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Ana Garcia
John Bosselman
English 4
7 December 2012
The Dominate Mind
How is psychological manipulation involved in our life? Books, television, media,
government play a big role in psychological manipulation. Psychological manipulation is
something that slowly takes over one person with simple words from books, media, government
or even other people. Manipulation takes over you because something or someone has
you“brainwashed” and has you thinking in a different way. Manipulation can hide the truth, to
think in another way or to simply change your perspective or even play with your mind. These
authors in their work show how manipulation is used not only in the government but also people
can manipulate the way you used to think and their point can become really convincing and
powerful. Fahrenheit 451, 1984, Teaching Reverence for Life in these readings there is a lot of
psychological manipulation between the characters and government mainly. One example of
psychological manipulation is a quote from the book Fahrenheit 451 “Are you happy she said” is
a
great example of how one of the characters manipulates another character into really thinking if
he is
happy or not and it really defines the whole novel and what he becomes to be. Psychological
manipulation is used in all these books to mainly change and control the characters opinions and
lead
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them in different directions.
Bradbury in Fahrenheit 451 shows psychological manipulation through simple words
from
a character in the story. Clarisse asks Montag if he is happy, he responds yes in a obvious way
but
deep down he knows he is not and this question haunts him later on the novel. Clarisse’s words
haunted Montag because he came to the realization that he was not happy at all with his life and
where it
was leading him.“Are you happy she said” (7). In this quote that Clarisse says,the author is
trying to
confuse Montag into thinking if he really is happy after all mainly with what he is doing as a
job.With
simple words it later makes Montag change his whole way of thinking and it causes to Montag
change
later on in the novel.The character of Clarisse is genuinely a strong character because of the
many talks
she had with Montag changed him. The purpose of Clarisse saying these simple words are for
them to
get to Montag and manipulate him in some way. My opinion on this is that this quote changes
who
Montag later on becomes in the novel. This evidence is strong because it is how manipulation
begins. In
this novel Beatty also manipulates Montag into thinking what is right.
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Beatty gives a long manipulative talk to Montag to intimidate him. Beatty went to go talk
to
Montag to his home and gave him a long manipulative talk because Beatty knew that Montag
was not
doing the right thing. The talk that Beatty gave to Montag gives a lot of suspense because his
words all
mean and link to something. “Get well and keep well” (60). The author added a lot of depth to
this
conversation between Beatty and Montag. Beatty is a really mean but wise man that is
intimidating and knows everything that it is going around his town. The point of this talk
between Beatty and Montag is
to intimidate Montag because Beatty is his boss and has higher power than him. The line “ Get
well and
keep well” was put on purpose because it is kind of saying it in a laughing manner like making
fun of Montag because Beatty knows well that Montag is hiding books and that line kind of
gives Montag a hint. Beatty manipulates Montag into telling him that he should do the right thing
and not kill his curiosity and just burn the books if no he will be burned with them. Beatty has
become a very intimidating character which is why there is a lot of manipulation in this scene
and it is so strong. It is strong because it is when Beatty broke off and his personality came out.
In this dark city manipulation has also taken over the majority of the people.
Big Brother takes over Oceania and censors it too much. Winston is taking a walk and he
sees this poster everywhere he goes in the town which this town is dark as he describes it.
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In oceania manipulation is a very strong factor because the government takes over the people
living there and everything around it which creates a dark city and a sad atmosphere. “Big
Brother is Watching You” (2). The author uses this poster for us to visualize and picture who
Big Brother is and what kinds of role he plays in this novel. He also describes the town really
dark to describe how unhappy it is and how much the manipulation of the government has not
only affected the people who live there but the city because a city reflects the people who live
there and there personalities. The reason to describe the town dark is for us to realize that the
people living in there are not happy with the life that they are living in in Oceania with the way
that they are being controlled and manipulated with posters and Big Brother. The point for this
poster “Big Brother is watching you” is to intimidate the people in this town and to create a sad
atmosphere to have the readers confused to why are they being watched and the purpose behind
it. The posters in in this town make it more obvious that Big Brother has a lot of power over the
people in Oceania.Winston thinks that the higher power will always win no matter how hard they
try it will not be enough.
The government in Oceania will do anything to hide the truth and manipulate
you.Winston
is thinking to himself that he just does not care if they shot him he just wants Big Brother to end.
Winston is kind of rebelling and his personality is showing and all he wants is to be free and do
what he wants without having being watched or living with fear. “They’ll shoot me I don’t care
they’ll shoot me in the back of the neck I don’t care down with big brother they always shoot
you
in the back if the neck I don’t care down with big brother” (19). The author uses “they always
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shoot you” which is strong because he is saying it psychological which it all links to
manipulation. The point for this quote is too show Winston’s personality and that he is not okay
with what Big Brother is doing. Also shows that he is doing thing’s that big brother will not
approve and that are against their law. My opinion on using this evidence is that it shows how
much Winston has been manipulated and he had enough. This evidence is strong because this is
where Winston breaks out and his true personality shows. Clarisse keeps conversing to Montag
and it manipulates him into thinking he is not in love.
Montag came to the realization that he really was not in love, when Clarisse is outside
her house and she is rubbing a flower on her chin which says if you are in love or not. In this
scene Clarisse is being childish and playing with a flower which she defines if Montag is in love.
Clarisse is innocent and you can see it shine in this scene where she is playing “games” and
believes that if rubbing a flower to your chin really defines if you are in love or not. “You’re not
in love with anyone”(19). The author again uses simple words to confuse or question Montag.
