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Never Give Up On Fighting for What You Believe In.  By: Alyssa Keefer

"Never underestimate the determination of a kid who is time-rich and cash-poor"(Doctorow 87). This quote describes how the determination of a kid should never be overlooked. In Little Brother, by Cory Doctorow and 1984, by George Orwell, Marcus and Winston fight for what they believe in. They believe the government is wrong about how people should live and Marcus and Winston fought back. In Little Brother, Marcus fought back against the government because he was held captive in a prison, yet was innocent, and was then released into a changed world. The government had implemented a fast pass, which tells the government where people are located and at what time. During his imprisonment the government also bugged computers and phones, and there were now cameras everywhere so the government would know everything that is going on. Marcus was using the Xnet on the Xbox, breaking rules and getting other teens to rebel with him. Marcus only hid his true identity to stay 'safe'. What Marcus didn't know was that this was a false sense of security because the government knew almost everything. Winston, however, was more low-key with his revolt. In 1984, he wanted to be able to be with his girlfriend all the time, write whatever comes to mind, and more importantly think what he wanted to think. Winston rebels by trying to get into the Brotherhood, and spending time with his girlfriend without the government knowing. When Winston was rebelling against the government, his actions were not as public as what Marcus did, but these two were both trying to make a change and they wouldn't give up. Cory Doctorow’s Little Brother and George Orwell's 1984, are set in different times, but Marcus and Winston share common themes of persistence, awareness, and sacrifice in order to fight for what they believe in.

In Little Brother and 1984, Marcus and Winston never give up. They were going to succeed with whatever actions it took to get to their goals and never stop fighting for what they believe in. Marcus and Winston had possibilities, people supporting them, and courage to keep them going. In order to never give up, one must never forget what is possible. "With the development of television and the technical advance which made it possible to receive and transmit simultaneously on the same instrument, private life came to an end"(Orwell 205). The government used possibilities and technology against the people. In 1984, the government used telescreens to know what the people were doing at each moment. In Little Brother, the government bugged electronics and made checkpoints to always know where the people were. The governments misused the idea of possibilities. They used possibilities to take advantage of the people and the people's rights. Those possibilities that the government used to their advantage were the reason that Marcus and Winton will not give up. To make possibilities happen, working hard and having support helps. "Come on, Marcus. Don't give up" (Doctorow 350) The people around Marcus and Winston help them never give up because they support them both morally and by assisting them when planning how to accomplish their goals. In Little Brother, Barbara assisted Marcus by publishing the truth of his story to get back at the government. Likewise, Julia assisted Winston, in 1984, by providing him with plans to avoid getting caught when they got together. Without support, it is hard to have possibilities become reality without giving up. When there are possibilities and people supporting the decisions made, giving up is not an option. In not giving up, there also needs to be courage to keep going. "Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak..." (Winston Churchill). With courage success is easier to achieve. Courage helped Marcus and Winston rebel against the government and take possibilities, they did not give up and both made a change. Marcus and Winston had the courage to never give up because they wanted to make a difference in the government. They never gave up because there were possibilities that allowed them to succeed. Also, they both had people supporting and helping them all the way. Courage played a big part in Marcus and Winston never wanting to give up their fight against the government. Those are just some of the ways that Marcus and Winston fought for what they believe in.

