George Orwell, one of English literatures most important and famous writers, draws the picture of a dystopia in one of his best known novels 1984. Being considered as a warning against totalitarianism, it is also possible to say that the novel puts fo
Orwell's 1984 George Orwell, one of English literature's most important and famous writers, draws the picture of a dystopia in one of his best known novels 1984. Being considered as a warning against totalitarianism, it is also possible to say that the novel puts forth a road map on how totalitarian regimes work and how certain ideologies are imposed on nations. Creating a world in which the worst possible totalitarian regime is present, Orwell also takes a very close look at the psychological states of people. The writer doesn't only deeply analyze what a totalitarian regime stands for but also introduces the themes of the importance of language, how certain ideologies can be imposed on people and how physical pain can control the human mind. Putting stress on the dreadfulness and the destructive nature of totalitarianism, and also by pointing out that nations can in fact be forced to admire and support such a regime, the writer makes his reader face the cruelest and most realistic aspects of such a horrific repressive regime. Before taking a closer look at the novel, it would be helpful to give background information about the era in which Orwell was influenced to create such a hellish world. 1984 was written in 1949, when Fascism was on the rise, right after the Second World War, when Hitler was defeated and Stalin had performed his cruelest acts. Having worked in
George Orwell - "Shooting an Elephant" (1936).
George Orwell - "Shooting an Elephant" (1936) Non Fiction "Shooting an Elephant", by George Orwell, is a highly effective piece of non-fiction. Although written about an event many years ago, in a society that no longer exists as it did then, the essay still holds relevance in the ideas it contains. It is how Orwell puts across his views on colonialism and human nature that I intend to investigate. The essay revolves around Orwell recounting an incident which he experienced as a policeman in colonial Burma, in the 1920's. Orwell was called to act when a tame elephant went 'must' and started ravaging a bazaar, killing one of the indigenous Indians. However, by the time he had located the elephant, the attack seemed to have passed, so there was no need to destroy it. Yet such was the pressure from the local populace, and Orwell's fear of being mocked, that he shot the elephant. When he first introduces himself to the reader, Orwell seems to be a fairly level-headed person, with his self- depreciating tone showing that he doesn't take himself too seriously in the 'great scheme' of things; drawing the reader to sympathise with him. This sympathy is extended further when the reader is made privy to the ambivalence of Orwell's feelings towards his position in Burma. In direct contrast to the majority of Westerners in the East at that time, Orwell was very conscious of the
"Utopia is no place". How does the Utopian and dystopian fiction you have studied present the possibility of perfection.
"Utopia is no place". How does the Utopian and dystopian fiction you have studied present the possibility of perfection. "It is the dream of a just society, which seems to haunt the human imagination ineradicably and in all ages"1. But "absolute purity, absolute justice, absolute logic and perfection are beyond human achievement"2. Composers such as More, Orwell, Huxley and Atwood use different avenues and techniques to explore this idea of perfection and its feasibility on earth with the human race. Utopian and dystopian fiction comprises a broad selection of texts; but in the narrowest definition any text in which the composer proposes an ideal or nightmarish world or society. The literary cannons of Utopian and Dystopian fiction include: Plato's Republic, Thomas More and his Utopia - responsible for both the generic name and genre creation; Aldous Huxley's Brave New World; George Orwell's 1984 and Animal Farm; And Marget Atwoods's Hand Maid's Tale. Within each text composers use different presentations of the 'ideal' society to highlight the achievability and desirability of perfection. Utopia is a story, to be discovered only by trespassing onto an unknown voyage of exploration by Raphael Hythloday, More's fictional protagonist. Utopia is a "prototypical sociological and anthropological study"3 into humanity. In book II, More 'records' Raphael's account of
Why George Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London is an effective piece of social commentary
