Little Brother

In this section, Doctorow demonstrates The Importance of Free Speech in Preserving Democracy. Ms. Galvez is fired because she teaches a history lesson on the Free Speech movement; ironically her own right to free speech is ignored because it is not politically expedient in a police-state. Marcus uses Xnet to illuminate DHS abuses, but his free speech is not free; he relies on anonymity to cloak his voice. Marcus must keep his identity secret to dissent against the government, proving that free speech has been suspended in post-bombing San Francisco. Doctorow makes reference to “Little Brothers,” who newscasters say “watch back against the Department of Homeland Security’s antiterrorism measures, documenting the failures and excesses” (228). The allusion to Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four is significant here; in the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, it is illegal to even think about rebelling against the ruling Party. The DHS’s invasion of privacy to ferret out those who disagree with the governmental agency and the suspension of free speech shows the DHS is as repressive as the Party’s totalitarian government in Nineteen Eighty-Four; this also develops the theme of Privacy and Safety in Times of War or Crisis.

Most of Marcus’s solutions address the issue of free speech against the government; he institutes the public/private key system to protect Xnetters from repercussions when they plan against the DHS lockdown; he creates the concert blog to display the true nature of the concert against the news propaganda that characterizes it as a youth riot; and he also creates the AbusesOfAuthority site to expose DHS’s violations against civil rights when national news will not publicize the abuses. However, in part because Marcus operates from the shadows, his solutions create more problems: When he publishes pictures and video of the concert, mainstream news characterizes Xnet as a dark website run by Al Qaeda supporters who are recruiting American youth for terrorist activities. The concert’s rallying cry to not trust adults is undermined; news sources claim that terrorists want an adult-free venue to radicalize naive teens without interference. Even the irrefutable proof that DHS is overstepping their authority when they arrest a respected US Army general is viewed by Drew as evidence that “they” are trying to discredit the War Against Terror.

In fact, many of the views expressed by Drew, Charles, and Mrs. Andersen are examples of logical fallacies. For instance, Drew’s assertion that only guilty people are picked up by the DHS is an example of circular reasoning; DHS picks up only guilty people, therefore if you are picked up by the DHS, you are guilty. Drew misinterprets the news about the assault on the American general to confirm his own opinion on the War on Terror, an example of confirmation bias. Mrs. Andersen misinterprets American history when she states that the writers of the Declaration of Independence intended liberty to be secondary to safety, setting up the argument that the Bill of Rights can be suspended if American lives are perceived to be in danger. Charles demonstrates logical fallacies when he argues against Marcus in the classroom, stating, “[...] if you support America, you’re us. If you support the people who are shooting at Americans, you’re them” (179), a false dilemma fallacy that alludes to President George W. Bush’s assertion in 2001 that “You’re either with us or against us in the fight against terror.”

The importance of the news media in presenting the truth is a central motif in this section. Ange characterizes the news media as “profiteers” (199), referencing their proclivity to publish only the most controversial angle in a story to sell more advertising. However, when Ange and Marcus attempt to lure the reporters in with a “How To” section of Xnet, inviting them to see the truth of the concert in Dolores Park, the reporters instead focus on the shadowy origins of Xnet itself. Because Xnet lacks a credible creator, it is easy to demonize the platform and the stories presented on Xnet, which refute the legitimacy of the DHS’s tactics. Marcus’s focus on DHS’s overreach is overshadowed by the importance of convincing the news media that Xnet’s sources are credible. Ironically, his disruption of DHS security measures instigates the news narrative that Xnetters are radicalized youth, which delegitimizes everything they do now and in the future.

Another motif that reappears in this section is fear. Marcus’s anonymity, an issue that affects his and Xnet’s credibility, is driven by his fear that DHS will arrest him again. He continues to battle his PTSD arising from the previous detainment, even wanting to grovel and beg forgiveness when Fred Benson suspends him for expressing an opinion in social studies class. When Ange accidentally discloses that she knows Marcus’s identity as M1k3y, his fear prompts him to run away. He has a “mad desire to jump into the path of a Muni trolley as it tore past” (201) because he would rather die than be taken again. His fear also prevents him from agreeing to an interview that could prove Xnet’s credibility. Only Ange’s assurance that he can perform the news conference in complete anonymity alleviates his fear enough for him to agree to the interview. Drew also is subject to fear, and his ability to see the excesses in DHS surveillance is compromised by his own PTSD. His fear of the terrorists is disproportionate to the likelihood that they will attack San Francisco again and is directly tied to the emotional devastation he suffered when he believed Marcus had been killed. The DHS uses fear to create a narrative that allows them to take advantage of and manipulate the residents of San Francisco. By creating fear, the DHS becomes capable of social control. This motif of fear also creates suspense in the novel; each time Marcus confronts the DHS, he is in danger of being arrested for treason. Each person he trusts could be a DHS spy. His fear creates suspense because his voice, the only perspective we hear in the novel, is colored by his constant terror.