Many modern stories appear to parallel classic novels. While the setting may be the same, or even the initial conflict, the modern story can still present new content that differs from the novel it was inspired by. Alan Moore’s graphic novel, V for Vendetta, appears to be heavily influenced by George Orwell’s novel, Nineteen Eight-Four. Both stories, set in dystopian future Englands, have a government that controls the populace through fear and manipulation, but similarities between these two stories are superficial. V for Vendetta is different from Nineteen Eight-Four because of the stories’ atmospheres, empowerment of the protagonists, and rebirth.
The tone in both stories is initially one of hopelessness. Winston and Evey each become disillusioned with their governments, and strive to fight back after falling in with charismatic conspirators, but the results are quite dissimilar. Winston is forced to accept that he has been ineffective at every turn, and never had any real chance of affecting a change, while Evey witnesses a genuine catalyst take place, and is inspired to continue fighting. This feeling of hope is not only germinated in the story’s protagonist, the general public is moved by V’s actions. The ultimate lessons from these stories are polar opposites; in V for Vendetta there is still hope despite all efforts to crush it, but in Nineteen Eight-Four there is no hope despite all efforts to start it.
The ability to make a difference is itself a difference between these fictional worlds. Orwell’s government is a self-perpetuating machine, and the steps are already in place to ensure its continued existence no matter who is in charge or what the political climate becomes; there is no single head that can be severed from a seat of power to disable or cripple that government. Winston and Julia try to be more than just victims of their environment but ultimately fail, because one person, two people, or even a revolution cannot undo the system. Society’s participation in that government is marginalized to the point that it makes no difference who opposes it. In contrast, Moore’s fascist state is run by a single man atop the pyramid of power, and when he is toppled, there is no one in a clear position to assume control. Evey and V are successful in their opposition, because in the world of V for Vendetta, one man can make a difference, even if that difference is only to serve as an inspiration for others to make their own differences.
The book Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and the movie V for Vendetta both take place in a dystopian future. Each one very different, but similar dystopian societies with many similar aspects such as luring citizens into false happiness, censoring citizens from different forms of literature, and characters who can really see behind the government’s façade and tell what is wrong with society. Similarity between the two ranges from meek things such as a similar setting with both societies residing in London, or more intricate things like similarities between the governments. Since the beginning of mankind humans have long since craved for a feeling of belonging and to be a part of something. Over the long history of mankind this same feeling has led to the growth of civilizations and societies. Eventually leading up to modern day societies with governments such as republics, dictatorships, and democracies. Each with its own different ways of
The book that will be reviewed is Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury. The author used the effect of parallelism extremely well by showing the similarities of both then and now. In the following paragraphs we're going to encounter these parallelisms, we will compare the book to the time period in which it was written, and our own time period post September 11. Before we can do this we must first get to know the author and the era in which it was based off of just a bit.
V for Vendetta is a great movie to watch in Civics class. It is a perfect film to discuss issues related to civics as it talks about citizen’s duty to overthrow corruption and more. As it is set against the ‘futuristic landscape of a totalitarian Britain’, this story focuses on a young working-class woman named Evey. In the event of being in a life-death situation, she meets V who rescues her. V makes her realize that she has the potential to do anything she desires and discovers the truth about herself as well as V. This movie is covered with various relations to Civics.
...es of individuals can be used to explore a broader social wrong, in this case the injustice of a totalitarian government. Both authors use their protagonists to depict how a dictatorial state can destroy all sense of individuality, Orwell by presenting Winston in his fight against “The Party” and Niccol by depicting Vincent in his battle against society. Both authors also use individuals, who must isolate themselves in order to survive to expose how an unjust authoritative government can manufacture isolation. Orwell and Niccol also present conflicting views on the possibility of individual rebellion in an oppressive society, reflected by the success of Vincent and failure of Winston. In their prophetic dystopian texts both George Orwell and Andrew Niccol use the experiences of their protagonists to explore the broad social wrong of a totalitarian government.
In the novel 1984, written by George Orwell, there is a place called Oceania where the government is Big Brother. The government, the Party, and the Thought Police are constantly oppressing the citizens of Oceania. Most of the people don't know that they are being oppressed, but the two main characters, Julia and Winston, realize the oppression and don't stand for it. Winston and Julia absolutely hate the Party, and are constant breaking its “rules”. Julia is self-centered and resists the Party by doing rebellious acts that only affect her in a positive way. Similarly, Winston also does small acts of rebellion in the beginning of the book in ways that only relate to him. Later, Winston rebels for a greater cause, joining the Brotherhood to
In 1984, children are exposed to depravation by government ideals, and are taught to expose all insurgence. In Vendetta, children are born into a media-corrupted world, unknowing of deprivation by lacking exposure. These negate the modern belief that children learn beliefs and ideas unbiasedly. Without communication, relationships in 1984 are restricted, thereby maturation is controlled. To mature, Winston used a diary, visited illegal places and engaged in an illegal relationship to grow his confidence in his experiences. In Vendetta, people do not mature intellectually, attributable to controlled communication. V matures his character through illegal practices; by murdering for liberation, and engaging in a relationship with Evey Hammond. In 1984, relationships between people are forced for procreation, or are amicable to government ideals. Winston's desperation for emotion and connection lead him to engage with Julia, who assists Winston’s psychological insurgency. V serendipitously encountered Evey, who dependently aids V’s emotional understanding of a civilian's perspective of his actions. Both females helped mature the protagonists’ critical life experiences, analogously with modern human values to support and love others. The evaluative question, ‘what is the good life?’ is evaluated in 1984, with Winston’s perspective being nonsynthetic food, freedom, real history and the ability of expression. Similarly in Vendetta, V convincingly claimed that society too often, “Appreciate the comforts of everyday routine, the security of the familiar, the tranquility of repetition”, thus indicating ignorance of governmental corruption. 1984 Londoners are ashen ascribable to the permanent presence of dust, providing an atmosphere of inevitability, where dust asphyxiates Winston's spirit. Working 60 hour weeks and earning little
George Orwell has created two main characters that have conflicting traits believe in the idea of love in a world where it is forbidden. Although both are secret rebels of the Party and share the same hatred for the Party’s totalitarian power, Julia and Winston display a remarkable number of differences between each other. The differences between them include their morality, their motivation towards the rebellion, and their personalities.