It manipulates his way of thinking because he is married and he should be married which is a
obvious thing and he finds that Clarisse is wrong but he also thinks about it for a moment and it
gets to him. The author seems to do this a lot in this novel which is a really strong thing for him
to do because it changes how the book will and characters will end up. The author also keeps
using Clarisse to say simple words and sentences to manipulate Montag but not for bad for the
good of Montag because that is the reason he changes. Clarisse plays an important role in the
novel and in Montag’s life because she psychology manipulates Montag a lot to think differently
but he always denies it because he never thought that way or ever put it to thought. My opinion
on using this is that again Clarisse is using manipulation to Montag and it is something strong
that occurs in the book. Winston comes to his senses that in this game they can not win.
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The world that they are in is a game.Winston is saying it’s all a game. Winston
describes
how it all is a game which they are living in and how they just can not win because the people
with
higher power than them will always win in the end no matter how hard and good they try to beat
them they will always lose. “In this game that were playing, we can’t win. Some kinds of failure
are better than other kinds thats it”(135). The author is saying that some failure is worth it and
will
eventually get there and that is what he is trying to say or do in this qoutes. The point of this is
that
they are all in game but they just can’t win because they have less power, but their failure will
get
them stronger in some point of the story and it will just make them keep on going. This evidence
is good because it manipulates them thinking they will never win this game. Words is what
manipulates people into thinking what they want you to.
The author is talking about how human beings are not strangers to each other. To analyze this
quote and see what laws he is referring to. “ We obey a law of proper reserve; but that law is
bound to give way at time to the rule of cordiality”(23). The author manipulates with the word
“law” because laws are basically supposed to be listened to and as told. The point is to
manipulate readers with this quote which at first it does not look manipulative in any way but the
point is to break it down and analyze it. Most of manipulative quotes remain hidden in
between the word and I think that is the point of this quote. This evidence is strong because it
uses
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manipulation in between the words of this quote. Disappointments come to those who want it
and
expect them.
In this paragraph the author talks about disappointments and how you always have to be
prepared for a disappointment sooner or later you will have one within you are expecting it or
not.
This quote kind of manipulates you into disappointments, because it makes you think of anything
that can or will disappoint you. “There is one waiting for you, if you really want it”(23). The
author confuses you because you don’t know what he is referring to. I think the author does
this to make you think that if you want disappointments there will always be one waiting for
you depending of the kind of choices or mistakes you make in your life and it also kind of
manipulates you into psychology thinking or waiting for a disappointments which you may not
deserve or may not even come but you can get a disappointment out of that. The point of this
is to manipulate your thinking in what will disappoint you next in your life. This quote of this
reading is confusing because disappointment is always something we have to expect sooner
or later but I don’t think that anyone wants to be disappointed because it is not a really good
feeling and it is a let down. The point of this is to manipulate the reader into thinking if they
want disappointment is it something that they don’t but in doing certain things it shows that they
are signing up for disappointment. My opinion on this is that is a interesting way of manipulation
because you would not think it is manipulation till you read several of times and think of it I
think it makes it powerful. This evidence is strong because manipulation is really hidden and it
can relate to anyone.
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Beatty is giving Montag a speech which is intense and shows how intimidating Beatty
is. Beatty’s way of using some words to give a hint that he knows all the truth about Montag
the choice of his words are powerful and they all the words hint something. “ At least once in
his career, every fireman gets an itch. What do books say, he wonders. Oh to scratch that itch,
eh? Well, Montag, take my word for it, I’ve had to read a few in my time, to know what I was
about,and the books say nothing! Nothing you can teach or believe”(59). In this quotes the
author makes Beatty intimidated by saying these words. The author added “every fireman gets an
itch” saying that every fireman gets a small curiosity to read what they are burning to see from
themselves what is actually on those books but if they have that itch they should just not scratch
it because the consequence will not be worth it. The author does this to add more intensity to this
talk by adding these kinds of words. The point of this talk from Beatty is too scare of Montag
because Beatty knows that truth that he is starting to read books and Beatty does not like that
because he is supposed to be burning books because he just wants to get rid of all of them. The
point of this scene happening is the Montag discovers that he has that itch and he wants to know
what the books say for himself instead of listening from them. My opinion on using this evidence
is that it is important to use this piece because it shows how manipulative Beatty was with his
words that he made Montag think about it and intimidate him and it shows how manipulative
Beatty could be. This evidence is strong because it where Beatty begins to be manipulative with
his words
Psychological Manipulation plays such a big role in our society because it slowly takes
over a human being and changes their way of thinking. Manipulation as shown in these readings
is
a huge part because it shows how manipulation can change a person. In Fahrenheit 451
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manipulation is mainly used to change the character and to also change his perspective in many
things simple words or sentences can manipulate someone to thinking different than what they
already thought was right. Our society today is manipulated with technology that advances
really rapidly and manipulates the mind even more. Many of the things manipulate the mind to
thinking it is right for example if you see something online you immediately you believe it is
right
because your mind is manipulated that way even though you don’t see it that way. Manipulation
is
overall used in many different ways that we may not even realize. Only a few words can
manipulate others it is all it takes.
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Works Cited
Albert Schweitzer. Teaching Reverence For Life.New York Times Company, 2007.
Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2012 . Print.
Orwell, George. 1984. New York: Signet Classics, 1950. Print.