Likewise, the Nazis also employed state agents and encouraged citizens to inform on one another to the authorities for speaking out against the Nazi regime. Obviously, the author wrote the work as a caution about the intrusion of the state into the psychological autonomy of the individual. In the West, that type of state domination is not an issue in contemporary society. On the other hand, there are very recent reports of North Korean citizens being arrested and sent to re-education camps for failing to mourn the death of Kim Jong-Il "sincerely enough" suggests that Orwell's concerns are still legitimate in other parts of the world. Even in Western society, there are questions about the objectivity of news media and the degree of influence that business entities have on government.
The main issue in All Quiet on the Western Front is still a problem in contemporary society. Throughout the second half of the 20th century, the U.S. government exploited the young men sent to war for questionable reasons, most notably in Vietnam and, more recently, in Iraq, especially. Just as Paul Baumer and his companions died in wars in which they had no personal stake and in which their respective governments used them as pawns to achieve strategic goals, that appears to be substantially true about contemporary American conflicts, especially in Iraq and to a lesser extent, in Afghanistan as well. In Baumer's case, war resulted from unplanned escalation of international posturing. Today, unjust wars seem to be precipitated by the economic interests of major industries and of powerful corporate entities for profit.
4.
Winston Smith battles his desire to fulfill his assigned role in society because of his simultaneous growing awareness and appreciation of the truth and...
Appearance vs. Reality Discrepancies between inner and outer realities: 1984 versus Death of a Salesman Both George Orwell's dystopian classic novel 1984 and Arthur Miller's realist stage drama Death of a Salesman create a contrast between appearances and reality in order to criticize the political and social structure that exists in society and its negative effects on the protagonists. In Orwell's novel, the world within Winston Smith's head is far more real than
ORWELL George Orwell 1984 Eerie parallels with today's online economy of words and knowledge George Orwell's dystopian novel 1984 functions as a satire of many of the excesses of 20th century communism, such as everyday citizens' communal, monotonous lives, its nonsensical wars to keep the people complacent, and the creation of 'Big Lies' that are accepted, simply because the government so totally dominates the media. A symptom of this totalitarian thinking is manifested
1984 & Fahrenheit 451 The Pessimism of 1984 vs. The Optimism of Fahrenheit 451 Both 1984 by George Orwell and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury are futuristic depictions of totalitarian societies that value conformity over individualism. The two novels present systems of institutionalized control. There are strict laws and rules governing behavior and thoughts, and both societies are based on a hierarchy. The protagonists in the novels, Winston Smith and Guy Montag,
Short story -- A brief story where the plot drives the narrative, substantially shorter than a novel. Example: "Hills like White Elephants," by Ernest Hemingway. Allusion -- A casual reference in one literary work to a person, place, event, or another piece of literature, often without explicit identification. It is used to establish a tone, create an indirect association, create contrast, make an unusual juxtaposition, or bring the reader into a
Orwell's government had as its primary goal the control of the people in order to gain more power. This, rather than good rulership for the happiness of the people, was their ultimate goal. In the same way, ideologies such as Nazism and Communism became extreme to the point where they defeated their purpose of an ideal society. Those who suffered under these totalitarian regimes did not consider themselves to live
Homeland Security / Constitutional Issues Civil Liberties: These are fundamental freedoms interpreted by policymakers and courts over the years or assured by the Constitutional Bill of Rights (Pearcy, 2003-2016). Bill of Rights: This is an official statement of American citizens' fundamental rights, integrated into the U.S. Constitution in the form of ten Amendments, as well as into the constitutions of all states (Bill of rights, n.d.). Thought Police: This denotes a cluster of
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now