How Has Your Viewing Of Metropolis And Our Reading Of Nineteen Eighty Four Enhanced Your Understanding Of Conflict?

In the dystopian worlds created by the film director Andrew Niccol and renowned author George Orwell, notions of control and freedom are explored. Both worlds contain an overarching power that governs the rest of the population and restricts freedom of individuals, these powers also aid in the progression of technology, which further act to control individuals. The characterisations of the protagonists of each text portray the lack of freedom from the perspective of those that are affected. Both authors use a variety of techniques to portray themes of control and freedom in their texts.

George Orwell’s 1984 is more than just a novel, it is a warning to a potential dystopian society of the future. Written in 1949, Orwell envisioned a totalitarian government under the figurehead Big Brother. In this totalitarian society, every thought and action is carefully examined for any sign of rebellion against the ruling party. Emotion has been abolished and love is nonexistent; an entire new language is being drafted to reduce human thought to the bare minimum. In a society such as the one portrayed in 1984, one is hardly human. In George Orwell’s 1984, the party uses fear, oppression, and propaganda to strip the people of their humanity.

Personally, the book taught me a lot about how people deal with situations when under pressure, people’s need for power and how easy it really if for a war to break out and I found that in my mind I could easily link what was going

Totalitarianism diminishes the idea of individuality and destroys all chances of self-improvement, and human’s natural hunger for knowledge. In George Orwell’s famous novel, “1984”, totalitarianism is clearly seen in the exaggerated control of the state over every single citizen, everyday, everywhere. Totalitarianism can also be seen in the book “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley, in which humans are synthetically made and conditioned for their predestinated purpose on earth. The lack of individualism will lead a community towards a dystopia in which freedom is vanished by the uncontrolled power of the state.

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.

George Orwell focuses his belief of the “[disbelief] in the existence of the objective truth because all the facts have to fit in with the words and prophecies of some infallible fuhrer”. He envisions the decay of future society and implements his ideas through his creation of “Nineteen Eighty-Four”. Indications of a psychological fear are examined initially through the progression and change of the human mind, which is built upon the oppression of the Party. Through the construction of a world with no freedom and individuality, the human mind adapts the change of truth and pay utter submission from the Party, to escape the presence of their ultimate weakness. With those who are rebellious of the rules of the Party gradually brings out the ugly nature of humanity. Through the fragility of the human mind, it reinforces Orwell’s idea of a corrupted society, as there no longer remains a variety of human emotions for the next generation to pass onwards. Thus conclusively portraying the defeat of human mind unable to withstand the physical and mental tortures from the Party.

The quote “The object of power is power” is heavily supported by George Orwell’s 1949 novel ‘1984’ and Fritz Lang’s 1927 film ‘Metropolis’ through their intertextual connections and shared perspectives. Both texts were composed around the context of pre and post World War 2 which is clearly evident through their settings, characterisation, themes and ideas. Through Orwell’s and Fritz’s use of dystopic societies, empowerment of women and detrimental dictatorship rule it is blatant that George Orwell’s quote “The object of power is power” is quite strongly supported by the intertextual connections and shared perspectives of Orwell’s ‘1984’ and Lang’s ‘Metropolis’.

Overall, throughout 1984 and Pleasantville, the director and author portray how a society is supressed, lacking in individual freedom and how conformity is defied. Through knowledge and manipulated, a subtle but heavy handed atmosphere is created in ‘Nineteen Eighty Four’,

Several conflicting frames of mind have played defining roles in shaping humanity throughout the twentieth century. Philosophical optimism of a bright future held by humanity in general was taken advantage of by the promise of a better life through sacrifice of individuality to the state. In the books Brave New World, 1984, and Fahrenheit 451 clear opposition to these subtle entrapments was voiced in similarly convincing ways. They first all established, to varying degrees of balance, the atmosphere and seductiveness of the “utopia” and the fear of the consequences of acting in the non-prescribed way through character development. A single character is alienated because of their inability to conform – often in protest to the forced

Readers of George Orwell have long appreciated the significance of his representation of a futuristic dystopian world. ‘Big brother is watching you,’ ‘Thought police,’ ‘Ministry of love,’ ‘Hate week,’ are expressions that Orwell used to represent his preoccupation with the totalitarian regimes of 20th century. More than one out of four Americans said they have red his dystopia and use his expressions in their language. Many critics claim that the novel opened up new prospects of political awareness. ‘1984’ is a political fiction in which the government eliminates all forms of political opposition, be it real or imaginary. The atmosphere of the novel is completely depressing because there is no hope for change. The government dominates people morally and forces them to live in constant fear. His terrifying vision of a future in which all aspects of society are controlled by a tyrannical system attracted the

The harrowing political systems within Fritz Lang’s film Metropolis (1927) and George Orwell’s 1984 position the reader to invest emotionally in the plight of individuals. The texts offer a critique on the composer’s social, historical and cultural context as a reaction to the repressive social conditions. Lang’s film focuses on the economic exploitation by the capitalist elite to convey the division of labour in the Weimer Republic and the need for social harmony. 1984 satirises the potential for indoctrination and repression in a post WWII society concerned about totalitarian systems of control. Both composers create didactic representations that extrapolate from contextual fears but their perspectives on hope and change differ.

The dystopic warnings Metropolis by Fritz Lang and 1984 by George Orwell, comment on the political and social injustices of their times. Concurrent aspects between the texts serve to reinforce our awareness of the manipulation of the lower class and highlight the parasitical nature of the elite revealing the impact of industrialization on the working class including a loss of individuality and freedom. This is realized most effectively through comparison of differentiating perspectives provided by Laing’s Metropolis and Orwell’s 1984 where one warns of a possibility and the other commentates on a reality. Laing’s Metropolis highlights the rise of industrialization and the subsequent dehumanization and depreciation of human lives that leads

Many authors bring in the theme of politics into their work in order to make their creations more appealing and as a form of expressing their personal views. George Orwell’s “Nineteen Eighty-four” is a novel that contains many political messages to the world. Orwell felt that part of his role as a writer is to serve as a voice of conscience to our society by trying to express the truth as he saw it. The novel was written in a crucial time period in modern history after the Second World War and at the beginning of the Cold War. One can see that the book was influenced by current events of its time mixed with Orwell’s standpoint. He focuses on three major political issues that effect society, which are the dangers of war, class differences

Fundamentally, Metropolis is a timeless tale of class conflict and its struggle for power. Whilst being a fictional city, the divide of the society of Metropolis presented is firmly set in the reality of greedy, advantaged upper class and the lowly unappreciated workers they exploit. Lang uses expressionistic imagery and the strong contrast of light and dark features to differentiate between the two classes populating the ultramodern city. Director Fritz Lang tapped into Germany’s power struggles, issues of poverty and conflict and fears for the future, with the use of entirely fabricated and profoundly stylised futuristic background filled with symbolism to convey political messages. In a similar fashion, the abuse of power is parallel to Divergent.

Joseph Spencer is the observer of the movie. Metropolis is directed by Fritz Lang; Metropolis mostly fits under the science-fiction and drama genres. Metropolis was released in 1927 (IMDb). Metropolis reveals to the observer that features a dystopian and contradictory world. The script is based on a novel by Thea Von Harbou, and the screenplay was written by her as well. (IMDb). Metropolis is controlled by Joh Fredersen acted by Alfred Abel (IMDb), a capitalist whose son, Freder played by Gustav Fröhlich (IMDb), takes an idyllic life, enjoying the wonderful gardens. One day Freder meets Maria played by Brigitte Helm (IMDb), the spiritual leader of the workers, who take care of the children of slaves. Freder talks to his father, Fredersen