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A Utopia And Dystopia By George Orwell

Decent Essays

The concept of a utopia and dystopia is fascinating because they exist in both stories and real life and can be either based on a person’s ideals or perspective. A utopia is a situation in which the perfect ideals of a person or society are created or maintained. This situation can be real or imaginary as long as the person believes that they are equally happy. In contrast, a dystopia is a state in which an environment is extremely unfair and unjust, typically caused by oppression and dictatorship. In the book 1984, the citizens believe that they are living in a utopia because of the brainwashing of the party. The truth of this society is that the people are oppressed so much that an illusion of a utopia is created. In actuality, this society is deprived of their privacy, freedom of thought and information. Winston is the only person to realize that the society he lives in is a dystopia. He frequently points out the psychological manipulation, totalitarianism and the control of history and language. In comparison, the characteristics of the society in 1984 closely resemble the dystopian characteristics of Jonestown. For one thing the citizens of both societies believe that they are living in a utopia following a tyrant. Another characteristic both societies have in common is the brainwashing of its citizens to obey their leader through the means of propaganda. There is only the illusion of a utopia in 1984 and Jonestown, thus the reality of the situation is that a utopia is

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