Essay About Perfect Escape And Science Fiction

The Great Escape
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The Great Escape
People are always looking for a good way to escape the pangs of work. Since work is
so important in society today that it is almost impossible to avoid doing work without
having to pay the price in the future. The perfect escape would be one that alleviates the
strain of work yet does not incur any future expenses. Many people have found science
fiction novels and movies to be great escape mechanisms. Science fiction is such a
perfect escape for many people because it allows its audience to vicariously experience
the joy of future technology – technology that promises less work and much more play, at
no cost.
An escape must have three things in order to be considered a true escape. First, an
escape must permanently or at least temporarily eliminate ones responsibilities. As long
as one has responsibilities looming overhead, one cannot really feel free. It will also work
if the escape produces the illusion that ones responsibilities are gone.
Secondly, an escape must enhance leisure. If the escape does not enhance leisure then
boredom will most likely be the result. Also, due to the fact that most escapes are the
temporary kind, leisure time is generally very precious. Therefore, it is not enough that an
escape simply does away with work and responsibility. An escape must also take full
advantage of ones leisure time.
Third, an escape must not have any undesirable consequences. This is the condition that
justifies the escape itself. Suppose for example that a person became tired of his or her
job and simply stopped working. That person would soon be fired, and although he did
avoid doing work, his method of escape cannot be justified because of the undesirable
consequences that followed. This is perhaps the most important condition an escape must
satisfy.
Science fiction literature and films are very good escape mechanisms. While a person is
absorbed in the goings on within a particular novel, movie, etc., that person can
experience what the characters are experiencing, and it is common for the characters to
have lifestyles that meet the three conditions above. The reason for this is that in science
fiction it is very common for the characters to have a very technologically advanced way
of living. The futuristic technology allows the characters to do less work and have more
fun with no consequences. Take for example the movie star wars.
Due to the advanced technology in star wars, the main character Luke Skywalker has
very little work to do compared with what the average person has to do nowadays. This is
because Luke Skywalker has an array of different droids, or robots, that will do all