The Perpetual Exploitation of Minorities in Philip K. Dick’s “Minority Report” and Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report Brenna Von den Benken College

In the dystopic society of Philip K. Dick’s “Minority Report,” prophetic data regarding potential crime is obtained by Precognitive beings, or “Precogs,” in an effort to abolish the ineffectual post-punitive justice system initially in place. Within this Precrime Division, the Precogs’ premonitions are vital to the operation’s crime-prevention agenda, however, their mutated identities force them into exploitation. In the radical film translation, Minority Report, Steven Spielberg attempts to humanize the Precogs by depicting them in a rather reverential light. While the Precogs are portrayed in a nearly sacred manner exuding religious undertones, instead of reinforcing equality among all of humanity, Spielberg merely fetishizes the prophets and thus, enables segregation and perpetuates inequality.

In the short story, despite their valuable talent, the three employed Precogs, Donna, Jerry, and Mike, have unique disabilities that enable their disenfranchisement. Regrettably, their superficial employer, John Anderton, regards the Precogs as “deformed and retarded” minorities whose disabilities deem them otherwise undesirable, and thus, are compelled to subjugation (121). Such exploitation of the Precogs can be observed by Anderton...