Examine with close textual reference the literary factors which make Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London an effective piece of social commentary. Down and Out in Paris and London is George Orwell's personal account of living in poverty in both cities. It begins in Paris, where Orwell lived for two years surviving by giving English lessons and contributing reviews and articles to various periodicals. Two years later, Orwell moved to London, where, along with writing and tutoring, he worked as a bookshop assistant, an experience which was to inform his later novel Keep the Aspidistra Flying. It was first published in 1933. He offered it as a record of experience, organised rather than fictionalised, and as a demonstration of how to destroy prejudice. This was all of a specifically social purpose that he saw in the book, it arose naturally from the facts he described. There is no gulf between fact, observation and message. No secondary or irrelevant interest interferes with the lucid presentation of detail, and the sustained tone of combined intellectual concern, emotional sympathy and unbiased detachment drives his words clearly. This essay will examine what literary factors George Orwell employed to make Down and Out in Paris and London a social commentary on Paris and London in the 1930's. The first part of Down and Out is clearly about Orwell's poverty, his jobs, and
Gullibility and Naivet in Animal Farm
Gullibility and Naiveté in Animal Farm George Orwell's Animal Farm clearly illustrates the ignorant gullibility of the general population in any given nation. This aspect of the novel is clearly portrayed by the sheep, the dogs, and Boxer, who represent the general public, the secret police, and the workforce, respectively. The Sheep are quite possibly the most offending character to society because their naïveté relates to everyone in the public, and anyone reading the book. Firstly, they show ignorance when Napoleon and Snowball teach them quite easily their "four legs good, two legs bad" phrase, even though they do not quite understand what they're saying. They come to love their newly adapted slogan, and tend to break out into it in the middle of tumult. Although they like it so much, they are willing to change it to "four legs good, two legs better." without much resistance. And finally, they show gullibility in that they too become terrified of Napoleon after the executions just like all the other animals. This trusting characteristic is especially taken advantage of by Napoleon and shows great weakness from the sheep. Boxer is easily convinced to work and easily motivated, even if it's sometimes for the wrong reasons. He adapted the maxim "Napoleon is always right" without knowing why; he didn't even have to comprehend the situation to use his phrase. The
Abuse Of Language In Order To Gain Authority In "Animal Farm" by George Orwell
Abuse Of Language In Order To Gain Authority In "Animal Farm" by Gearge Orwell In the novella ,there are many factors which support pigs' totalitarian regime but the most significant one is language. lt's clear that used as the main tool of communication, language not only establishes relationships with others but also it has power to establish regimes and governments. ln the very beginning of the book,reader comes across with the uniting side of language. Old Major, who is a respected animal on the farm, has given a speech to stir the animals' emotion into rebellion. "Man is the only real enemy we have", is the main idea of Old Major's speech and is containing the first sign of propaganda on Animal Farm. His oration inspires and energizes the listeners. He also remembers and sings the song "Beasts of England" and listeners learns it by heart. lt would be sang frequently after the revolution, especially after meetings. The song serves as a propaganda, too. By making the working-class animals speak the same words at the same time, the pigs evoke an atmosphere of grandeur and nobility associated with the recited text's subject matter. The song also erodes the animals'sense of individuality and keeps them focused on the tasks by wich they will purportedly achieve freedom. Seven Commandments are "written on the tarred wall in great white letters that could be read thirty yards
thrpugh the character and actions of Napoleon Orwell paints a picture of brutal tyranny, discuss
Jennifer Hoult "Through the character and actions of Napoleon, Orwell paints a picture of brutal tyranny" Discuss Tyranny can be defined as an oppressive power and especially oppressive power exerted by government and where full power is with one ruler. Napoleon is first perceived as being helpful and thoughtful towards the other animals as it is he and Snowball who start to educate the other animals on the 'principles of Animalism'. It can also be seen that straight after the rebellion the pigs seem to be working for the benefit of the other animals and did not see their selves as more important as they wrote the seven commandments. These were written as an 'unalterable law' for everyone. We can also see Napoleon took charge from the beginning as he led the animals to the store-shed and gave 'a double ration of corn to everyone'. It was as though he was trying to gain respect from the start, as the animals will remember that he was the one who first fed them well. However, it is almost immediately after that, we see a sense of Napoleon's tyrannical actions when the milk disappeared. Napoleon tried to turn the other animals' attention away from the milk. The milk was never discussed with the other animals and this shows that Napoleon was not being fair and is already trying to exploit the other animals. It seems that he already has a hidden agenda which is fuelled by his
The purpose of dystopian literature is to dehumanize the individual To what extent do the novels Nineteen Eighty Four and the Road support or refute this view?
