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The Theme Of Happiness In George Orwell's 1984

Decent Essays

A recurring theme we see throughout any of the works we see in the books is the theme of happiness. At the beginning of the every one of these stories, there is a longing for happiness and wanting an escape from misery and boredom. In 1984, Winston Smith is a man who knows nothing but authoritarianism and wants to free from such a miserable world; he wants to be happy. In Coraline, we begin the story where she has moved into her new home where she doesn’t know anybody and there is nothing for her to do. This makes her bored and lonely; she wants to be happy.
But this begs the question: what is happiness? Most people assume that happiness is having fun at a party or the exhilaration of new encounters, but they’re confusing happiness with pleasure. Pleasure is a fleeting sensation that comes from something that is external. For example, a good meal, our getting a raise, watching an exciting movie, etcetera. All of these things are pleasurable and make people feel good. Though pleasure knows how to release the dopamine into our brains, it has its limits. If I were to go to a dance club on a regular basis to dance, drink, and have fun, my mind will eventually begin to adapt and the whole process of going to the dance club will become routine. Once this happens, I’ll become bored and miserable because that good feeling is no longer there and I’ll have to find a new way to entertain myself if I want to stimulate my mind. In conclusion, pleasure is not the same thing as happiness.
On the contrary, happiness is state of mind that is achieved internally; the ability to be at peace and content no matter what your circumstances are. In Ready Player One, Wade Watts is on top of the world in the OASIS, he is one of the best players on in the game, and he finds this pleasurable. However, when he’s not on the OASIS, he has no friends, no money, and no social status, he is not happy. He does not gain true happiness at the end of the story until he comes to the conclusion that he can only find true happiness in the real world Because “…reality is real”. Here, Wade made a choice, spend all your time on the OASIS all the time and never face your face your fears and try to make connections in the real world, or face your face

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