Oedipus Journal #1

"Defiance becomes our duty in the face of injustice." Referring to at least two works you have studied, explore the ways in which writers have attempted to persuade us to accept or challenge this view.

In Oedipus The King, when Oedipus is accused of being the murderer of Laius by the blind prophet Tiresias, his first instinct is to defend himself, by denying that it is true. He turns against the blind prophet who he had trusted to give him accurate information, insulting him and accusing him of having lost his prophecy powers. His defiance increases as he says to Tiresias: "Come here, you pious fraud. Tell me,/ when did you ever prove yourself a prophet?" (443-444). Oedipus' cruel attitude is a major change from the well mannered, easygoing attitude we saw him possess when he was first introduced to us at the beginning of the tragedy. Because Tiresias is accusing Oedipus of something that seems completely ridiculous and completely impossible to him, Oedipus feels the need to defend himself and his honor against the unjust accusations. The author, Sophocles, uses the contrast between the two attitudes to show that defiance becomes one's duty in the face of injustice, or rather, it is instinctive for one to act out defiantly when they face unfair accusations.

Likewise, in the book 1984, author George Orwell persuades the audience to accept this view of defiance in the face of injustice. When Winston is caught and imprisoned by the Thought Police for committing thought crime and acts against the party, he clings to his own beliefs as long as he can. Even though O'Brien spends months trying to persuade him to accept the idealogy of the Party, for the longest time Winston will not forget his own values. When forced to speak in favor of the Party or be hurt by a shock machine, Winston publicly defends his own ideals even though he is hurt because of it. Winston's acts of defiance against the Party continue until he is completely brainwashed into loving the Big Brother. Orwell uses Winston's reaction to his situation (the injustice of being imprisoned for trying to live as an individual) to show the reader that when one is faced with an unfair or unjust situation, it is an instinctive reaction to show defiance.