Censors By Sophocles Oedipus Rex And Cranes?

Do human beings have free will over their fate? Contradictory ideas are expressed through this concept as it is explored through various works such as “Censors” by Luisa Valenzuela, Oedipus Rex by Sophocles and “Cranes” by Hwang Sun-won. In “Censors,” the protagonist, Juan, is pressured by society to become someone who he does not want to become. In Oedipus Rex, the protagonist, Oedipus, becomes obsessed with finding his identity, which in the end hurts him more than it helps. “Cranes” by Hwang Sun-won is a story about two childhood friends, Songsam and Tokchae, that grow apart and encounter each other by chance as enemies. Writers of these works argue on two contradictory points.

Valenzuela portrays how political pressure limits the choices people have over society. At the beginning of the story, protagonist, Juan, becomes a censor so he can send his letter to his lover. He thinks that he has control over society and can do what he wants. Juan applies for the censor’s job, as the government needs more by day, with the idea that he can suppress the system and allow his letter to pass uncensored. Unfortunately, at the end of the story, it is clearly shown that he cannot and does not have the power over the government. One day, Juan’s mother offers him wine to relax, but he simply thinks, “... any distraction could make him lose his edge, and the perfect censor had to be alert, keen, attentive, and sharp…” (Valenzuela 188). Juan thought he had control over the system but