Similarities Between Orwell's 1984 and Western Religion
In most societies of the past, simple economy was the main motivation for class division and political systems. Those in power controlled the money, those with a means of providing for the economy or gaining money soon were in a position of greater power than those who did not. This general form can be traced from ancient Greece to our present society. The methods by which the status quo or parameters of the system were maintained differs from case to case, however. Some were more open to change, giving opportunities to those able to rise in class. Some societies, most notably "democratic" political systems, were maintained by giving the individual the feeling that he or she is contributing personally to the society. Capitalism as an economic method gives the individual the motivation to succeed, which in turn keeps the economy moving. This is true for any social system: the members must have some motivation to continue the institution in its presented form, or either change or collapse would ensue.
An unusual system which came about in Europe during the Dark Ages was one in which the Catholic church was the unified authority. Some would contest that the church was subordinate to the local ruler, but the fact remains that virtually every region in Western Europe had a church in common, while their differing rulers were not necessarily so uniform. What was interesting about this system was the methods by which it maintained itself; the tactics by which it encouraged individual involvement in and acceptance of the larger affair. The methods the church used then to preserve its political power can also be analyzed on a present-day level, determining any gi...
... middle of paper ...
...m....
Works Cited and Consulted:
Brown, and Oldsey. ed. Critical Essays on George Orwell. Boston: G. K. Hall & Co., 1986.
Crick, Bernard. George Orwell, A Life. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1980.
Fox, Alistair. Thomas More, History and Providence. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1983.
Jones, Judith P. Evolution of Western Religion. Boston: G. K. Hall & Co., 1979.
Marius, Richard. "Religion as Mirror for a Life and Times." 1999. http://www.humanities.ualberta.ca/emls/iemls/conf/texts/marius.html (14 Oct. 2001).
Meyers, Jeffrey. ed. George Orwell, The Critical Heritage. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1975.
Orwell, George. Nineteen Eighty-Four. London: Secker & Warburg, 1965.
Singh, Paras Mani. George Orwell as a Political Novelist. Delhi: Amar Prakashan, 1987.
I strongly agree with Fromm’s viewpoints and interpretations of Orwell’s 1984 text. He warns that the future federal powers will dehumanize society and leave everyone alienated. Thus, I agree with Fromm to the extent that he acknowledges the fact that humanity can indeed cease to exist as a result of our own self-destruction as well as the effect of our actions. Many of his opinions and warnings expressed by Orwell to an extent appear in contemporary society.
1984 takes place in an alternate-reality future where after World War 2, the world was divided into three main nations: Eastasia, Eurasia, and the super-country, Oceania. The book is set in Oceania in the year 1984, in the city of London, Airstrip One. Oceania is in a constant state of war against the two other countries, with bombings occurring daily and the living conditions extremely poor – very little food, very little clothing, and broken down housing. The Party rules over Oceania, with telescreens in almost every room that monitor every move a person makes, as well as anything they say. Posters hang everywhere with the phrase – BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU.
Between the poem, ¨ No one died in Tiananmen Square¨ by William Lutz and the novel, 1984 by George Orwell there are multiple similarities. Subjects such as their government, their denial of history, and the use of doublethink and re-education are all parallel between the novel and the poem. For instance, both the governments have a highly strict government. Their governments are so controlling of their people that they use brute force in order to help re-educate them. For example, in 1984 the main character, Winston Smith was trying to go against their government, The Party, and because he tries to do so, he is placed in The Ministry of Love and brutally beaten by the man whom he assumed was a part of the Brotherhood, O'Brien. O'Brien claimed
North Korea, China, and even Cuba are similar to 1984. They try to control their people just the same as in 1984, and just like in Jonestown. The only people who were free in 1984 were the Proles. The community in Jonestown began as everyone wanting to be there, and then as conditions worsened the people wanted to leave. They were not allowed to, much like 1984. The people in both situations are similar, in that they are oppressed by their governments, but only the people in Jonestown are given the ability to think they are even able to
“Religion and the Founding of the American Republic.” Library of Congress. Accessed May 14, 2014. http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/rel04.html.
...titutional. The opinion of the court was delivered by Justice Black, he states: “there is, and can be, no dispute about the purpose or effect of the Maryland Declaration of Rights requirement before us -- it sets up a religious test which was designed to, and, if valid, does, bar every person who refuses to declare a belief in God from holding a public "office of profit or trust" in Maryland. The power and authority of the State of Maryland thus is put on the side of one particular sort of believers -- those who are willing to say they believe in "the existence of God.”
The demigods of American civil religion are the founding fathers. Men such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin would all fit into this category.
When viewing the history of the United States of America and that of its revolution, it is plain to see that the United States owes a large amount of credence to its religious aspirations. The colonies were vibrant in religious practices. Some were more fundamentalist and some were more lax in their convictions. The one thing that was common though is that there was dissention and rebellion in their roots.
Howe, Tom. "George Orwell." British Writers Volume VII. Ed. Ian Scott-Kilvert. New York: Scribner, 1984. 273-287.
When George Orwell’s epic novel 1984 was published in 1949 it opened the public’s imagination to a future world where privacy and freedom had no meaning. The year 1984 has come and gone and we generally believe ourselves to still live in “The Land of the Free;” however, as we now move into the 21st Century changes brought about by recent advances in technology have changed the way we live forever. Although these new developments have seamed to make everyday life more enjoyable, we must be cautious of the dangers that lie behind them for it is very possible that we are in fact living in a world more similar to that of 1984 than we would like to imagine.
Works Cited for: Orwell, George. 1984. The 'Standard' of the ' London: Penguin Books, 2008. Print. The.
Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2004. Orwell, George. A. A. 1984. The. New York, NY: Signet Classics, 1977. Print.
Magill, Frank N. Ed. “Nineteen Eighty-Four” Masterpieces of World Literature. New York NY: Harper Collins Publishers, 1989. 582-585. Orwell, George.
Based on the two essays, George Orwell is a vivid writer who uses a unique point of view and strong themes of pride and role playing to convey his messages. His writings are easy to pick out because of the strengths of these messages. Just like politicians in government, people with power turn corrupt to stay in power and keep their reputations. Anyone who takes on power must be prepared to live with the consequences of his actions. Orwell knows this challenge well and conveys this principle in his writing. After all, his narration is based on real life experiences and not fictional fantasies.
The Roman Catholic Church had complete influence over the lives of everyone in medieval society, including their beliefs and values. The Church’s fame in power and wealth had provided them with the ability to make their own laws and follow their own social hierarchy. With strong political strength in hand, the Church could even determine holidays and festivals. It gained significant force in the arts, education, religion, politics as well as their capability to alter the feudal structure through their wealth and power. The Church was organised into a hierarchical system that sustained the Church’s stability and control over the people and lower clergy, by organising them into different groups.