In dystopian society, technology, social manipulation, and control are all factors used to maintain oppressive societal control and the illusion of a perfect society, even at the expense of universal human values. The film Metropolis by Fritz Lang and the novel 1984 by George Orwell offer a variety of social and political perspectives that allow the audience to gain insight into the oppression of freedom, truth and love within their context. Both address loss of these values within society through control and oppression, but they differ in perspective, due to the contrasting views of each composer. Lang made Metropolis during the era of the Weimar Republic. This was the country's first attempt at creating a democracy in the very difficult years following the first world war, as he tapped into Germany's power struggles, issues of poverty and conflict. Orwell conversely reflects upon the rise of Communism and Fascism in Europe, warning against despotic governments. Orwell wrote the novel 1984, post-World War 2 and equally reflects upon the rise of communism and fascism in Europe, warning …show more content…
In 'Metropolis' the influences of Maria acts as catalysts for rebellion in dichotomous methods, where Maria advocates peace and False Maria alludes to the "Whore of Babylonian" and the "Seven Deadly Sins". The recurring motif " the mediator between the head and the hands must be the heart" prompts Rotwang to create a perfect human for capitalistic gains. This becomes a downfall when Cyborg Maria calls upon libidinal forces, the workers, to send "death to the machines", foreboding potential cataclysm based on Lang's contextual observations of Weimar Regime. False Maria represents the amalgamation of machine and manifests the hubris of man. Thus, Lang's portrayal of robots depicts the fear of social manipulation with technological advancements and its use during rebellious
The Party of Oceania in 1984 and President Business in The Lego Movie have similar characteristics and goals to gain power. In 1984, the ideology of thought crime, which is just thinking of doing something wrong, compares to the cotton swab in the Lego Movie, which erases the good cop and makes him only evil. In both pieces of literature, there is totalitarian controlled society. Their primary goal is perfection and complete control over their respective communities.
Many a literary critic claims that the strongest aspect of the book 1984 by George Orwell is its plot. Indeed, there is some merit in this conclusion, as the entire purpose of Orwell’s writing of this book was not to create a literary classic, but to warn the public about the dangers of communism if it got out of hand, and what better way to do this than to write an engaging plot? Others may claim that 1984’s greatest strength is in its character development. This aspect, too, is quite strong in the book, as not only are the minor characters effected in serving the dystopian theme, but the major characters are believable and very human in their failings. Winston’s transformation from an oppressed office worker to revolutionary and finally
False Maria which was given the birth by the crazy scientist in Metropolis, is not just a simple robot. It, or should have called her, has already become a motif. In fact, in the history of film, a great number of female robot images existed. By looking through these movies, it is easy to find that the concept of False Maria is keep changing. Also, a number of problems related to False Maria have coming out.
Dystopian texts espouse a variety of didactic messages that depend significantly upon both the context and zeitgeist of the time in which they were created. Differences can be found when comparing the techniques and perspectives the authors have chosen to represent their contextual concerns to audiences. Together both Fritz Lang’s silent black and white film ‘Metropolis’ 1927 and George Orwell’s novel ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’ (*referred to as 1984) 1948, confront and provoke audiences to consider the impact that (abusive power + unquestionable control= insert question statement) can have not only on the characters in these two texts, but also on the cultural and political lives of the reader and viewer. By subjugating & dehumanising the lower classes, dictators are
In the novels, Brave New World and 1984, the authors take the positive social aspects and values of community, identity, and stability and corrupt them into a dystopian society. While both books may come as a shock to the system, seeing as they both focus on aspects we are to scared to admit could possibly happen and seem wildly different at points, there are a lot of similarities between the two. Aldous Huxley’s novel is set in a world where the society is kept very carefully balanced: “The World State’s motto, COMMUNITY, IDENTITY, STABILITY.” (Huxley 1). For example, the means of reproduction is just as closely monitored and controlled as production is.
