Language Arts
Coe - 1st Block
V and Murrow Summative
The purpose of V’s speech on BTN is to make the public aware of the corruption that has taken place. V attempts to open their eyes and have them question the acts of the government; he suggest violence to succeed in his uprise. He suggest that the conformed world they live in now , “security of the familiar, the tranquility of repetition” is because of “someone’s death or the end of some awful bloody struggle.” V also says that they live in a world with no freedom of speech , no privacy, and no freedom to stand up for what they believe in. He blames the people for letting it get as bad as it has because of fear; they listened to someone who promised them better but returned “silent,obedient consent”. V states, “ I know you were afraid. Who wouldn’t be? War, terror, and disease.” V tries to tell people they have forgotten the country they use to live in and that “fairness,justice and freedom are more than words.” V wants an uprising to eventually make everyone an individual again not a conformed individual. At the end of his speech he suggest that those who do not choose to follow him can let the fifth of November stay unmarked or those who do choose to follow and stand up with him will never forget the fifth of November.
In Edward Murrow’s speech , Murrow starts off by stating that ,”It is my desire, if not my duty, to try to talk to you journeymen with some candor about what is happening to radio and television”, meaning to be open and honest about what he is about to express to those listening. Murrow states that in decades and decades from now historians will not look at the news for facts or any kind of helpful knowledge. The news and radio they hear now are full of perceptions of false realities, fantasies, and prevent them from the facts of the real world. He suggest that they need to realize that the news, those who watch it, those who report it are the ones distracting us. They use it to,”distract, delude, amuse and insulate us.” Murrow wants to change what television and radio are broadcasting because if not “history will take its revenge”. Murrow states that he wants the people and producers to praise actual ideas and information. He also questions if they have anything to lose by broadcasting something more educational. Close to the end of his speech he calls television an “instrument”; suggesting that it is not good for anything but amusement and insulating. Murrow says that there is a “decisive battle to be fought against ignorance, intolerance and indifference.” Murrow claims that only those that are determined can make it more inspiring or else it is just a box of wires.
There are a couple similarities that the two speeches share. One of the similarities is that they both refer to past history. In V’s speech he states, ..in spirit of commemoration, thereby those important events of the past usually associated with someone’s death or the end of some awful bloody struggle..” I feel as those there is a slight joking tone, as if V finds it amusing that the days we remember or celebrate are the ones that have not made a change in society or the world. Murrow’s states a similar line in his speech by stating, “..any historians about fifty or a hundred years from now..they will there find recorded in black and white..escapism, and insulation from realities of the world in which we live in.” Murrow has slightly more serious tone than V did, states the obvious, and future outcomes from the kind of things that are broadcasting. Both V and Murrow also bring a call to action, trying to bring together people for a change. In V’s speech he says, “If you see what I see, if you feel as i feel, and if you would seek as i seek, then i ask you to stand beside me one year from tonight, outside the gates of Parliament, and together we shall give them a fifth of November that shall never, ever be forgot.” V’s tone seems to be a little bit more demanding and revengeful at this point. Murrow seems to be a bit more calmer and suggesting by stating, “ this instrument can teach..and yes can even inspire. But can do so only to the extent that humans are determined.” They both also suggest that others, the audience, are unaware of the kind of world they live in. Murrow states, “ we have built an allergy to unpleasant or disturbing information” while on the other hand V states,” there were a myriad of problems which conspired to corrupt your reason and rob you of your common sense.” Both making it known that they have grown custom to the corrupt wold.
Although there are many similarities , there are just as many differences. V’s tone throughout his speech fluctuates from a sincere, “Good evening London” to a more appalling, revengeful tone when he says,“we shall give them a fifth of November that shall never,ever be forgotten.” During Murrow’s speech his tone stayed one way throughout calm and personal. When suggesting that they are unaware of the corruption V sounds condescending by suggesting that the people have no common sense whereas Murrow is relatable, instead of attacking individuals Murrow says “we” suggesting he also has built this allergy to disturbing information. Even though they both are against conformity, they are calling a rise to a action towards two different things. V’s call to action is towards the government and political issues whereas Murrow’s is a call to action towards social issues involving the news being shared with the world. When speaking of an uprise V is speaking to all citizens and Murrow speaks to mainly TV producers because the people cannot change what is being produced but only to have a say in opinions what is produced. V’s speech suggest that the people have no choices and no freedom. V states , ‘you now have censors and systems of surveillance coercing your conformity and soliciting your submission.” In comparison, Murrow’s speech suggest they have a choice; he says, “I began by saying that our history will be what we make it.”
V and Murrow’s speech are warning us about corruption and conformity. How we are all one mind now and it is because of the ones we ‘trust’ to help us. This relates to our world now because we put so much trust into those above us. We expect them to protect and make the world better. Today, we hear only what tv producers want us to hear and read or we dislike or think negatively of another culture just because we only hear the negative aspects of them. We never really get to see the other side of things , making people think one specific way just like these two speeches state.