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Western Society : 1984?


Guest SeventhStreetRecords

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Guest SeventhStreetRecords

For higher english I am writing an essay on how aspects of 1984 can be seen in modern society and it is becoming more and more apparent that over time, the world is gradually turning into Orwell's vision. Ok, so much of the book won't ever happen in the world, but a lot of it already has or is. Also, the continent Eurasia...with all the countires currently joining the European Union, It wouldnt surprise me if within the next 100 years, Eurasia was essentially what existed.

Anyone else have anything to put in about this???

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Advice : don't write an essay on 1984, it's virtually impossible to get a good grade for it - and if you do get a good grade, it won't make good material for an appeal due to the fact that 1984 is so overdone - if you must do Orwell, I'd recommend doing Homage to Catalonia, although I think the book sucks personally.

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Sometimes I think a lot of the stuff that gets put on TV nowadays isn't too far off the 'Prole-feed' - cheap/trivia entertainment - they talk about in the novel.

1984 is a great book, but I think I actually enjoyed reading 'Down and Out in Paris and London' more. A lot of interesting insights into poverty etc...incidentally, I did The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks for my Higher english and loved it (and passed it, which helps). I think there's quite a lot to consider in 1984 so it'd be hard to get a good mark.

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My sister did 1984 for her RPR and I think she found it quite hard. And I suggested it for mine to my teacher, but he also said it's a hard book to do a good RPR on.

However, as you don't have a choice, and since it sounds like it's just an essay as opposed to an RPR, then none of that matters.

Look at America and the way they preyed on the fear of their people (which they created themselves) to get them to completely accept the anti-terrorism laws, which are basically just excuses for their government to spy on their people. And in the UK these ID cards that they propose, what are the chances they won't end up getting misused and end up as a way for the government to collect data on us? Will you be known by your name on this system? No, everyone will be identified by a number, a barcode. And anything that seems remotely detrimental to the government gets absorbed by "the system" and regurgitated into something safe.

It's a few years since I read it by the way, and I'm in a particularly "down with the system" mood today, so I could be typing out of my arse.

I think people should keep in mind that the book was written in 1948. The only reason it may seem cliched is due to the number of books, films and TV programmes that have basically copied it.

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Guest allsystemsfail

Wanna resist the introduction of ID cards? Then visit http://www.defy-id.org.uk

Such measures are used to control the populace - to contain dissent, introduced under the guise of combatting terrorism. Fearing a possible terrorist attack, the British public ain't gonna say a thing. And what better way to control people than through fear.

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Look at the kind of stuff that is passed off as entertainment on television these days. Voyeuristic programs where we spy on people's lives ("Big Brother" the obvious one, but there are loads out there - 1 in 3 shows just about). Some of the tortures that orwell listed in room 101 haven't just been reached (mind control, being forced to adopt a social mindset) but been gone far beyond, look at the American photographs of the treatment of prisoners in Iraq!(Human rights, what are they?) Today we also have CCTV cameras watching our every move and tele sales companies that know more about our lives than we do!

On the subject of "prole-vision" its worth pointing out that Orwell got the idea for room 101 for the office number he was working in at...the BBC!

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Look at the kind of stuff that is passed off as entertainment on television these days. Voyeuristic programs where we spy on people's lives ("Big Brother" the obvious one' date=' but there are loads out there - 1 in 3 shows just about). Some of the tortures that orwell listed in room 101 haven't just been reached (mind control, being forced to adopt a social mindset) but been gone far beyond, look at the American photographs of the treatment of prisoners in Iraq!(Human rights, what are they?) Today we also have CCTV cameras watching our every move and tele sales companies that know more about our lives than we do!

On the subject of "prole-vision" its worth pointing out that Orwell got the idea for room 101 for the office number he was working in at...the BBC![/quote']

Every time they have that clip from NBC (or whatever channel it is) with the American reporter doing a piece on the marine who shot someone who wasn't dead "cos it might have been booby-trapped", and it says "These pictures are too disturbing to show", I keep expecting the next ine to be "So here they are."

That may only be amusing to people who know Knowing Me Knowing You With Alan partridge with the episode featuring the guy who's a piss take of Max Clifford.

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I did Catcher in the Rye, really enjoyed it.

I'm doing On the Road by Jack Kerouac and Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck for my advanced higher dissertation, roughly basing it around travelling and the pursuit of the "American Dream" and the alienation of being on the road.

Not very much to do with 1984 though, although there's quite a few comparisons with the Thought Police and the american anti-terror media.