According to Neil Postman’s Amusing Ourselves to Death, Orwell’s 1984 and Huxley’s Brave New World both predicted that society would eventually be governed by a global totalitarian system; however, the key difference between both their predictions is the method by which society’s cognizance would be undermined. Orwell claimed that contemporary society would be controlled by overt modes of policing and supervising the social hierarchy, whereas Huxley stated that society’s infatuation with entertainment and superficial pleasure alone would be enough for the government to have absolute control over the public. Unfortunately, today’s society is not an Animal Farm. All jokes aside, Postman’s assertion of Huxley’s theory, “what
There are lots of ways to compare 1984 by George Orwell to Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. They both have to do with very futuristic ideas.
The dystopian novel “1984” and the movie “V for Vendetta”, share a variety of differences and similarities. Both have a totalitarian government in which they have absolute power over politics, religion and human rights. Extensive speech, critical thinking, thoughtful writing, and voice of opinion has either been restricted or limited in 1984’s Oceania and V for Vendetta’s future London. The protagonists in both novels and films have “resisted” their government. However, the methods used to employ their “rebellion” are quite different.
In the novel 1984, Orwell produced a social critique on totalitarianism and a future dystopia that made the world pause and think about our past, present and future. When reading this novel we all must take the time to think of the possibility that Orwell's world could come to pass. Orwell presents the concepts of power, marginalization, and resistance through physical, psychological, sexual and political control of the people of Oceania. The reader experiences the emotional ride through the eyes of Winston Smith, who was born into the oppressive life under the rule of Ingsoc. Readers are encouraged through Winston to adopt a negative opinion on the idea of communist rule and the inherent dangers of totalitarianism. The psychological manipulation and physical control are explored through Winston's journey, and with Winston's resistance and ultimate downfall, the reader is able to fully appreciate O'Briens reasoning, "Power is not a means, it is an end."
There are many characters in the novel 1984. These characters all rebel in separate and distinctive ways from each other. In George Owell’s not so sanguine vision of the year 1984 from his standpoint in 1949, he tells of a dreary future of what the world was becoming. In this future, no one has the right to anything, including free speech, freedom of press or even freedom of thought. Even the details like the history of the known world are changed by a corrupt and ever growing political party, which is managed and run by un-emotional and odious officials. From Julia, who rebels by purely simple, sexual acts, to Winston, who dreams to overthrow the party; all the characters have their own personal way of dealing with the oppression.
In the novel 1984, George Orwell predicts the world’s future, when human rights, such as freedom of speech, do not exist anymore. Everyone has to obey the government. The government controls its citizens’ lives. No one speaks up against the government yet because they do not even have a chance to make up a thought about it. The government dominates the citizens’ thoughts by using technologies and the thought polices to make sure no one will have any thoughts, that is against the government. George Orwell wrote:“Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows,” (Orwell.2.7.69) the government tries to control Winston knowledge and change it to fit into the purpose of the Party. To Winston, O’Brien said: “Whatever the Party holds to be truth is truth. It is impossible to see reality except by looking through the eyes of the Party.” (Orwell.3.2.205). As a citizen, no one get to look at or tal...
Much can happen in a matter of minutes; a man can go from thinking he is happy to thinking his life is falling apart, or can change from hating someone to loving them. These experiences sound outlandish, but they happened to Guy Montag, the main character in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, and Winston Smith, the main character in George Orwell’s 1984. These two dystopian novels are about the characters discovering major problems in their societies, and then trying to fix them. Montag lives in a society where television controls people’s lives and books have become illegal. On the other hand Smith lives in Oceania, a territory led by a totalitarian regime. This regime is headed by Big Brother and is referred to as the Party. By examining Fahrenheit 451 and 1984, it is seen, not only through the dehumanized nature of society, but also through the theme of lies and manipulation that both Orwell and Bradbury wish to warn of a horrifying future society.
Authors often use their works as a way to express their own opinions and ideologies. However, it is the skill of the author that determines whether these ideas are combined with the plot seamlessly, making a creative transition of ideas from the author’s mind, to the reader’s. There is no doubt that George Orwell is a masterful writer, and one of his most popular works, 1984, clearly expresses his negative views of the Totalitarian government. A common theme in the dystopian society in 1984 is betrayal: The Party is very intolerant towards any form of disloyalty, and anyone who plots against them or Big Brother will eventually either betray their own mind and accept Big Brother as their leader, or be betrayed and revealed to The Party by one of their so-called comrades. Overall, Orwell is using this constant theme of betrayal to show how alone and alienated the protagonist (Winston Smith) is in his quest against Totalitarianism, thus showing how flawed and hopeless the political system is.