1984 Main Idea/Purpose

[winterguardgirl]

Many people ask what the main idea or purpose of the book 1984 is. Well I feel the main purpose of this book is to show how much power the govenment has. The govenment has way to much power the people are afraid to talk to anyone because of the secret police. They are afraid that people will turn them in for the anything they say at any given time. In 1984 it doesnt matter who you are what you have people can turn you in to the secret police even children turn adults for things as Jr. Spies.

[cafolini]

Many people ask what the main idea or purpose of the book 1984 is. Well I feel the main purpose of this book is to show how much power the govenment has. The govenment has way to much power the people are afraid to talk to anyone because of the secret police. They are afraid that people will turn them in for the anything they say at any given time. In 1984 it doesnt matter who you are what you have people can turn you in to the secret police even children turn adults for things as Jr. Spies.

It never happened. It will never happen. It wasn't even about to happen. Pure propaganda on insane paranoia. It could never happen in USA because we wouldn't even let it get to a start. Check who won the election in USA and by what margin. Democracy cannot occur with the popular vote because the vote can be bought or coerced in primitive cultures. But we will globalize democracy. Promise you.

[Giraffe97]

I think the main idea is about the impact the government can have on our way of thinking. The people in this book live in fear because of Big Brother, this person they have never seen, but are told about. They also fear the Secret Police, an organization that anyone around them could be apart of. The government in the book can say anything they want to and it is believed. On page sixty-nine, it says " In the end the party would announce that two plus two made five, and you would have to believe it. "

[prettyprincess]

I agree with the thread previously posted by Giraffe97 because the govenment (Big Brother) has a huge impact on the citizens of Oceania, not to mention the overpowering control he has over his people. The situation in this book great resembles Nazi Germany, under the reign of Adolf Hitler, in 1932. Both leaders mulipulated their people by greatly inforcing propaganda, strict rules and extreme brainwashing of their people.

[essie]

I agree, with Giraffe97 I also believe that it has to do with showcasing the impact that government can have on its citizens... It shows the gullibility of people and thinking that "what the government says, goes".
The brainwashing thats taking place in the novel has historical relevance like metioned by prettyprincess, Orwell is explaining that that the munipulation of Big Brother affects Winston's clarity of his own thoughts.

[Belifilisk]

I believe that the book shows the extreme cases in which the subtle dangers of today are taken out of hand. For things like the uniformity of Newspeak, look at the average teen of the modern day. The basic vocabulary used along with slang makes most of them sound as if they were limited to the few words they know, never caring to variate sentences.

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

It looks like some high school class is hijacking the 1984 forum. Again.

Don't you guys have Blackboard?

[Teacher]

Mutatis-Mutandis...As an "Orwellian expert", I would have hoped you would be happy to see that young people are excited about studying this important work.

[kev67]

I'd have thought the main purpose of 1984 was to beware of demagogues mascquerading as national saviours. Remember at the time it was written Stalin was still in power in the USSR, Chairman Mao was taking over China, and Hitler and Mussolini had recently been defeated after six years of total war. Control of the media, censorship, re-writing the past, secret informants, plain denial of facts to suit ideology and mass murder were all methods used by different regimes over the 20th century. Today, the country most similar to the situation in 1984 is probably North Korea. There you have a national leader revered who is revered as a demi-god, a militaristic society, a corrupt political/military elite (I suspect), while the majority of North Koreans live close to poverty.

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

Mutatis-Mutandis...As an "Orwellian expert", I would have hoped you would be happy to see that young people are excited about studying this important work.

I don't believe I've ever claimed to be an "Orwellian expert."

If these kids stick around and continue to participate, great! But most usually come, make one post and then are gone. It's annoying. I don't know if some teacher makes them post here or what (you, maybe?), but it's happened a lot, and I don't see much enthusiasm in their posts, just the usual stuff high schoolers write when forced to (and I know, I've taught literature to high schoolers).

[Rabid Racoon]

Mutatis-Mutandis, if you were a teacher, and are annoyed with the limits of this conversation, why don't you add to it instead of scaring everyone away? Why do you think they don't reply and leave the forum, when people like you are so rude and condescending? You should be trying to create more interest, and helping students see beyond the "usual stuff."

kev67, thank you for sharing your opinion and adding to the conversation. I believe that you make an excellent point, and it could definitely be considered one of the most important ideas of the book.

I don't believe 1984 has a single purpose, or if it does, it depends on your paradigm and isn't a universal theme. I would say that the threat of a large government or a lack of emotion and communication are two of the most important ideas.

[Miggs]

Yo what the **** you tryina say ***** ill kick you off this forum so fast you wont uderstand the meaning of Diary of a Wimpy Kid

[Miggs]

A yo **** you too racoon

[Miggs]

kys fag

[Miggs]

It looks like some high school class is hijacking the 1984 forum. Again.

Don't you guys have Blackboard?

Yo kys you have no life sittin on a forum its goddamn 2012 go play mw2