagonist, Max, is shown to be stopped and beaten by robots for making a vulgar prank. As the robots are subservient to those of Elysium, the abandonment of humanity is once again depicted. The anomalous behavior relating to the poor treatment of humanity for personal gain is also accentuated through the exploitation of labor for the benefit of the inhabitants of Elysium. Throughout 1984, we can see that the Party's extortionate control reveals a lack of autonomy and therefore a desire for freedom. “What the Party believes to be the truth is the truth. It is impossible to see reality except through the eyes of the Party." The malleability and impressionable nature of knowledge is highlighted through the high modality of the statement, which in turn accentuates the paradoxical nature of man who aims to rebel, but always culminates in conformity. This is further evidenced by the famous paradoxical statements: “War is peace; freedom is slavery; ignorance is strength.” These phrases appear countless times, involving contrasting pairs of 2 words to indoctrinate citizens. Reading this, I wondered if it was just poor judgment that led people to believe these claims. However, the repetition of these statements in the novel is related to how the Party achieves its goals; through affirmations.