The Great Escape

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 one's 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 one's 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 one's 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

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