Atwa_66
03-24-2005, 05:52 PM
Hey guys, did anyone read the book 1984 by George Orwell? I have a paper on it due Tuesday, I will post it here, and if you want to critique it, negative or positive, it will be appreciated. On a scale of 1-10, what you think?:
George Orwell’s 1984, a book which in his views, foretold the future, ended with the main character succumbing to the government and being completely brainwashed. Winston Smith went against the government, and Big Brothers views, and ended up losing his life long battle with them. George Orwell ended 1984 with Winston becoming a “vegetable” to the society he lived in. Orwell did this to show that the government controls the people’s lives completely, to show the party is never wrong, and to turn Winston into another blind and ignorant government member.
Big Brother, though not a real person, ruled the people in 1984 with an iron fist. The government had entire control over its people, and kept them under constant surveillance. They would not let their people know of the past, and constantly told them lies, and used propaganda to prove their lies. People in 1984 lived their lives in constant terror, and could not even think freely without being punished for it. With telescreens, thought police, hidden microphones and cameras in public places, it was literally impossible to live a completely free life, unless you were ignorant, or simple did not care about what the rulers were doing. The proles lived limitedly watched lives, and did not know about the government and their secrets. This is why Winston would commonly visit the prole district, and buy his things from this part of town. George Orwell made an environment like this to show how governments around the world, like Russia at the time, would stoop to incredible lows to keep their people ignorant, and unknowing of the reality behind the scapegoats and propaganda. Orwell had Winston brainwashed, to prove that governments don’t care about human life, but only about themselves and how their image is projected to the people that they rule over.
If it wouldn’t have made them look bad, the government would have killed Winston as soon as they knew of his law breaking, and not have wasted their time brainwashing them. However, the government in 1984 would never want to appear to the people as weak, or wrong, so they could not kill Winston Smith, and instead, brainwashed him to the point where he forgot everything. The government changes everything around so they don’t appear to be flawed. They fear the people will rebel, or not praise a weak government, and use propaganda of all sorts to keep them looking invincible. George Orwell created this strong and terrifying government, to prove, and predict, that governments would create stories, and ridiculous propaganda, to prove that they are invincible, and to scare anyone away from rising up against them. At the time in 1949, World War II was going on, and people like Adolf Hitler, and Joseph Stalin, were proving Orwell and his novel right. Orwell ended his book they way he did to prove exactly how governments could, and later would act.
The ending of 1984 was a sad and unexpected climax. Winston Smith though hated his life, the government, and everything that surrounded him, lost his lifelong battle to Big Brother and his followers. He fought to change the country for the people, and tried to live his life by not following the government’s rules. The government knew they had to brainwash Winston, and destroy his memory completely, because he was too smart, and had to much interest in the past and in the way the world should be. They imprisoned him, tortured him, and finally, stole whatever was left of his memory and morals. Now he too, was a blind government member, with no care in the world.
Orwell chose to end his book this way, to show that the government in his book wanted to look infallible, and wanted to appear to be the strongest force in their country. He was correct and successful with his prediction in the form of a novel. The world and it’s harsh governments, lived up to the expectation Orwell had of them. He did it to show that the governments also could change the lives of innocent people at their own will, and turn them into whatever they chose to. The government in 1984 did it to many people, one of them, sadly included Winston Smith. Winston Smith went against his previous self morals, and turned into who he hated. Winston now knew, that in the place he lived it was, and would always be that two plus two equaled five
Thanks guys
George Orwell’s 1984, a book which in his views, foretold the future, ended with the main character succumbing to the government and being completely brainwashed. Winston Smith went against the government, and Big Brothers views, and ended up losing his life long battle with them. George Orwell ended 1984 with Winston becoming a “vegetable” to the society he lived in. Orwell did this to show that the government controls the people’s lives completely, to show the party is never wrong, and to turn Winston into another blind and ignorant government member.
Big Brother, though not a real person, ruled the people in 1984 with an iron fist. The government had entire control over its people, and kept them under constant surveillance. They would not let their people know of the past, and constantly told them lies, and used propaganda to prove their lies. People in 1984 lived their lives in constant terror, and could not even think freely without being punished for it. With telescreens, thought police, hidden microphones and cameras in public places, it was literally impossible to live a completely free life, unless you were ignorant, or simple did not care about what the rulers were doing. The proles lived limitedly watched lives, and did not know about the government and their secrets. This is why Winston would commonly visit the prole district, and buy his things from this part of town. George Orwell made an environment like this to show how governments around the world, like Russia at the time, would stoop to incredible lows to keep their people ignorant, and unknowing of the reality behind the scapegoats and propaganda. Orwell had Winston brainwashed, to prove that governments don’t care about human life, but only about themselves and how their image is projected to the people that they rule over.
If it wouldn’t have made them look bad, the government would have killed Winston as soon as they knew of his law breaking, and not have wasted their time brainwashing them. However, the government in 1984 would never want to appear to the people as weak, or wrong, so they could not kill Winston Smith, and instead, brainwashed him to the point where he forgot everything. The government changes everything around so they don’t appear to be flawed. They fear the people will rebel, or not praise a weak government, and use propaganda of all sorts to keep them looking invincible. George Orwell created this strong and terrifying government, to prove, and predict, that governments would create stories, and ridiculous propaganda, to prove that they are invincible, and to scare anyone away from rising up against them. At the time in 1949, World War II was going on, and people like Adolf Hitler, and Joseph Stalin, were proving Orwell and his novel right. Orwell ended his book they way he did to prove exactly how governments could, and later would act.
The ending of 1984 was a sad and unexpected climax. Winston Smith though hated his life, the government, and everything that surrounded him, lost his lifelong battle to Big Brother and his followers. He fought to change the country for the people, and tried to live his life by not following the government’s rules. The government knew they had to brainwash Winston, and destroy his memory completely, because he was too smart, and had to much interest in the past and in the way the world should be. They imprisoned him, tortured him, and finally, stole whatever was left of his memory and morals. Now he too, was a blind government member, with no care in the world.
Orwell chose to end his book this way, to show that the government in his book wanted to look infallible, and wanted to appear to be the strongest force in their country. He was correct and successful with his prediction in the form of a novel. The world and it’s harsh governments, lived up to the expectation Orwell had of them. He did it to show that the governments also could change the lives of innocent people at their own will, and turn them into whatever they chose to. The government in 1984 did it to many people, one of them, sadly included Winston Smith. Winston Smith went against his previous self morals, and turned into who he hated. Winston now knew, that in the place he lived it was, and would always be that two plus two equaled five
Thanks guys