984 VS Brave New World - Which Resembles Life?
04-03-2015, 11:18 AM
Both, without doubt.
The books really aren't that different in terms of the themes they cover:
BNW-Bernard is an Alpha, constantly unsure of his position and authority because he doesn't look like one-ends up becoming a 'rebel'.
1984-Winston's endless musing on Party rank and the proles as fomenters of rebellion lead him to try and find out the reality of the past from the proles and eventually become a rebel.
Discontent with a status quo is what any totalitarian regime wants to supress, hence stratified society, whether rank, money, family-it's always there, keeping you striving to get up a rung or stay where you are, not happy but accepting.
BNW-Everyone is encouraged to buy new shit instead of repairing-"ending is better than mending".
1984-Every good has status attached to it-Inner Party coffee, etc-and the war encourages conspicuous production and consumption.
To support the economy and the ruling party's power, people produce stuff which is economically worthless but desirable, or they are forever chasing after necessaries in short supply and adding to the war effort (also prodincing desirable but worthless munitions) in the hope that it makes more available-razor blades, chocolate, whatever. Your every activity as a worker, consumer or participant is hemmed in, guided and controlled.
BNW-family is abolished and sex is as common and emotionally significant as taking a shit.
1984-family is fractured, threatened-look at Parson, Winston's neighbour-and genuine relationships, sexual or otherwise are discouraged as distracting from loyalty.
Totalitarian regimes want every citizen to look to them and nobody else as the object of love, fervour and loyalty. Ideas, not people.
BNW-most people can't wrap their heads around ideas-one newspaper is printed in one-syllable words, the Feelies are a medium that doesn't need to explain concepts. Language is destroyed.
1984-Newspeak is created to alter how everyone thinks and speaks, so that certain concepts can't be articulated. Language is destroyed.
Rebellion even in your head won't be allowed.
There's always a real-life equivalent if you look around. Orwell and Huxley didn't believe their dystopias would come to pass, but there's really nothing new under the sun in that regard, or many others in the political world.
The books really aren't that different in terms of the themes they cover:
BNW-Bernard is an Alpha, constantly unsure of his position and authority because he doesn't look like one-ends up becoming a 'rebel'.
1984-Winston's endless musing on Party rank and the proles as fomenters of rebellion lead him to try and find out the reality of the past from the proles and eventually become a rebel.
Discontent with a status quo is what any totalitarian regime wants to supress, hence stratified society, whether rank, money, family-it's always there, keeping you striving to get up a rung or stay where you are, not happy but accepting.
BNW-Everyone is encouraged to buy new shit instead of repairing-"ending is better than mending".
1984-Every good has status attached to it-Inner Party coffee, etc-and the war encourages conspicuous production and consumption.
To support the economy and the ruling party's power, people produce stuff which is economically worthless but desirable, or they are forever chasing after necessaries in short supply and adding to the war effort (also prodincing desirable but worthless munitions) in the hope that it makes more available-razor blades, chocolate, whatever. Your every activity as a worker, consumer or participant is hemmed in, guided and controlled.
BNW-family is abolished and sex is as common and emotionally significant as taking a shit.
1984-family is fractured, threatened-look at Parson, Winston's neighbour-and genuine relationships, sexual or otherwise are discouraged as distracting from loyalty.
Totalitarian regimes want every citizen to look to them and nobody else as the object of love, fervour and loyalty. Ideas, not people.
BNW-most people can't wrap their heads around ideas-one newspaper is printed in one-syllable words, the Feelies are a medium that doesn't need to explain concepts. Language is destroyed.
1984-Newspeak is created to alter how everyone thinks and speaks, so that certain concepts can't be articulated. Language is destroyed.
Rebellion even in your head won't be allowed.
There's always a real-life equivalent if you look around. Orwell and Huxley didn't believe their dystopias would come to pass, but there's really nothing new under the sun in that regard, or many others in the political world.
"The woman most eager to jump out of her petticoat to assert her rights is the first to jump back into it when threatened with a switching for misusing them,"
-Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary