O'Brien, Winston, Julia, and countless other citizens of the distopian society in 1984 are members of the anti-party organization named "The Brotherhood". The goal of the Brotherhood is the ultimate demise of the Party. members of the Brotherhood must "give [their] lives [...] commit murder [...] betray [their countries [...]" (172) and ultimately sacrifice their entire lives to the rebellious society. In the world today, in reality, there exists a group of people who's beliefs are very similar to those of the Brotherhood. The hacker-activist ('hacktivist') group Anonymous works, very similarly to the Brotherhood, as an immeasurable entity who's goal is to bring down the system and protect individual rights. While the Brotherhood aims to bring down the oppression of the Ingsoc Party, Anonymous strives to maintain individual freedom and privacy on the expansive 'world' of the internet. The biggest connection between the two groups is their main ideas. The Brotherhood states that, "The Brotherhood cannot be wiped out because it is not and organization in the ordinary sense. Nothing holds it together except an idea which is indestructible" (176). Anonymous, likewise, adheres to the idea that "you cannot arrest and idea" (twitter.com/atopiary) as tweeted by Anonymous hackivist "Topiary" shorty after being detained for internet crimes (forbes.com). The appearence of groups like Anonymous can prove how society today is beginning to emulate the oppressive nature of the Ingsoc Party. Governments around the world, such as the United States Government, are wanting more and more control over their citizens. Actions of US organizations such as the National Security Agency and US bills such as SOPA and PIPA (internet regulation bills) show examples of governments wanting more and more control over their citizens, just as the Party did to Oceania (rt.com) (thomas.loc.gov). Actions of Anonymous and of the Brotherhood have doubleplusgood intentions in bringing freedom to citizens.
Sources:
-https://twitter.com/atopiary
-http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2011/07/27/scotland-yard-announces-lulzsec-hacker-topiary- arrested-in-u-k/
-http://rt.com/usa/news/nsa-whistleblower-binney-drake-978/
-http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:h.r.03261:
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
1984 #3
In 1984, by George Orwell, the confusion of the distopian society is exemplified by the fragile border between life and death by the Though Police. In such a word as the one Winston lives in, any dislike towards the government is a death sentence. Those who know too much, those who think too much, and those who are suspicious of Big Brother are doomed to "vaporization". Winston considers himself as one of these people set for ultimate termination. While eating lunch at the Ministry, Winston ponders those who will likely perish. He thinks,
"Mrs Parsons would be vaporized. Syme would be vaporized. Winston would be vaporized. O’Brien would be vaporized. Parsons, on the other hand, would never be vaporized. The eyeless creature with the quacking voice would never be vaporized. The little beetle-like men who scuttle so nimbly through the labyrinthine corridors of Ministries they, too, would never be vaporized. And the girl with dark hair, the girl from the Fiction Department — she would never be vaporized either. It seemed to him that he knew instinctively who would survive and who would perish: though just what it was that made for survival, it was not easy to say" (61).
While it is easy for Winston to distinguish who will be killed, it is extremely difficult for him to figure out why. Winston cannot determine what traits allow for survivability and this shows the corrupt nature of the society he is in. Any wrongdoings lead to being killed, however not all wrongdoings are set in stone. The laws that Big Brother has put in place only account for so many things; the Thought Police prosecute those who break unwritten laws as well. The thin line between lawful and unlawful shows the true distopian nature of 1984's London. There is no way to dertermine true right from wrong.
"Mrs Parsons would be vaporized. Syme would be vaporized. Winston would be vaporized. O’Brien would be vaporized. Parsons, on the other hand, would never be vaporized. The eyeless creature with the quacking voice would never be vaporized. The little beetle-like men who scuttle so nimbly through the labyrinthine corridors of Ministries they, too, would never be vaporized. And the girl with dark hair, the girl from the Fiction Department — she would never be vaporized either. It seemed to him that he knew instinctively who would survive and who would perish: though just what it was that made for survival, it was not easy to say" (61).
While it is easy for Winston to distinguish who will be killed, it is extremely difficult for him to figure out why. Winston cannot determine what traits allow for survivability and this shows the corrupt nature of the society he is in. Any wrongdoings lead to being killed, however not all wrongdoings are set in stone. The laws that Big Brother has put in place only account for so many things; the Thought Police prosecute those who break unwritten laws as well. The thin line between lawful and unlawful shows the true distopian nature of 1984's London. There is no way to dertermine true right from wrong.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
1984 #2
The hypocrisy of Winston's job and his thoughts shows how the world in which Winston lives is extremely distorted and mangled. In the novel 1984, the thoughts and beliefs of the protagonist Winston are explored. He feels that the world he lives in now is much different that the world he grew up in as a boy. Winston is upset with the lies and propaganda that the government spread. He knows things that the government lied about but has no way to prove it,
"The Party said that Oceania had never been in alliance with Eurasia. He, Winston Smith, knew that Oceania had been in alliance with Eurasia as short a time as four years ago. But where did that knowledge exist? Only in his own consciousness, which in any case must soon be annihilated" (34)
Winston knows that the government's lies are wrong. He knows that the government represses facts and erases any proof of events that the government deems wrong. However, it is Winston's own job to change the facts and "[bring] the past up to date". The thing that Winston hates so much is what he does for a living. This behavior emulates the hypocritical society in which Winston lives; where "WAR IS PEACE" "FREEDOM IS SLAVERY" and "IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH". The juxtaposition of either side enhances the feeling of a true dystopian society.
