There is a universal truth that is largely accepted, socially as well as scientifically, when it comes to the observation of human beings: they are adaptable, and thus, are always evolving. Every day, people are conditioned and molded by their surroundings because they are influenced, as well as prodded, by the idea of acceptance in a society, which in return, transcends into a conceptual idea of conformity. However, there are occasionally unique individuals who refuse to adapt entirely, and instead project unorthodox ideas that differ from the status-quo of societal beliefs. Consequently, this manner of individualism causes them to be looked upon differently in the realm of where they reside. In many works of literature, a free-thinking individual …show more content…
Individuals are only able to make an impactful difference to their surroundings if they can gather a large following of people, but to actually assemble a group that is willing to go against a powerful government is highly unlikely, especially if most people of society are complacent and creatures of clockwork as it is.
First and foremost, individuals who see a flawed system of government and wish to change it ultimately can’t because governments in societies, especially dystopias, are bureaucratic and difficult to adjust. In the novel 1984 by George Orwell, Winston Smith, the main character and protagonist, despises the system of government that controls his home nation of Oceania. Winston is infatuated by the idea of resisting against the invasive government; however he realizes that it’s far too dangerous and completely irrational to withstand the rules of his overbearing society by himself. Winston comes to the realization that “If there [is] hope, it lay in the Proles” (Orwell 220). The Proles are the working-class citizens in Winston’s society and frankly are the only ones who still have individualism and humanity left in them. He comes to an understanding that if the
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It’s common for people to become complacent in life when they are unenlightened about their surroundings. In The Pedestrian by Ray Bradbury, Leonard Mead is an individual who has a regressive tendency of walking outdoors, whereas everyone else in his society is transfixed by the television so they do not venture outside anymore. The narrator explains Leonard as, “alone in this world of A.D. 2053, or as good as alone, and with a final decision made, a path selected, he would stride off, sending patterns of frosty air before him like the smoke of a cigar”(Bradbury). Leonard does not have the ability of impacting anyone in society, even while being different and acting upon it, because everyone else is too brainwashed by the television to realize what truly is happening outside in the world. Moreover, the story Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut also carries a theme of people being too ignorant to fully grasp what injustices are unraveling before their eyes. In the story, the citizens of society are forced to have handicap objects on them to interfere with thought and individualism. Harrison, a character that chooses to go against the system, makes his way onto television forcibly and is regarded as a huge threat to
Heroes are important in the world whether they a make believe like Spider-man or a real hero like a policeman. They provide a future, protection, hope, and they change the world every day. In Merriam-Webster dictionary, it states that a hero “is someone who shows great courage”. While George Orwell the author of 1984 tells the reader another definition of what a hero is, Orwell states that a hero is “ordinary people doing whatever they can to change social systems that do not respect human decency, even with the knowledge that they can’t possibly succeed.” However it seem that Winston the main character of this novel wanted to go against Big Brother in the beginning of the novel, Winston however is not the hero in this novel because he doesn't seem to change anything at the end of the novel, tells O'Brien to torture Julia, and At the end of the novel
Would it be more difficult to be told by your father that the world is full of hate because of your skin color or to not be able to communicate with those around you? The Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka, and Between the World and Me, by Ta-Nehisi Coates, both deal with the alienation of a person or group of people. To be looked upon as somebody who does not fit into society, can cause people to feel remote and isolated. The negative impact of this isolation is not only damaging to the person but to society as a whole. This isolation, like in Coates’ modern day biography and Kafka’s dated book, is something people today experience in all walks of life and for many reasons.
