What evidence exists in 1984 that exists in 2008?

[booksbooks]

Sorry to bother anyone with this but my teacher is killing me with this dumb essay question. I'm not really sure what quotes I should provide for this essay. The only similarity that I see is the manipulation of the media and how it distracts the proles from knowing what's going on then I have to compare how it's similar today in America of 2008 and that's all I have. Are there two other things that resemble 1984 today besides the media frying our brains with nonsense information?

[The Atheist]

Sorry to bother anyone with this but my teacher is killing me with this dumb essay question. I'm not really sure what quotes I should provide for this essay. The only similarity that I see is the manipulation of the media and how it distracts the proles from knowing what's going on then I have to compare how it's similar today in America of 2008 and that's all I have. Are there two other things that resemble 1984 today besides the media frying our brains with nonsense information?

Your teacher is officially an idiot. This is perhaps the dumbest approach I could think of taking to 1984.

But saying it's probably not going to win you any grades!

:D

Here are two for you to follow up on:

CCTV coverage, in England especially.

The ability web prgrams have to track and watch our every online move and the enormous databases of personal information Google and others build up.

[booksbooks]

Thanks so much for the tip. I can definately add that into my essay.

and yea I agree with you on the teacher bit. Apparently I've been hearing about how great this book is but I don't think this teacher is making me love it too much.

[lukgem]

How about the constant war in Oceania and its almost non existence in reality, and the war on terror of today that has no quantifiable effect but has bought about the Patriot act in the usa and an even more authoritarian style of politics to Britain and an air of constant fear. I have heard that you are more likely to be struck by lightening twice than be the victim of a terrorist. Yet our everyday lives are ruled by this war on terror as was in Oceania.

Also i would add that what i have learnt from present readings is that you may have to look to Spain to see what exists of 1984 in 2008. It seems Orwell used his experiences of being a part of the POUM movement in the war against Fascism in the mid to late 30's as a template for post revolutionary Oceania. The clothing they wore, different colour overalls according to politics, the chance of a working class rule which slipped back into a bourgeois model. The fear of the secret police which he felt when the POUM was outlawed by the government and the constant food shortage was a constant theme of Homage to Catalonia. This was revoloution and Orwell sucked it all in and adapted it to what he felt may be the future if this model was imposed on the English speaking world.

I agree a stupid question from an English teacher, a question that does not actually make sense, it is ambiguous and extremely general. I do wonder whether some teachers actually have any passion for literature at all or maybe they would rather just be watching a film of a book! Thankfully this is not enough to thwart the knowledge bug that can be fed through the written word.

[booksbooks]

How about the constant war in Oceania and its almost non existence in reality, and the war on terror of today that has no quantifiable effect but has bought about the Patriot act in the usa and an even more authoritarian style of politics to Britain and an air of constant fear. I have heard that you are more likely to be struck by lightening twice than be the victim of a terrorist. Yet our everyday lives are ruled by this war on terror as was in Oceania.

Also i would add that what i have learnt from present readings is that you may have to look to Spain to see what exists of 1984 in 2008. It seems Orwell used his experiences of being a part of the POUM movement in the war against Fascism in the mid to late 30's as a template for post revolutionary Oceania. The clothing they wore, different colour overalls according to politics, the chance of a working class rule which slipped back into a bourgeois model. The fear of the secret police which he felt when the POUM was outlawed by the government and the constant food shortage was a constant theme of Homage to Catalonia. This was revoloution and Orwell sucked it all in and adapted it to what he felt may be the future if this model was imposed on the English speaking world.

I agree a stupid question from an English teacher, a question that does not actually make sense, it is ambiguous and extremely general. I do wonder whether some teachers actually have any passion for literature at all or maybe they would rather just be watching a film of a book! Thankfully this is not enough to thwart the knowledge bug that can be fed through the written word.

George Orwell is such a smart person. Now that I vaguely think about the history back then, you are right. It's probably another thing I can add onto the side. I was also maybe thinking about saying that these things that is happened in the novel may not be happening right now but it seems like it will come as our technology advances.:idea:

Thank you

[lukgem]

George Orwell is such a smart person. Now that I vaguely think about the history back then, you are right. It's probably another thing I can add onto the side. I was also maybe thinking about saying that these things that is happened in the novel may not be happening right now but it seems like it will come as our technology advances.:idea:

Thank you

Just a quick one but i think you are correct leaders are poltically very astute people. They will try to initiate an almost totalitarian political state but they will dress it up in a new guise,not Goldsteins book, something thats cool. I think its like boiling a live animal but turning up the heat one degree at a time, before it realises its to hot poor things been boiled.
We will have stagnation of the proletariat and borgeios with environmentalism.
Also we are in a depression at present, what might be the best way to kick start the economy, i know how about constant world war.
Also the rats of Catalonia still exist today, thats where Orwell developed his fear i think and transposed it into Winston and room 101

There were rats, rats as big as flipping cats
in the store, in the store,
There were rats rats as big as flipping cats
In the Quatermasters store.

Sung in Catalonia,1937-1984-2008

[delta-fan]

Have you seen the TV show 'Big Brother'?

[bazarov]

You shouldn't watch that; it's for dummies.

[The Atheist]

You shouldn't watch that; it's for dummies.

I'll just expand on that a little...

Big Brother is a cynically exploitative attempt to create reality by scripting a program with no production or moral values, ultimately creating an illusory reality only believed by a few gullible die-hard fans.

Please, read a book. Hell, read the telephone book in preference to watching Big Brother.

Yes, it's Australia's greatest invention since using milk cans for armour, but it'll rot your brain.