Of the Masters and the Masses
A nation is made up of the government and the people. Both of these assemblages need to collaborate with each other to maintain the harmony of a country or a nation. At times, though, the relationship of the government and people is damage because of selfishness and miscommunication. The government has too much power that they try to control their personal people’s lives. People only think about themselves and are not listening and comprehending on the rules of the government. Every side wants to have their own way. The story “The monkeys thought ‘twas all in fun” shows that too much authority and control creates discord between the government and the people.
In the story, the government acts as god for the people and implied that they can make their country better by controlling their people’s lives. They choose to decide how each person in their community will live. They decide to tell them what kind of lifestyle they would have, what food they are permissible to eat, where they are intended to live, what kind of friends they will acquaint with, even what kind of music they ought to dance to. They make laws that is should be strictly obeyed and followed by the citizens. In the story, Cyril takes aptitude and preference tests that makes the government decides the kind of living Cyril receives. They tell Cyril that he shall become a miner and that he can not marry the woman he wants to wed. Even though Cyril wants to be a carpenter since he was a child, the government does not give him the privilege for the reason that the results of his preference test shows that he would, in fact, awfully hate to be a carpenter. Being in command and directing people’s lives based on aptitude and preference tests is dreadfully unfair to the people and would eventually start a disagreement on both sides.
As the story goes, it shows that Cyril learns to accept, although still resentful, the standard of living that the government provided him. It also shows that he becomes best on the job assigned to him. Because of this, the government wants to give Cyril “Model Worker of the Year” award for his excellent performance albeit he says that he is not happy with his life. The government, as it shows in the story, tends to mask up its wrongdoings by bribing people on rewards and acknowledgements. When Cyril refuses to receive the honor they are offering him, they threatened to lock him in prison and sentence him to death. This implies that the government does not listen to what their citizens has to say. They listen only to themselves and they punish a person who dares to disobey and rebel against them.
The rules of the government can be strict and harsh but not all of them are bad for the people. They are doing what they can do to make their people happy. Some people, however, are always unsatisfied with the decisions and laws of the government. Cyril, in the story, always goes out to complain to the government about his assigned job and lifestyle. It is true that the government made a mistake on Cyril’s aptitude test results the first time. They try to correct this mistake by putting Cyril on the place he ought to be. Not long after, though, he goes out to complain again about the life that he wished to have before. Some people do not truly get pleased and contented with what the government provides for them. They always look for something for their own convenience without thinking of other people’s welfare.
In order to have harmony and peace between the residents in a country, there should be communication and agreement between the government and the people. The government should try not to be too authoritative. They should create laws and rules that are fair and equal for everyone. The citizens, on the other hand, should try to understand the laws that the government makes. They should think if the law would not only benefit them but other people as well. If both the government and the people would agree with each other, no one would have the same fate as Cyril had in the story of the Masses and the Masters.
Works Cited
Orson Scott Card “The Monkeys Thought ‘Twas All in Fun” Unaccompanied Sonata and Other Stories New York: Dell Publishing, 1981
