Sarah G.P-
You bring up an interesting point about how females are not seen in positions of power. Given Mr. Orwell's intelligence, this can't be mere coincidence. I think that Orwell's point is less about gender discrimination in modern government, and more reflective of the generally patriarchal societies of history. If we look at Babylonian, Chinese, Roman, and even contemporary societies in Arab countries, females are suppressed and dominated by male agendas. It's more difficult to maintain power through a "Big Sister" than Big brother.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
1984: Essential Question #1 Book I Chapter 2
1984: Essential Question #1 Book I Chapter 2
To a certain degree, there are many similarities. If we look at North Korea, the communist government plasters pictures of Kim Jung Il all over much like posters of Big Brother. The thought police parallel the secret services or henchmen of the communist party; they weed out rebellious people. What struck me was the accurate portrayal of "education" for the youth. From birth, all that the Parson kids learned was that Big Brother was good and Goldstein was bad. This similar issue is true in other countries dominated by anti-american sentiments including the middle-east, Russia, North Korea, and Iran. If the U.S doesn't try hard to change its image, we'll have even more trouble in the future once these kids grow up. But in contrast, the reach of the government through the telescreen goes beyond what we see in modern totalitarian governments. People in any country have some degree of privacy in their homes, while the only privacy Winston gets is in the alcove. What we see in 1984 is the idealistic model for current totalitarian governments. What Kim Jung Il and Ahmadinejad would love is have total control over people's thoughts. What frightens me are the "hate sessions"--if people can be manipulated that way, then I fear for mankind.
To a certain degree, there are many similarities. If we look at North Korea, the communist government plasters pictures of Kim Jung Il all over much like posters of Big Brother. The thought police parallel the secret services or henchmen of the communist party; they weed out rebellious people. What struck me was the accurate portrayal of "education" for the youth. From birth, all that the Parson kids learned was that Big Brother was good and Goldstein was bad. This similar issue is true in other countries dominated by anti-american sentiments including the middle-east, Russia, North Korea, and Iran. If the U.S doesn't try hard to change its image, we'll have even more trouble in the future once these kids grow up. But in contrast, the reach of the government through the telescreen goes beyond what we see in modern totalitarian governments. People in any country have some degree of privacy in their homes, while the only privacy Winston gets is in the alcove. What we see in 1984 is the idealistic model for current totalitarian governments. What Kim Jung Il and Ahmadinejad would love is have total control over people's thoughts. What frightens me are the "hate sessions"--if people can be manipulated that way, then I fear for mankind.
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