Emma Goldman/Anarchism/Anarcho-Feminism

Emma Goldman played a significant role in women's rights and anarchism. This is significant to the novel because marcus is also somewhat of an anarchist, believing that their society would do better without the current government that was ruling in the book. Emma Goldman promoted this as well as controversial ideas such as birth control and homosexuality and was jailed for her beliefs. Like Goldmna, Marcus is willing to be imprisoned and continually risks his life for what he believes. Goldman is very much a role model for Marcus and her values and bravery hold true today in controversial issues. In addition to her writings, Goldman is also known as the mother of anarcho-feminism which fights against patriarchy and the dominant male role in society. This relates to Little Brother in that one class is being favored over another, however, in the novel that group is defined by an age divide rather than gender. The youth in San Francisco and at the concert "Don't Trust Anyone Over 25" are blamed for being guerillas and homegrown terrorist doing Al Queda's work for them when really they are just standing up for their beliefs. Many people in the novel and in real life view youth as rebellious and do not give their claims very much merit, when in fact many teenagers are mature and know right from wrong. These examples helped Doctorow put the situation of Little Brother into historical context and show a more common day fight for rights.