Maximiliano Nino Mrs. Davis English Expository 3 March 2015 The Downfall of Big Brother The novel 1984, written by George Orwell, leaves the reader with an important question in mind. How did the government of Big Brother come to an end? Many will have theories of how such thing happened, but all theories can easily be narrowed down to four possibilities. In the novel, Emmanuel Goldstein explains with his book that the downfall of a government can be due to either: the takeover by a more powerful force, the inefficiency of the government to rule which causes the masses to revolt, the rising of the middle class which overthrows the higher classes and takes over, or the government losing interest in ruling and leaving power. However, the most ideal theory for how Big Brother came to an end is that the middle class, also known as the Outer Party, overthrew the government themselves and took over the power.
The Chrysalids, written by John Wyndham and published by Penguin Books in 1958 is a compelling tale that follows David Strorm, a boy living in a dystopian post nuclear apocalyptic society located in a place named Labrador. This society has no technology, cars or electric lights, however it is an intensely religious one, that obsesses on eliminating anything or anyone that is different from the norm. Believing that God’s image is absolute and anything different “is a blasphemy against the true Image of God, and hateful in the sight of God” this dystopian society goes through extreme lengths to weed out anything or persons that are even slightly different. The Chrysalids focuses intensely on the themes of change and evolution as Labrador attempts to stamp out such thing, while other settlements embraces them and argue for their worth and importance. As one character theorizes “The essential quality of life is living, the essential quality of living is change; Change is evolution.” In the next few paragraphs, using elements from the text such as setting, characterization and conflict, I will be closely examine how this statement, along with the themes of change and evolution is echoed and reflected in the text, The Chrysalids.
The only ones who will temporary gain from the egoism of the tiny few will be the Chinese , Russians and other authoritarian regimes. For them the demise of the western world is a good news and the revenge they have been waiting for so long. It will not last, as as something as to give, worldwide resources will give first. We will experienced the Mad Max scenario that Kalesky mention in his book with derision. And after a long period of decadence, wars, civil wars, famines, genocides and world descent into global chaos, yes things might start to change.
(Orwell, 36) Also, “‘Steamer!’ he yelled. ‘Look out, guv’nor! Bang over’ead! Lay down quick!’” (Orwell, 87) describes the critical state of how the citizens can live like this (The steamer in the 2nd quote means bomb). This is ironic because if in this society, if a war broke out, it would be the government and the officials who would pay the price, but in 1984, it is the citizens that are paying the price.
1984 is set in the oligarchical society of Oceania, where the state, led by the omnipresent figurehead of Big Brother, dominates the lives of individuals in order to forcefully fashion a community of conformity. Orwell represents the tension within power (particularly the emotive power to resist) and authority (the right to giver orders, make decisions and enforce obedience) in 1984 through a frail protagonist, narrative suspense, and evocative setting. Themes are explored that epitomize the interplay of power and authorities: constant monitoring, fabrication of history, assassination of language, and most importantly psychological manipulation. Motifs and symbols, such as doublethink, dust and Big Brother, also effectively aid in representing the concept of power and authority. To ensure an infallible reputation – a key requisite for totalitarian authority - The Party controls every source of information; they fabricate, alter and counterfeit any piece of evidence that interferes with the current story with which they are indoctrinating the public.
1984 is a dystopia, and a warning against many things which are satirised in its pages. The most obvious target is totalitarianism. There are obvious references to Soviet Communism (Big Brother even looks like Stalin! ), but naturally the totalitarian nature of Ingsoc is an exaggerated version. The surveillance devices are impossibly thorough given the technology Orwell shows in the book and the impossibility of keeping track of everyone—but they certainly convey the sense of fear and oppression, and the lack of privacy, which such totalitarianism would impose.
This is a world of Los Angeles 2019, where relationships seemed impossible, huge buildings dominate and no sense of the natural world exists. This is a totally man-made environment; no trees with endless buildings and man-made lights. The natural world and humanity are lost because “commerce is our goal here”. Visually, a psychological boundary is created by the panoramic shots of the world which resembles hell. Fires explode skyward, and the world is in a perpetual darkness – an endless night.
There is never a nice day here at the swap meet during the summer. The sun beats on your back at all hours of the day. And when the sun sets, then it’s the artificial rays coming from the fluorescent lights right above me. The drab, gray tarp covering our candy stand from three sides ensures that absolutely no fresh breeze ever reaches the disgruntled employees inside. You wouldn’t want to be comfortable at work, would you?
As the grisly and catastrophic days of World War II came to an end, the hearts of the European and Asian population grew with a new fear- the fear of the expansion of communism. Communism was a new system of rule. It was a system in which the state owned most of the wealth of the nation under one political party, and ownership of private property was very limited. Communism was first adopted by Russia in the year 1917, making it the first communist country in the world. At the end of World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union had worked together and defeated Nazi Germany and Japan.
Lack of proper materials will not effectively memorialize an event or person. The South Dakota Badlands was a monument “made of soft and crumbling sediment and ash” (Source C). Within a few years this monument will cease to exist and future generations will not be able to appreciate the South Dakota Badlands or what the monument was memorializing. This historical monument will be forever forgotten because of the improper materials that were used in constructing the South Dakota Badlands. Furthermore, “The Maine Lobsterman” was another monument built with improper materials.The statue lacked historical significance leading to its neglect and was “vandalized and ended up in a warehouse where it was eaten by rats” (Source F).