"The Party said that Oceania had never been in alliance with Eurasia. He, Winston Smith, knew that Oceania had been in alliance with Eurasia as short a time as four years ago. But where did that knowledge exist? Only in his own consciousness, which in any case must soon be annihilated" (34)
Winston knows that the government's lies are wrong. He knows that the government represses facts and erases any proof of events that the government deems wrong. However, it is Winston's own job to change the facts and "[bring] the past up to date". The thing that Winston hates so much is what he does for a living. This behavior emulates the hypocritical society in which Winston lives; where "WAR IS PEACE" "FREEDOM IS SLAVERY" and "IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH". The juxtaposition of either side enhances the feeling of a true dystopian society.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
'The Road Not Taken'
In The Road Not Taken, by Robert Frost, the choice made by the narrator to take the road less traveled is symbolic of the choices one makes in life and their consequences. The two roads symbolize something much greater than literal roads, they symbolize two major paths that one has to take, and cannot turn back on. The narrator states, "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,/ And sorry I could not travel both" (1-2). The narrator can only choose one road, or one path in life, he cannot fall back and return to the other. Like any decision in life the narrator reflects on what he has done and if it was the correct choice. He says,
"I doubted if I should ever come back./ I shall be telling this with a sigh/ Somewhere ages and ages hence:/ Two/ roads diverged in a wood, and I,/ I took the one less traveled by,/ And that has made all the difference." (15-20).
The narrator took the "road less traveled", the more difficult and tougher choice in life. However it has been rewarding and gratifying to him, it "has made all the difference". The choice the narrator makes is unknown. One might speculate that it is Robert Frost, expressing his life through poetry and his risky decision to become a poet. Clearly Frost benefited from his poetry, so perhaps, though his use of figurative language, Robert Frost symbolized the roads as the decisions he has made in his life that have led to himself becoming a poet.
"I doubted if I should ever come back./ I shall be telling this with a sigh/ Somewhere ages and ages hence:/ Two/ roads diverged in a wood, and I,/ I took the one less traveled by,/ And that has made all the difference." (15-20).
The narrator took the "road less traveled", the more difficult and tougher choice in life. However it has been rewarding and gratifying to him, it "has made all the difference". The choice the narrator makes is unknown. One might speculate that it is Robert Frost, expressing his life through poetry and his risky decision to become a poet. Clearly Frost benefited from his poetry, so perhaps, though his use of figurative language, Robert Frost symbolized the roads as the decisions he has made in his life that have led to himself becoming a poet.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Marlow's description of his helmsman is a perfect example of Chinua Achebe's "junior brothers" in the novella Heart of Darkness. Achebe details the words of African Missionary Albert Schweitzer, a man who devoted his life to service in Africa, however, reared to the Africans as his "junior brothers". In Heart of Darkness, Marlow exemplifies this lofty, pretentious, European viewpoint of being superior to the Africans when he speaks of his dead Helmsman. Marlow says,
"Well, don't you see, [the helmsman] had done something, he had steered; for months I had him at my back -- a help -- an instrument. It was a kind of partnership. He steered for me -- I had to look after him, I worried about his deficiencies, and thus a subtle bond had been created, of which I only became aware when it was suddenly broken" (124).
The helmsman is portrait as merely a tool, and "instrument" to Marlow. His attitude towards the helmsman, in that Marlow "look[ed] after him, [and] worried about his deficiencies" (124), is just like Europe's seemingly didactic relationship with the Africans, their 'junior brothers'. Marlow does not see the helmsman as an equal to him, he feels as if he is a junior brother, someone inferior to his righteousness.
"Well, don't you see, [the helmsman] had done something, he had steered; for months I had him at my back -- a help -- an instrument. It was a kind of partnership. He steered for me -- I had to look after him, I worried about his deficiencies, and thus a subtle bond had been created, of which I only became aware when it was suddenly broken" (124).
The helmsman is portrait as merely a tool, and "instrument" to Marlow. His attitude towards the helmsman, in that Marlow "look[ed] after him, [and] worried about his deficiencies" (124), is just like Europe's seemingly didactic relationship with the Africans, their 'junior brothers'. Marlow does not see the helmsman as an equal to him, he feels as if he is a junior brother, someone inferior to his righteousness.
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