Oppressive Government vs None: The Bridge at Andau Anonymous 10th Grade

Government is the basis of all modern civilization. If living under oppressive governmental rule was our only given option, would we be better off living in daily fear and distress, or would it be more beneficial to have no government at all? In James A. Michener's historical novel The Bridge at Andau, it becomes apparent that an oppressive government is not better than having no government at all, because of the inhumane acts committed by the AVO, the overwhelming number of Hungarians revolting against the government, and the fact that the citizens ended up uniting and working together to survive even once they were out of the hands of communism.

In the beginning of the novel, terrible acts of violence committed by the AVO, or the oppressive government in Hungary, are described. Michener writes, “The tank's machine gun ripped out a volley, and several young workers fell in the street” (Michener 9), or in other words, an AVO tank killed harmless, unarmed workers in the streets of Hungary who could only defend themselves with stones and their own hands. This cruel act helps prove that an oppressive government is not better than no government because obviously in this case, an oppressive government caused many innocent lives to...