After reading the first twenty pages of this novel, major themes are already introduced that manifest the radical culture. One quote that I expect to evolve into a prevalent idea is:
"WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH."
(Orwell 6)
These three oxymorons each begin with a negative idea, and turn it into something positive. Because the nation of Oceania is constantly at war, the leaders attempt to turn war into a good concept. This war is referenced when the text states: "there marched the endless columns of the Eurasian army." (Orwell 17) Also, Winston Smith drinks out of a "victory gin," (Orwell 7) and smokes "victory cigarettes," (Orwell 8) further proving that the people of a troubled nation are having optimism forced upon them.
Having been published only a few years after World War II, 1984 has clearly taken these ideas from "victory gardens" (a government sponsored program during World War II encouraging people in the United States and England to grow their own food). Victory gardens, like victory gin and victory cigarettes were created to provoke nationalism in difficult times. By creating national pride, the governments in World War II and in 1984 created societies that trusts their leaders. Through this inference, it is apparent that Orwell is showing a post-World War II society how blindly they followed their governments in the recent past.
Based on the first twenty pages of 1984, I predict that Orwell will further show the dangers of blind nationalism and ignorance.
Nice analysis Eric!
ReplyDeleteI think that it's interesting how you have compared the society in 1984 to the America of World War II. Though we obviously have much greater freedom of expression than Oceania does, I think that all countries have some element of Oceania in them. It may be more obvious in Russia or China, but it exists everywhere.
It may be fun and mostly harmless to root for sports teams against other teams, but if a whole country adopts a nationalistic "us-against-them" feeling, it is extremely dangerous. Obviously, this society is extreme, and any kind of extremism has its clear problems, but, like many other dystopian novels, this society is not unimaginable.
Nice connections to the post-war environment, especially the link to victory gardens. The turn in the usual ideas (war=peace) is an interesting one, and similar to what we saw in Brave New World's motto. What do you make of "Freedom is slavery" as it seems the opposite of the others in the sense of the positive/negative shift/perspective.
ReplyDeleteThe ideas behind "Freedom is slavery" are best described by O'Brien:
Delete"'Has it ever occurred to you that it is reversible? Slavery is freedom. Alone—free—the human spirit is always defeated... But if he can make complete, utter submission, if he can escape from his identity, if he can merge himself in the Party so that he is the Party, then he is all-powerful and immortal.'"
This quote means that when someone gives up their own freedom, they are absorbed into the party which is immortal. Therefore, they have achieved freedom as a society through individual slavery.
However, the reader is not supposed to support this view because Orwell is explaining the ideas of a type of dystopia.