Your world is not real. Kennedy was never assassinated, Michael jackson has actually always been white, and subway is certainly NOT always fresh. Stop thinking you are free, you’re not. Okay, I’m just kidding. But am I really? Because sometimes subway really just sucks. Questioning. With this, through his work ‘Nineteen Eighty Four’, George Orwell has brought to my attention that I should be occasionally thinking for myself rather than constantly abiding by what I’m told is right. More specifically, ‘Nineteen Eighty Four’ suggests the plentiful ways that people can be oppressed in a totalitarian society will result in the loss of humanity and failure to rebound from the government’s control. These forces inhibit and encourage individuals’ actions and is described in the novel by the abundant use of technology combined with psychological manipulation. Orwell also uses symbols and metaphor to explain consequences of totalitarianism on a deeper level.
As stated by Alan Keightley, “once in a while it really hits people that they don't have to experience the world in the way they have been told to”. In the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, Profiles in Courage, a volume of biographies written by John F. Kennedy and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest a novel by Ken Kesey, it takes characters a great deal of confidence and bravery to suspend themselves into individualism and out of the uniformity of the environment that they live in. It is a natural human tendency to desire a sense of personal identity and resist conformity in society; this being greatly noted in Fahrenheit 451, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Profiles in Courage.
George Orwell’s theme in 1984 is that an omnipotent and all-seeing government is dangerous and will demean individuality as well as free will. He portrays this through Winston’s failure to rebel while showing totalitarian governments cannot be stopped after they have been completely established. He also depicts his message through the citizens’ total belief in government propaganda no matter how absurd or inconstant as well as through the international solidarity and seemingly permanent nuclear cold war.
Many in the world struggle to keep sight of who they are in a society that pushes its expectations upon people. Everyone has different ideas and experiences dealing with the world around them, and depending on who one is, simply staying true to one’s core identity can be a challenge. As Ralph Waldo Emerson, an accomplished poet, wrote, “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” I agree, as constant exposure to a world that prefers a person in a different form gets exhausting, and it takes true strength to persevere in spite of that. Whale Rider, Things Fall Apart, and Danger of a Single Story all provide solid evidence that the environment around a person affects their
We have freedom, but are we free? You can have your phone at school/work, but you cannot use it unless specifically given permission to. This is a paradox. A paradox is “a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is perhaps true” (Merriam-Webster). According to Liah Greenfield, a professor at Boston University and a three-time novelist with books in Political Science, totalitarian societies are democracies with either no cultural traditions or too much free thought. Greenfield goes on to argue we have always had democracy, totalitarian, and nationalism, we just did not have names for them. In fact, we did not have the term “totalitarian society” until one of Winston Churchill’s speeches of Mussolini in 1946. She next brings up that totalitarians are nearly always permeating throughout cultural centers. Finally, she states, the university scene is the seed for totalitarian thoughts. She even mentions that they are like Minitrues, from George Orwell’s 1984. College students change statements or take statements out of context to use to their own benefit. The only difference is that universities do not have a head figure like Big Brother. Greenfield has solid thoughts, but she never gives facts to prove totalitarians are everywhere. She thinks totalitarians are reactions to modernity and too much free thought. George Orwell uses Newspeak, thoughtcrime, and telescreen in 1984 as well o show not giving the people of Oceania a voice will prevent
A wonder example of this is when Equality for the novel Anthem differentiates himself from his society in order to truly find himself. This can be seen on page seventeen of the novel when he writes, “The laws say that none among men may be alone, ever and at any time, for this is the great transgression and the root of all evil” (Rand, 17). Equality takes himself out of the norm of the society and by doing so creates his own unique identity. Another example can be seen in Mario Della Grotta. Mario, a thirty six year old decides to get neural implants to cure his depression (OCD) and that can be abnormal to the rest of society. The article explain how people can be weary about the situation. It says, “Meanwhile, the CIA...and Michael Crichton’s The terminal man,in which the main character receives implants to control his epilepsy and turns psychotic, became a bestseller.” Mario knew that he would be a “freak” then society would look down on him, yet he decided to go through with the surgery. He went against the norms of society in order to find his true identity. Even the novel, The meme machines “strange creatures” agrees with this. It states in the article, “We copy each other all the time”. (2, Blackmore). In order to be an individual, the person must differentiate himself from the rest of
