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perception vs reality
perception vs reality
school culture analysis
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For many situations there exists both a perceived version of the situation and an actual version of the situation. Usually, these two versions vary in some sense. Some people will be able to understand honestly happened, but the majority is unable to see the truth of a situation. They instead view an inaccurate representation of the definite situation. George Orwell’s Such, Such Were the Joys, Juliet Schor’s The Overspent American, and Loren Eiseley’s The Firmament of Time, show how the truth of a situation is hidden by a façade. In George Orwell’s Such, Such Were the Joys, the school Crossgates is perceived as a prestigious private school, when in fact its true operations run as a deceiving and disappointing institution. Orwell explained first how the institution’s standard of living was poorer quality than lower-class living. The narrator who came from a poor family retold that he “took a social step upwards by attending [Crossgates], and yet the standard of comfort was in every way far lower than in my own home, or indeed, than it would have been in a prosperous working-class home” (Orwell 434). Crossgates was perceived to have been a lavished place to reside, where the school kids would have top-notch residing quarters. Instead, the Crossgates boarding situation lacked all hospitability and had a lower standard of living than what would constitute as lower class. The ascetics of Crossgates were despicable, as well. The institute reeked of a pungent odor, as well as allowing the kids to live in a state of malnutrition. Orwell recalled that “it was not was not easy for me to think of my school-days without seeming to breathe in a whiff of something cold and evil-smelling” (Orwell 436), as well as “often repeated to us at Cr... ... middle of paper ... ...e two. Often times, the façades prove triumphant over the truth. However, if we want society to advance we must recognize that living a life of illusions will not get us there. We must break the façades to uncover the truth. In the words of the American academic leader Edward Levi, “The concept of reason itself appears as an artificial attempt to separate intellectual powers from the frustrations, emotions, and accidents which cause events; the concept of reason is viewed as facade to prevent change.” Works Cited Eiseley, Loren C. The Firmament of Time. Lincoln: University of Nebraska, 1999. Print. Orwell, George, and Richard Halworth Rovere. The Orwell Reader: Fiction, Essays, and Reportage. San Diego: Harcourt, Brace, 1984. Print. Schor, Juliet B. The Overspent American: Why We Want What We Don't Need. New York: HarperPerennial, 1999. Print.
Orwell, George. “Politics and the English Language.” George Orwell: Critical Essays. London: Harvill Secker: 2009. 270-286. Print.
Williams, Raymond (ed). Deutscher, Isaac: `1984 - The mysticism of cruelty' George Orwell: A collection of critical essays Prentice Hall Int. Inc. (1974)
Despite the best efforts of Richard Rodriguez and those like him, the gap between society’s public and private lives is getting noticeably smaller. As minds are changed and integrity (which has been described as the difference between words and actions) becomes the norm, the public personas of the people will much more closely match their private personas. These same people will finally be free from the needless shackles of regret. Society’s essential ingredients, truth and honesty, will be readily available for all those that currently lack them. Some day soon, the truth will set them free.
Orwell was an accurate analyst of social conditions in the 1930s in communicating issues of unemployment and social perceptions existing after the detrimental international economic halt provoked by the Wall Street market Crash of 1929. Leading into The Great Depression, Orwell gives a first-hand account of the living and working conditions of the working-class in Britain, gaining insight into ideologies different from what he had been taught in his middle-class upbringing. In his account, the economic upheaval in Britain provides a basis for social issues to be addressed through a physical engagement with the working-class.
Howe, Irving, and George Orwell. 1984 Revisited Totalitarianism in Our Century. New York: Harper & Row, 1983.
George Orwell’s horrifying novel entitled 1984 sets out what the end result of a totalitarian society may be. Orwell takes examples of inhumanity from past and existing totalitarian societies and shows the extremes that can be attained by the use of an all–embracing regime. Orwell accomplishes a sense of claustrophobia and inhumanity through a variety of literary techniques, his careful choice of language and by creating images in ones mind of this dull, intangible, sadistic world.
Deutscher, Isaac. “1984 – The Mysticism of Cruelty.” George Orwell: A Collection of Critical Essays. Ed. Raymond Williams. New York. Prentice Hall, Inc. 1974. 119
Falsehood and deception are traps that many people can find themselves in. Macbeth, a dynamic character in the play, encompasses this overarching idea brought to us by Shakespeare. He is easily influenced, in this case to do wrong, and this eventually leads to his downfall. Just like Macbeth was unable to, we too can’t hide our inmost self for long; the veil between your masks will tear and become revealed. In our lives, people tend to put on a false front in order to meet society’s intangible standards and to reach what society deems “successful”; in other words, people cover up their true identity and place a more “likeable” one to the forefront. We, as readers, can use discernment to distinguish deception and learn to beware of manipulation and deceit. We can learn that disguising our true selves will only lead to a road of consequences for everyone
George Orwell’s intent in the novel 1984 is to warn society about the results of a controlling and manipulative government by employing mood, conflict, and imagery.
”The values, beliefs and attitudes of George Orwell’s can easily be seen in the novel 1984, as no text is neutral. These values attitudes and beliefs have shaped the novel to reflect socio-cultural context and by the use of certain discourses, ideologies, and historical influences support the idea that) “The explanation of a work is always sought in the man or women who produced it “Bathes Roland (1977).
And he debates that the end of the Cold War is “an ideal context for a reassessment of Orwell 's political ideas” (Newsinger ix). Newsinger gives us a map of Orwell 's intellectual terrain, and deftly orientates the reader around the key Orwellian debates which run around the idea of war and revolution against inequality and dictatorship. He examines how Orwell 's politics developed in a changing world. Newsinger 's argument is that, although Orwell 's politics shifted throughout his lifetime, the one constant was his unwavering socialism. What detractors - and even some admirers - have missed is that he never ceased to write from within the left, attacking the betrayal of the revolution rather than the revolution
“There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn't true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true” (Kierkegaard)- Misleading oneself by accepting things as true or valid when they are not is a common phenomenon of nearly every human being, especially when faced with life changing of threatening situations. Self-deception can therefore be considered an option to escape reality in order to prevent oneself from dealing with the weight of a situation. Basically, those strong influencing psychological forces keep us from acknowledging a threatening situation or truth. However, oftentimes people do not realize that they are deceiving themselves, for it is mostly the action of the subconscious mind to protect especially the psychological well- being. This psychological state is depicted and in Ambrose Bierce’s short story “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”. He shows that people try to escape reality and seek refuge in self-deception when confronted with life-threatening situations, through characterization, alternate point of view, and the fluidity of time.
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.
Holistically, Kleist manages to imbue the notion that the presence of ambiguities serves as a hindrance to understanding and discovering the true nature of things as well as in defining one’s role within the constructs of a given society. In choosing to conform to society’s expectations and allowing oneself to remain incognizant about reality, people subject themselves to a sense of complacency and ignorance that can provide for detrimental results.
The beauty of Orwell’s writing lies within the two unwavering beliefs to which he most closely adhered. The first is his resolute dedication to the principles he supported. The second belief, his blatant refusal to bleach his opinions,