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Physical Possession In 1984 And Beloved

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Physical Possession has been something that has existed since the beginning of written history. Starting with the slavery in Mesopotamia, slavery is still existent in almost every country in the world today. To an American, the idea of slavery typically goes back to the enslaving of millions of African Americans in the southeastern United States during the early to mid 17th century. This type of slavery was physical possession with slavers buying and selling slaves based off of their physical appearances. While physical possession is most commonly associated with humans, another type of possession is possible. Mental possession, the ability of one person to possess one so fully they can begin to alter their reality, is also prevalent . In 1984 and Beloved, both types of possession are highlighted throughout both books. While both of these books focus on the topic of human possession, they focus on different types of human possession; 1984 focuses more on the mental side of possession while Beloved focuses on the physical side. The idea of mental possession is evident throughout the novel, 1984. This idea is an undertone in the society that the party runs. It is present in the crimes that they will sentence people to death for; thoughtcrime is thinking thoughts against the party and is punishable by death. Doublethink is being able to know one thing is false while also believing it to be true. Almost every facet of the daily lives of those who live in Oceania in 1984

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