Utopias and Dystopias Blog

 Even though the end of book two has sinister overtones, I couldn't help but laugh at the speaker who had to change his speech after updated information about Oceania and Eastasia. Because of Winston's position in the Records Department, we get a unique look into state-sponsored media control.  While the very idea of mind control is somewhat comical, it's feasible. As I've progressed through the book, I started to draw more and more similarities to hermit countries like North Korea that have essentially brainwashed their constituents into hating the west and idolizing their leader as a god. It's eery to see journalists' accounts of their visits. Everything from misspoken words to not applauding long enough could lead to imprisonment. While the people of North Korea are most likely in a constant state of oppression, I don't think they completely realize it. In my previous post, I discussed the requirements for rebellion and why there hasn't really been on...

Julia plays an important role in Winston's character development. So far, we've seen Winston stray from the brainwashing and mob mentality imposed by Ingsoc with small acts of defiance like buying a journal or giving glances to a co-worker. But in book two, we see Winston's interaction with Julia. From her tearing of the Anti-Sex League sash to making love in the woods, each scene is marked with opposition. While each interaction is small, they coagulate into an opposition mindset. Winston actually states that he's more attracted to her the more men she's slept with, which is definitely not a-ok in the Big Brother handbook. We know Winston is interested in a large-scale rebellion, but seeing his defiance in a different dimension illuminates his character.

 One of the most striking parts of the earlier Nineteen Eighty-Four chapters is the two-minutes hate. Even though Winston has already expressed ideological dissent towards the Ministry of Truth, he is swept up in the hate-spouting of his co-workers. Enemies of the state are flashed on-screen to jeers and shouts; items are thrown in blind anger; people resort to negative emotions without thinking. During sophomore history, we saw many examples of this sort of mob mentality. One story I remember specifically was a Jewish man's account of a Nazi rally, and the urge he felt to join the mob. It seems that succumbing to such mentalities is a step away from democracy and towards the dystopia of  Nineteen Eighty-Four . Sadly, we see many of the same behaviors in today's society. From the events on Jan. 6 to occurrences online, many people seem to be succumbing to tribalism and an Us vs. Them mentality. What sort of lessons can we learn from  Nineteen Eighty-Four ? Do you think so...

 While the Thought Police, Big Brother, and several other dystopian features of Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-four may seem far from realistic, we still managed to make ties to today. Many know of the numerous hearings for major social media companies accused of laundering information many consider to be personal. The inevitable question remains: what did Orwell get right?     Even though we've only gotten through the first six chapters, I believe the answer to this question is an intimidating "a lot". In an age where information is a commodity, many have become concerned with the power held by the few who control it. As mentioned before, Facebook has suffered many lawsuits. Two American companies control almost 100% of American internet access. Our phones, while beneficial, can track us whether we like it or not. It's almost like Big Brother is the internet itself.