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Guest Jake Wifebeater

It is amazing how much of 1984 has become reality. As mentioned earlier, "reality TV" shows are turning people into voyeuristic perverts. Loads of people watch that Big Brother show desperately hoping to see sex. If you want to watch people fuck then you can quite easily watch a porn film. also, the language of text-messaging is almost identical to the principles of Newspeak. Cutting down language means it is impossible to express dissent. It's worth thinking about the next time you type "C U ltr" or some such babble.

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Advice : don't write an essay on 1984' date=' it's virtually impossible to get a good grade for it - and if you do get a good grade, it won't make good material for an appeal due to the fact that 1984 is so overdone - if you must do Orwell, I'd recommend doing Homage to Catalonia, although I think the book sucks personally.[/quote']

Its just that is so difficult to understand and I dont think recent editions are in chronological order of chapters. I would never advise doing "homage" for a book report, after the end of the appendix you dont know what left-wing party he bloody well supports! Spose ill read it again, with my improved knowledge of the Spanish Civil War... :rolleyes:

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Guest tv tanned
It is amazing how much of 1984 has become reality. As mentioned earlier' date=' "reality TV" shows are turning people into voyeuristic perverts. Loads of people watch that Big Brother show desperately hoping to see sex. If you want to watch people fuck then you can quite easily watch a porn film. also, the language of text-messaging is almost identical to the principles of Newspeak. Cutting down language means it is impossible to express dissent. It's worth thinking about the next time you type "C U ltr" or some such babble.[/quote']

Everyone knows it is "c u l8r"

doubleplusungood indeed :rolleyes:

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Wanna resist the introduction of ID cards? Then visit http://www.defy-id.org.uk

Such measures are used to control the populace - to contain dissent' date=' introduced under the guise of combatting terrorism. Fearing a possible terrorist attack, the British public ain't gonna say a thing. And what better way to control people than through fear.[/quote']

I know this is a completely different debate and a bit off topic but I think the whole thing about anti-ID cards is a load of wank.

Anyone got a driving licence handy? I'm looking at mine now, it has my FULL name, my date of birth, home address, a phot and my signature. Now, call me stupid, but if someone steals this, they have pretty much all the info they need to commit plenty of fraudy type stuff, I would imagine.

And why is everyone so afraid of the government knowing information about us anyway?! Doing things we shouldn't be doing, are we...? We all pay taxes, we're all registered at birth and when we get married, blah blah blah - surely they already have plenty of information about us, like where we live etc etc etc? You give this information to banks, to energy companies, to mobile companies, why not the government?! If it cuts down on terrorisim or illegal immigrants, surely that's good for the UK? If if cuts down on benifit fraud, isn't that good for the UK?

It's these anti-ID people that cause the REAL paranoia in the public.

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I know this is a completely different debate and a bit off topic but I think the whole thing about anti-ID cards is a load of wank.

Anyone got a driving licence handy? I'm looking at mine now' date=' it has my FULL name, my date of birth, home address, a phot and my signature. Now, call me stupid, but if someone steals this, they have pretty much all the info they need to commit plenty of fraudy type stuff, I would imagine.

And why is everyone so afraid of the government knowing information about us anyway?! Doing things we shouldn't be doing, are we...? We all pay taxes, we're all registered at birth and when we get married, blah blah blah - surely they already have plenty of information about us, like where we live etc etc etc? You give this information to banks, to energy companies, to mobile companies, why not the government?! If it cuts down on terrorisim or illegal immigrants, surely that's good for the UK? If if cuts down on benifit fraud, isn't that good for the UK?

It's these anti-ID people that cause the REAL paranoia in the public.[/quote']

If you don't drive, you don't have a licence. Plus not everyone has a photo licence. I'd imagine most people's parents don't. So for a start that's not a fair comparison, since these ID cards will eventually become compulsory. Besides, with the old scheme, what was to stop someone from just taking someone else's licence? That was (I imagine) why that was changed. However, what on earth do the government need us to carry about a card with a retina scan on it for? That's the stuff of sci-fi movies, where you get your eye scanned before you can enter a building etc. And then what happens? People start ripping out people's eyeballs and sticking them on pencils so they can hold them up to scanners. And cutting off hands so they can get through fingerprint scanners. And and and....

But seriously, what does the government need all this information for? Fighting terrorists? Don't be naive. It's all about control. I initially thought the same as you, that it was only the criminals etc that needed to be scared of ID cards. But aren't we all entitled to a LITTLE bit of privacy?

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Guest Jake Wifebeater
Everyone knows it is "c u l8r"

doubleplusungood indeed :rolleyes:

Shite, best report to the Ministry of Love then. I wasn't to know, I don't have a mobile ph...........No! Not the rats! Not the rats! Do it to Julia! Do it to Julia, not me!

Hobbes, I'll see you at the Chestnut Tree Cafe for some Victory Gin, flavoured with cloves.

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