Erica Sims 1

When given the choice, how often do we as humans choose the moral high ground when the

fight for our ideals are put on the line? The Minority Report is a story of morality, personal

choice, and power. There are two versions of this story that have been told. A movie adaption

and the original short story the movie was based off of. The story itself follows an archetypal

criticism of a man, John Anderton, trying to prove he was framed for a crime he did not

commit. Who then proceeds to try to run from the problem, only to return and try to absolve

himself. The archetypal criticism of a coup meant to change the world order is also placed in

the story. Within the version of the short story, John Andertons journey to prove his

innocence creates the paradox of becoming the thing he has spent a career fighting against

to protect his ideals.

Both the short story and the movie adaption are in a future fictional timeline. The movie

adaption is set in the time period of 2054 in Washington D.C. While the short story is set in

an undisclosed time period in futuristic New York City, recovering from a past war, and

where other planets have been colonized. The futuristic setting that is established helps the

reader expand their mind. So although both stories differ slightly on location and some plot

details, they both bring the reader into a different reality. The idea of Precrime is not

currently a possibility in the real world. But giving the story a science fictional setting makes

it easier to introduce the unknown and the unimaginable (Spielberg).

The Minority Report takes on an archetypal criticism of the story of an innocent man

accused of a crime he did not commit. Who then takes his fate into his own hands. In some

archetypes that fate is played out through revenge, or in John Andertons case, self sacrifice

and steadfastness in his beliefs. The Minority Report draws similarities with the book The

Count of Monte Cristo, written by French author Alexandre Dumas in 1844. Where the main
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protagonist is framed for a crime and made to suffer for it. With the protagonist then

embarking on a personal vendetta to prove his innocence and get revenge. The Minority

Report was written by American author Philip K. Dick in 1956. Proving that the archetype of an

accused man trying to prove his innocence, transcends time and culture. Which supports

the work of Carl Jung, ,a swiss psychoanalyst, who believed archetypal patterns are common

to all nations and people which also provides evidence of a universal human consciousness.

Both stories have parallels in how the protagonist tries to prove to themselves, and the

world, that they are innocent (Dumas. Howe).

John Anderton is paranoid that the Senate wants to replace his position as head of Precrime

with a younger and more malleable person, Ed Witwer. John Anderton suspects this because

the Senate sent Witwer to be an assistant for him the same day that he was framed.

Anderton said of Witwer, Im being framed deliberately and maliciously. This creature is

out to get my job. The Senate is getting at me through him. And in this declaration to his

wife, Anderton shows himself to be a fallible man. He shows his humanity by the

defensiveness of his position, his thoughts when he meets Witwer for the first time, and in

the eventual reveal of who is behind the set up. Which then proves his accusation of Witwer

and the Senate to be wrong (Dick).

The first thought Anderton had upon seeing Witwer was to compare himself to the young

man, Im getting bald. Bald and fat and old. In the movies version John Anderton is a

captain within the Precrime force simply doing his job. He is good looking and is haunted by

the death of his young son. Which grants him empathy and the will to do the right thing.

Giving the theatrical version of John Anderton the pedestal of a hero who is often above

human flaw. Which creates an easy set up for the viewer, but also makes it difficult to
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connect with his character. The short story gives Anderton a more believable and human

character than the movie. With the original John Anderson showing his humanity, it helps

the reader form a connection with him (DIck).

John Anderton falls into a archetypal criticism of a protagonist who once falling into trouble

he then tries to run and save himself. Only to return to fight for himself and the greater good.

At the beginning of the short story, John Anderton runs home to pack his things and leave

the planet after the Precrimes produce the card detailing his upcoming crime. Before he is

able to pack his bag to flee he is taken away to face the man he is supposedly going to kill,

retired General Leopold Kaplan. Subsequently escaping afterwards and promptly starting to

work towards proving his innocence. Which turns out to be more complicated than he

originally thought.

The short story version of John Anderton is unique in that he isnt exactly fighting for the

greater good. Rather he is fighting for his ideals of what is good. When fleeing in a flying ship

with his wife, she says aloud, I wonder, she said, when he had finished, how many times

this has happened before. A minority report? A great many times. I mean, one precog

misphased. Using the report of the others as data - superseding them. Her eyes dark and

serious, she added, "Perhaps a lot of the people in the camps are like you." "No," Anderton

insisted. But he was beginning to feel uneasy about it, too. " I was in a position to see the

card, to get a look at the report. Thats what did it." So even when he is confronted with the

thought of the possibility of having arrested innocent men, Anderton maintains that

Precrime is a perfect system. He refuses to accept the possibility that the system is flawed.

Only granting exception to himself in order to keep his conscience clear and maintain

support for his personal beliefs. Thinking that this scenario could only pertain to him and
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that he is above Precrime law but others are not. Showing that even within his quest for the

greater good, his greater good might not actually be the right path. Which then brings into

question the true morality of the Precrime system (Dick).

As the story progresses the reader finds out that General Kaplan framed John Anderton to

prove that the current police force, and Precrime, were incompetent. And in doing so, the

Army would be able to retake control of the policing in the current society. Returning to a

past governance where the police force and the Army were one entity. In the movie adaption

Anderton is framed by the creator and director of Precrime, Lamar Burgess, so that Burgess

could continue with the Precrime system even though it is flawed. Both of these narratives

fall into another archetypal criticism of a powerful man fighting to take back control he lost

and to change the world to his liking. Regardless if it was better for the majority of society or

not.

At the end of the short story John Anderton makes the conscious decision to murder General

Kaplan. Becoming the very thing he had spent his career trying to eradicate. He sacrifices

himself so that the Precrime system, and the police force, could remain independent and

carry on. Offering proof that John Anderton is not much different than General Kaplan. Both

men were willing to commit crime to keep, or bring forth, their ideals and force them onto

the world. But are they the ones who should be making those kind of decisions

independently? Especially when John Anderton premeditated the murder of Kaplan. And then

proceeded to tell Witwer to make sure his sentence for the murder was to be exiled rather

than life imprisonment. When looked at objectively, he blurs the lines between what is

morally right and what is morally wrong. Which creates the question of whether or not an
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authoritative government or force has the moral authority to take away a persons free will.

Even when it could save, or cost, a person their life.

Stories like The Minority Report are important to create dialogue and to question what is

morally right in how justice is carried out. Is it better to stop crime before it happens and in

the process save lives at the cost of free will? Or is it better to let crime and horrible things

happen to retain freedom? It is a story that has stood the test of time and is told among all

cultures. Because while The Minority Report is a fictional story in a science fictional world, it

is a narrative we can all connect with and leaves us with more questions than answers.

Works Cited Page

Dick, Philip K. "THe Minority Report." Fantastic Universe 1956. Print.

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Dumas, Alexandre. "The Count of Monte Cristo." Journal des Dbats 1844. Print.

Minority report. Dir. Steven Spielberg. N.p., n.d. Web.

Howe, Elisabeth A. Close Reading: An Introduction to Literature. N.p.: Pearson

Education, 2010. Print.