Plot!
The story is split into ten little chapters that follow the realizarions of Anderton. As the story progresses, Anderton realizes the truth and meaning behind the predictions of his crimes, and he uses those realizations to prevent Kaplan from destroying the Precrime headquarters entirely. The setup of the plot in this way allows the reader to follow Anderton in his realizations of the truth. The plot also has a very rapid pace. It does not focus on minute details, but rather gets to the point of what is happening and moves on. This parallels Anderton's fast-paced state of mind as he is suddenly brought into the intense situation and must hastily decide how to deal with it. He does not focus on the details around him, but rather focuses on the major events that are causing the potential problem. In the same way, the story's plot is fast-paced, especially during the times when Anderton is hurried. On page 130, when Anderton is being kidnapped, the story does not reveal many details about the kidnapping. It focuses on his "being dragged through the rent that had been the door." This helps illustrate Anderton's frantic state of mind.
Point of View?
The story is told from third person point of view and focuses on Anderton and the environment around him. The fact that Anderton is the only character that the narrator knows about further emphasizes the mental progressions of Anderton. We immediately know that the point of view is this when we are told that, upon seeing Witwer, Anderton thinks that he is "getting bald. Bald and fat and old" (page 119). This point of view has a further impact when Anderton believes he has been betrayed by "my wife and a younger man" (page 131). The narrator does not reveal that his wife is trying to help in the Precrime lab, so the reader is forced to make the realizations that Anderton does as he makes them. This story focuses on these realizations, and if the narrator was omniscient, then the realizations would not come as a shock to the reader, eliminating the theme of the story. This point of view is essential for the reader to be as oblivious to the goings on as Anderton is.
Characterization$
The characterization of the main character, Anderton is completely indirect. Though there are other characters that are characterized through both direct and indirect, they do not have as large of an impact as Anderton. Anderton is mainly characterized as a hasty yet determined character. This is best shown when he immediately leaves when he sees that he will commit a murder, or when he states "I'm going to murder Kaplan anyhow" (page 146). Though he knows that this act will hurt him and his family, he does it for the better of his program that he started. He is determined that his program will work. He makes hasty decisions that may not be the best, but do ultimately benefit his program. These characteristics are slowly revealed throughout the story. This further goes along with the realizations of truth by Anderton. As he makes knew decisions of what to do, the reader is shown a new aspect of his character. At the end when he leaves with his wife, the story has finally revealed all of his character, just as he has made his final realization of truth.
Setting%
The physical setting of the story has little significance, but the story is set in a different time period. Though most of the story seems like today, the society has been able to harness the thoughts of people who can read the future. They have made these people pretty much machines, taking away all dignity they have. One of Anderton's subordinates is "in charge of the monkey block," which refers to the area of the lab that has the humans that predict the future (page 122). This shows that society has become much less considerate of human dignity. This lack of dignity makes Anderton's realizations that he needs to sacrifice himself for mankind even more noble. He shows dignity to all of the world when most of society does not even show it to the people that help protect them. This realization of the importance of human dignity is yet another realization that Anderton makes regarding the truths of the world around him.
Theme~
As I have stated in every little section of this blog so far, one of the themes of this work is Anderton's realization of the truths around him. He originally sees the majority report and a hoax, but he eventually realizes, on page 149, that, due to his actions, "Kaplan, as the majority report had asserted, was dead." He realized that the majority report was right all along, but not because he was a bad person. He killed Kaplan, because he cared more about his program and the safety of the country than he even knew. He realizes his compassion and willingness to sacrifice as he learns the truths of the reports. These realizations are a major theme of the work. They are not only made by Anderton, but they are simultaneously made by the reader. This further emphasizes that theme. The reader realizes the theme of realizations which hammers home the theme itself. Woah
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