Comparing Authority In 1984 And One Flew Over The Cuckoo's N

“Authority, when first detecting chaos at its heels, will entertain the vilest schemes to save its orderly facade” (Moore 25). Alan Moore’s quote in the novel V for Vendetta describes authority as an oppressive person that will use any means necessary to meet their own selfish desires. Novels such as 1984 and One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest are some common works of literature that follow Moore’s philosophy to the letter. Authority is always there to abuse those of whom who do not abide by their own standards of acceptance, cutting down on their individuality through oppression. A corrupt authoritarian power cut down on our most basic natural rights as human beings: freedom. Authority oppresses individuality by invoking fear into the individual

Authoritarian power will corrupt this powerful stimuli and use it on the individual to force them to conform to their standards. “McMurphy doesn’t know it, but he’s onto what I realized a long time back, that it’s not just the Big Nurse by herself, but it’s the whole Combine, the nation-wide Combine that’s the really big force, and the nurse is just a high-ranking official for them” (Kesey 134). Chief Bromden of One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest is observing how Mcmurphy’s figuring out how trapped he really is my the authority of the asylum. He pieces together that he should be less boisterous and antagonizing if he wishes to ever escape the clutches of Nurse Ratched. Fear is also a powerful motivator in Orwell’s 1984. “Big Brother is watching you” (Orwell 6) is a powerful quote and theme throughout the novel. What the slogan is stating is that the authoritarian powers are always keeping an eye on every detail of your life. There is no escape from the life you are living and no freedom of any kind. This frightens the citizens as to the consequences if they are caught breaking any of the laws of the land. Manipulation through fear is a powerful and dangerous weapon authority has over us to keep us from expressing