An overview of 1984 - 0 views
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Matthew Richardson on 09 Dec 10Argument: Although Orwell's dystopian vision has not been born out by Soviet-style communism, the author's fears about the ability of the state to control people is still a danger in modern society Claim: The all-seeing manifestation in 1984 of the Party's power has come to stand as a warning of the insidious nature of government-centralized power, and the way that personal freedoms, once encroached upon, are easily destroyed altogether Evidence: "Winston maintains two avenues of hope for a life outside the confines of the party" "One of these possibilities is conscious, spoken: the proles. One of these possibilities is conscious, spoken: the proles. Just as Marx foresaw, in the nineteenth century, that the Revolution would come from a spontaneous uprising of the proletariat as they shook off the chains of their oppressors, so Winston writes in his diary that if there is hope, it lies in this 85 percent of Oceania's population that exists outside the confines of the Party" "The second possibility remains mostly unspoken and unconscious: desire. It is this possibility, the momentary destruction of the Party through intimate union with another person, which solidifies Winston's relationship with Julia"