George Orwell s Dystopian Fiction - 879 Words

Right now, each and every one of you reading this sentence is in fact under a form of mind control. I have entered words in the form of text which your brain interprets with relatively objective agreed upon meanings. I am making your brain say things, for example: monkeybutt. An elephant in a tutu. Peanut butter pickle sandwiches. I will hold my maniacal laughter to the end. In all seriousness though, there are various schools of thought about mind control in dystopian fiction, and the role that it plays in the narrative arc of each story. Here are the two main points of view as I see them. Involuntary Mind Control This form of mind control in dystopian fiction typically comes up in terms of how an all-encompassing totalitarian regime maintains its iron grip upon its oppressed people...or how it doesn’t. To give a brief definition, involuntary mind control is any form of manipulation of the populace that deprives them of free will or choice overtly and deliberately. This echoes many Cold War era fears of Communist Re-Education Camps in places such as Maoist China or Stalinist Russia. This form of mind control is the brute force alteration of a person’s ability to choose and act for their own interest, and instead is forced to act out the will and choices of others, typically a government or central authority figure. Case in point would be Veronica Roth’s Divergent series: the intellectual caste of society creates a form of mind control that allows them to program theShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Sherman Alexie s Lone Ranger And Tonto Fistfight Heaven 1598 Words   |  7 P agesIn all mediums of storytelling alike, there is always the question of if the author is being truthful about the information they are giving. This includes the lessons told through the story of morality in fiction, historical fiction, or anything related to such topics. Consequently, most books read in popular culture have a lesson; novels are a form of education. An example of this has been shown through Sherman Alexie’s Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. In this novel, he attempts to shedRead MoreThe Cold War And The Soviet Union s Sphere Of Influence1611 Words   |  7 PagesThe public s fear of the destruction of mankind at the hands of two rival, nuclear powers was manifested in American dystopian fiction written during the Cold War. Suspicion of the Soviet Union s communist intentions combined with the possibility of military catastrophe (Kissinger, 15) inspired novelists to document the complex relationships between The United State and Russia, democracy an d communism, and man and technology. The Cold War era as depicted in dystopian novels of the time wasRead MoreAnalysis Of Sherman Alexie s Lone Ranger And Tonto Fistfight Heaven 1534 Words   |  7 PagesIn all mediums of story telling alike, there is always the question of if the author is being truthful about the information they are giving. This includes the lessons told through the story of morality in fiction, historical fiction, or anything related to such topics. However, most books read in popular culture have a lesson; novels are a form of education. An example of this can be shown through Sherman Alexie’s Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. In this novel, he attempts to shed lightRead MoreAnimal Farm, By George Orwell876 Words   |  4 PagesFather of dystopian genre, George Orwell writes an interesting allegory, Animal Farm, including common themes and symbols relating to modern-day political events. Eric Arthur Blair, with a pen name of George Orwell, was born on June 25, 1903 (George Orwell.). Blair described his young life as boring and dull, and his dad was never around (George Orwell Biography.). He was taught in England and then joined the Indian Imperial Police in Burma, one of the British colonies (George Orwell.). OrwellRead MoreA Utopia By George Orwell1477 Words   |  6 Pagesuntil after they have rebelled they cannot become conscious† (Orwell 72). This quote shows that the people in the society of a dystopia often do not even realize they are not living in an ideal society. A utopia turns into a dystopia when the members of society are unaware that they have little control over themselves and their well being. Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows† (Orwell 84). If people can say what they want and feel, then theyRead More1984 Motifs and Symbols1040 Words   |  5 Pagesis brought to a total dysto pian world, where the planet is ruled by an absolute rule government. In Gorge Orwell ¡Ã‚ ¯s dark vision of this frightening future, where the power-mad few rules over the land by manipulating the mind of the masses though the use of language, hatred, and physical pain. This work is a cautionary tale against totalitarianism and potential totalitarianism. Perhaps the most powerful fiction novel in the twentieth century, demonstrated to how Winston Smith ¡Ã‚ ¯s individual characteristicRead MoreAnalysis Of The Novel 1984 By George Orwell1602 Words   |  7 PagesCan anyone recall a time in history more dystopian than the upside-down society that is Nazi-Germany? While no other time period comes close, the novel we have been reading in class deals vigorously with dystopian society. 1984, by George Orwell, is a dystopian, fiction-based book that features a main character named Winston Smith, a girl named Julia, and many others who come together to make for a very intense storylin e and an intriguing read. It takes place in Oceania, in 1984, while it was writtenRead More1984 Dystopian Essay1392 Words   |  6 Pages 1984 is written by George Orwell and published on June 8, 1949. It s genre is dystopian is dystopian and utopian fiction. 1984 could also be considered a work of political fiction. It is written in the literary period of modernism. Modernism originates in the late 19th and early 20th century mainly in North America and Europe. It is characterized by it s intentional break from traditional ways of writing both in prose fiction and poetry. George Orwell is the pen name of Eric BlairRead MoreNineteen Eighty Four By George Orwell Essay1601 Words   |  7 PagesBook Review for Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell Jason Lee December 12, 2015 SECTION A Date published June 8, 1949 City where published London, England Publisher Secker Warburg Number of pages 267 SECTION B Summary of your book (key details only...address the beginning, middle, and end of the book) Nineteen Eighty-Four takes place in the fictional nationRead MoreCensorship in 1984 by George Orwell1321 Words   |  6 Pagesor embarrassing documents, photographs, transcripts, or other records, such as from a web site or other archive, particularly as part of an attempt to give the impression that something never happened. The concept was first popularized by George Orwells dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. In Nineteen Eighty-Four the memory hole is a small chute leading to a large incinerator used for censorship In the walls of the cubicle there were three orifices. To the right of the speak write, a small pneumatic