Thursday, January 26, 2012
Big Brother is Watching!
For my independent reading, 1984 by George Orwell caught my attention. Since I picked up the book, I have not been able to stop reading. It is ridiculously good. The book details a dystopia where the world has been divided into 3 large powers known as Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia. Oceania is a combination of the Americas along with the British Isles. Amongst the population, there are few who know of this past world, and even fewer who know the truth. Everyone is oppressed and manipulated into believing every single detail spewed from their leader, Big Brother. The population is under constant surveillance by the "ThoughtPolice" who punish anyone for "ThoughCrime" by erasing them from existence. Basically, Liberty has been crushed, and human rights were completely decimated in favor of a more controlled society. The Government's role is to manipulate your thoughts as well as your actions. It's a very sterile world with little to no progress. What really irks me is the thought of absolutely no free will. No moment is private. It's a totalitarian style government gone beyond mad. The most chilling thing lies within the message imprinted in the minds of every soul in Oceania. "War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength." 1984 really makes you think about the common phrase, "History is written by the victor". This world presents itself as ideal, but every congenital human right is obliterated. Do you guys think rendering a population into mindless drones is the only way to ever achieve a "efficient" society?
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What really got me thinking about this post was the fact that you brought a commonly used phrase, "History is written by the victor." to bring the story into a more realistic analysis. George Orwell like Baba in The Kite Runner seems to be making a social commentary on those who for power becomes thieves, stealing the truth for the majority or the 'losers'.
ReplyDeleteAs for answering your final question. Efficiency depends on the way you look at a society. For example, in The Kite Runner and still in practice in rural Middle Eastern villages, women are beat for minor 'indecencies' such as showing their ankles or shouting. For those who live in the villages, especially Taliban sympathizers, say that women in order to not dishonor the family have to be afraid. This can be comparable to the mindless drones that you talk about in 1984, just rather they are brain washed by customs and their perceptions of the Quran.