Totalitarianism, derived from a society which proceeds without cautiousness towards governmental power, can induce many limitations among citizens and every aspect of their lives including individualism. In George Orwell’s 1984, the artificiality of the dystopian country influenced the protagonist of the novel, Winston Smith, to try and deceive the government in any way possible. Winston and many others view individuality as immensely important, but a large challenge to achieve due to the diminished hope evident in dystopia. Hope is prominent among Winston in his actions towards the totalitarian government, referred to as Big Brother, throughout the novel. From the beginning of the novel when readers are introduced to a dismal setting to
In the novel 1984 by George Orwell, the totalitarian government is adamant that all citizens not only follow its policies, but wholeheartedly agree with them. In order to maintain his individuality and avoid the Thought Police, Winston lies about his allegiance to the government and his beliefs and thoughts. He learns that his lies are weak and shallow after he is caught, and he eventually realizes the true power of his lies when he deceives himself. The totalitarian government Orwell presents encourages deception as a means of survival, increasing the government’s power when the citizens are eventually driven to lie to themselves. As the Party grows stronger and individuality crumbles, Orwell displays the loss of humanity as a result of a government built on deception.
George Orwell’s political parable, 1984, portrays an oppressive and dictatorial government, which thereby presents to the reader a palpable sense of danger and malevolence born out of the creation of a counter utopic totalitarian regime. Orwell’s nihilistic creation of Oceania, presents a world wherein every aspect of private and public life is abhorrently regimented and regulated by the autocratic ‘Big Brother’. The whole population at large is forced to conform to the ideals and beliefs of the tyrannical ‘party’ as a means of not only survival but also a means of being able to live an unabated existence. The party opposes all forms of individuality and
One of the most important concepts that many individuals in modern day society value the most is the idea that they have the freedom to do whatever they please. The term freedom means “being able to act, think, and speak in any way one wants to without any type of hindrance,”(Dictionary.com). In the book, 1984, by George Orwell, the totalitarian society ruled by Big Brother, in many ways, controls its citizens by hindering any types of freedom a member of the society might have. In a society that is decorated with telescreens, hidden microphones, and strict rules, Orwell illustrates the many ways Big Brother uses that to its advantage to stifle the freedom of its citizens. However, under all the scrutiny of Big Brother, there are
Have you ever been in a situation in which you have gone against what others have said? Perhaps you didn’t agree with what they said. What about breaking the rules for the greater good? Well in the novel, 1984 by George Orwell- Winston goes against the rules that the party has put up. He falls in love with a girl named Julia, and they are taken to trial at the Ministry of love. The theme to best fit the story would be- Freedom is Worth Fighting For.
In the novel 1984 by George Orwell, the author challenges the traditional humanist depictions of love and selflessness by showing that these human qualities are unattainable in the dystopian world portrayed. Orwell, however, does instill some hope with the fact that the proles maintain some sense of humanity. The Party is determined to extinguish all humanity within the party members by controlling all parts of their lives, but if the proles can maintain their basic human goodness then there is a small glimmer of hope that the party can be overthrown. Due to the extreme repression placed upon the party members, basic human qualities like love and selflessness are reduced to nothing more than pure instinctual behaviors.
Imagine living in a world where you could not make your own choices, or be your own person. In the novel 1984, this is exactly what happened. In a place called Oceania where there is no such thing as privacy and personal freedom (Roelofs), the main character Winston Smith, is living a strict life under the demanding party known as Big Brother. Winston decides that he wants his life back to normal and tries to rebel against the Party. Meanwhile, he is thought to be a lunatic because he is living his life how a normal person would, but everyone else is now living under what is thought to be a utopia society. Throughout the book Winston strongly disagrees with the fact that every second he is being keep under surveillance. Though at some points he believes he is being discrete, in reality someone is always watching. In 1984, George Orwell depicts the lack of privacy and loss of individualism which affects the characters and the society as a whole.