When knowing what is wanted and having a goal, people around you need to understand the goals and reasons behind it. The most important goals that are made are those where a fight is needed to achieve them. "'I want us to fight back,' I said. ‘I want to stay free so I can’t do that'" (Doctorow 73). Both Marcus and Winston fought to prove to the world that the government was wrong. Their goal was to show others that there was another way to live with more rights and the ability to be free. By knowing what they wanted, Marcus and Winston were able to plan how each of them would fight the government in the most effective way. An important part of winning a battle, is understanding opposition and how it affects the goal. "Perhaps one did not want to be loved so much as to be understood" (Orwell 25). Marcus and Winston both struggled to be understood by those around them. Marcus understood the best way to achieve his goal was to get others to help him in his fight against the government. Although there were people that wanted Marcus to fail, he surrounded himself with the people that believed in him and that helped him achieve his goals. Winston understood that his goal was best achieved by avoiding the government. When he realized this, he surrounded himself with the people that were willing to help him. A battle is won not just by fighting but by understanding what has to be done and who needs to be involved. In knowing what is wanted, understanding the steps in achieving it, are needed. "It's pretty hard to develop a powerful reason behind a goal you don't have; which is why the first thing you need is a clearly defined goal" ("1000 Ventures"). Everything that is done should have a reason for why it was done. Those reasons make up a goal to achieve and what is to be done to get to that point. Without a goal, having reasons to do things is pointless because there needs to be a path to get there. With a clearly defined goal, all actions that are taken in a direction of achieving that goal are closer. Through their fight and their understanding of others, Marcus and Winston were able to achieve the goals they had set for themselves and knew the reasons behind them.

Goals are usually achieved through sacrifice and suffering. When achieving goals, determination and concern are shown. Sometimes sacrifices are needed in order to fight for a belief, resulting in the achievement of a goal. "'This isn't the time to be playing lawyer about the Bill of Rights. This is the time to make some sacrifices to keep our city safe'" (Doctorow 138). Marcus and Winston both sacrificed their comfortable lives to make progress in their desire to change the government. Had Marcus not gone to prison, sacrificing his rights, he probably would not have fought back against the government. Winston sacrificed his security and freedom when he decided to go against the government by seeing Julia. Sacrifices are sometimes made in order to regain what was sacrificed. When sacrificing rights and suffering because of what others have done, a fight is needed to gain those rights back. "'Obedience is not enough. Unless he is suffering, how can you be sure he is obeying your will and not his own?'" (Orwell 266). When Marcus went to prison, he was sacrificing his rights and suffered because of that. Marcus felt he needed to use his free will in rebellion against the government. Winston sacrificed his safety and innocence and suffered when he went to prison because he wanted to be with a woman he was not married to. By sacrifice and sometimes suffering for that sacrifice, goals are reached. Sacrifice can affect anyone, or everyone. By sacrificing something important, care for this goal is shown. "For the past 28 years Dick, ... has pushed and pulled his son across country and over hundreds of finish lines" (Dick Hoyt) Dick Hoyt pushes his disabled son, Rick, in marathons, swims, bikes and runs with him in triathlons and bikes cross-country with his son attached to his bike. Dick does all of this because, once in high school Rick wanted to run a 5k for a fellow student and after said he felt like a regular kid when racing. Dick then gave up most of his free time to run races with Rick. He sacrificed almost everything to run those races so that Rick, with cerebral palsy, could feel like someone without his disease, would feel. Dick sacrificed a lot in order to run races with his son. He trained and did everything he could to give Rick that moment where he felt like he didn't have a disability. Sacrifice, suffering and determination are what people go through when fighting for a cause or achieving a goal. These allow victory over fear and achievement in goals.

Marcus, in Little Brother by Cory Doctorow, and Winston, in 1984 by George Orwell, never give up, knowing what is wanted and sacrifice are all ways to fight for what you believe in. After Marcus was held captive at a prison, he wanted to fight the government because he was innocent. When he was released, he realized that the government had taken control of the city. Marcus used the Xnet to fight but tried to keep his real identity a secret so he could stay "safe". This was a false sense of security because the government knew almost everything. Opposite of Marcus, Winston wanted to spend more time with his girlfriend and write and think whatever he felt like. Winston tried to join the Brotherhood, so that he remain hidden, be with Julia and achieve his goals. These two tried to fight the government and would not give up until they succeeded. Marcus and Winston were never going to give up, knew what they wanted, and were willing to make sacrifices to achieve their goals and wants. As I previously said, "Never underestimate the determination of a kid who is time-rich and cash-poor" (Doctorow 87) because they could always change your world.

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