'The purpose of dystopian literature is to dehumanize the individual' To what extent do the novels Nineteen Eighty Four and the Road support or refute this view? The dystopian novels The Road and Nineteen Eighty Four demonstrate the push and pull between the utopian and dystopian societies in their narratives. Dystopian literature often seems to be a deterrent to the reader the nightmarish lifestyles presented to us by each individual protagonist characters dehumanized due to the desolate and barren lifestyles presented in each text. However, despite this, the bleak settings seem to send messages of optimism, and to some extent hope, through the interactions of characters in each novel. In The Road the boy and the father are seen to be two people left who are not dehumanized by the new apocalyptic society. They do not conform to cannibalism, rape or murder; however their humanity is tested through the desolate landscapes and their lack of human contact and refusal to help those they do meet in this new society. Although the father only has the boy his humanity is clear as they are "each other worlds entire" showing he only lives for his son. We can also see the boy knows that without his father he would not be able to defend for himself and would be lonely. When the father asks him "what would you do if I died" the son replies "if you died I would want to die too/....so
stereotyped women in 1984
Orwell only succeeds in creating stereotyped representations of women in his novel '1984'. Discuss. In George Orwell's '1984' he patronises the women he creates as we see an insight into the weaker sex who are often degraded with humiliating names and vulnerability. Orwell stereotypes the female characters, which reflects his somewhat limited view of women and their important role ion society. He creates a problem in the way that masculinity and femininity lose all value in the totalitarian state. As the misogynist Orwell is, it is not surprising he has portrayed women in such silent, sad and solitary ways. The main character, Julia is revealed as weak, and incapable of helping her self up as 'she held out a free hand' toward Winston expecting him to help her up. This is the first time we really meet Julia and already she is exposed to the critical eye of the reader as in need of a man to perform in society. She is very much displayed as a sexual object in the novel as she works in minitrue and creates cheap pornography for a living. This reflects her insignificant role in the rat race of the world, as a toy amongst men. She has had 'many affairs' and even Winston seems infatuated by her 'naked, youthful body'. In a world where sex is banished only for the purpose of procreation, Orwell used her stereotypical 'nimble' figure to make sex is at the height of the agenda. In
1984 Orwell
984 is a dystopian novel about the society of the future. Writing in 1948, he images Britain forty years in the future as a totalitarian dictatorship which combines elements of both Communism and Fascism in a powerful, omniscient police-state, based on terror. The story takes place in a totalitarian state called Oceania. The world has been divided up by Oceania and two other states, Eastasia and Eurasia. The post-war world is governed by power groups alternatively at war with one another. After the revolution, the establishment has been replaced by a dictatorship, whose leader is BB. In his features and look, BB clearly recalls Stalin, and the fact that his face is depicted everywhere is a denunciation of the cult of personality, typical in all dictatorships. Trying to control the thoughts of every citizen, the authorities rewrite history, changing events. The hero, Winston Smith, is an intellectual and rebels against this world and begins to dream of destroying the system. The description of London, capital of Oceania, in the first chapter of the book, is similar to wartime London. The environment recalls bomb-damaged London in 1948. The influence of WW2 is clearly evident; it is a nightmare that still haunts the population. Personal freedom is restricted because Oceania is in a permanent state of war and everyone is potentially a traitor. The only chance of survival is by