In both 1984 by George Orwell, and The Veldt by Ray Bradbury, the themes presented are both able to present a clear warning to the readers of the power of technology, and the damaging power it can have on our lives. In Part 1 of 1984, The Inner Party establishes a facade of protection to gain control over Oceania and the citizens. This is mainly achieved through the technological advances that gives The Party authority over people 's actions because of the 24/7 surveillance of their every move. At the beginning of the novel, protagonist Wilson says “the instrument (telescreens) could be dimmed but there was no way of shutting it off altogether” (8). These telescreens are used to minimise the amount of Thoughtcrime, which, in Oceania, violates
The novel 1984 by George Orwell and the movie V for Vendetta are both dystopian themed works of fiction. Both depicted the dangers of a totalitarian type of regime and the horrors that come along with it. In 1984, Winston Smith the main character, lived in a poverty-stricken country called Oceania wherein the government controls all aspect of the people 's lives. On the contrary, in the movie V for Vendetta, the main characters named V was a vigilante who sought to overthrow the totalitarian government of London. He met a girl named Evey Hammond, who just like Winston Smith in 1984, was stuck in a country ruled by despotism.
Living through the first half of the twentieth century, George Orwell watched the rise of totalitarian regimes in Germany, Italy, Spain, and the Soviet Union. Fighting in Spain, he witnessed the brutalities of the fascists and Stalinists first hand. His experiences awakened him to the evils of a totalitarian government. In his novel 1984, Orwell paints a dark and pessimistic vision of the future where society is completely controlled by a totalitarian government. He uses symbolism and the character’s developments to show the nature of total power in a government and the extremes it will go through to retain that power by repressing individual freedom and the truth.
In the novel 1984, by George Orwell, he uses truth and reality as a theme throughout the novel to demonstrate the acts of betrayal and loyalty through the characters of Winston and Julia. Orwell expresses these themes through the Party, who controls and brainwashes the citizens of Oceania. The party is able to control its citizens through “Big Brother,” a fictional character who is the leader of Oceania. Big Brother is used to brainwash the citizens into whatever he says. Orwell uses truth and reality in this book to reflect on what has happened in the real world such as the Holocaust and slavery.
Although it is based in 1984, the social commentary it provides is most definitely applicable in this day and age. This novel analysis will touch briefly upon a few different subjects, such as symbolism and style, and the theme of the novel. Orwell has the amazing ability to keep the image of a dull,
In the novel 1984 by George Orwell, the main theme is of conformity to the wants of society and the government. Themes of dehumanization of our species, as well as the danger of a totalitaristic state are repeatedly expressed. Orwell demonstrates this theme by using setting and characters in the novel. The setting helps to convey the theme because of the world and kind of city that the main character lives in. Winston’s every move is watched and controlled by the governmental figurehead known as “big brother”.
William Shakespeare and George Orwell are two of the most iconic authors of all time. Although living in different conditions and time periods, both of their works show similarities in exploring human nature and defining humanity. Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Orwell’s 1984 both explore the human traits in different storylines and styles, but for a similar purpose. Not only do both pieces of literature deeply explore the themes of power and control, but also other aspects of human life such as fear and paranoia. By doing this in each author’s storyline, they connect with the values and beliefs of their readers.
As the world watched World War II emerge as one of the biggest wars in the history of the universe, George Orwell wrote 1984 to criticize the totalitarian approach of the socialist leaders in countries like Germany and the U.S.S.R. The book was written in 1948 when the act of communism became a dangerously threatening type of government to the citizens all over the world. In 1984, Winston, the main character of the novel, reflects on London’s dystopian society by creating his own diary, which is an act that brings him immense threat to the quality of his life. Even today, many citizens face the same types of situations that Winston experiences throughout the book. There are obvious parallels between the novel and America in 2016 in concepts
In 1984, George Orwell depicts a dystopian society pervaded by government control and the obsolescence of human emotion and society. Winston is forced to confront the reality of a totalitarian rule where the residents of Oceania are manipulated to ensure absolute government control and servitude of the people. The theme of totalitarianism and dystopia is employed in 1984 to grant absolute power to the government and ensure the deference of the people through the proliferation of propaganda, the repudiation of privacy and freedom, and the eradication of human thought and values. The repudiation of privacy and independent thought and the ubiquity of government surveillance is employed to secure absolute power to the government over the populace
Comparisons between the world that Orwell described and current world activities can be made. The novel 1984 depicts a totalitarianistic government which can be related to historical events such as World War II, and to events that are currently happening today such as the NSA and the spying incidents that occurred in the United States. The novel of 1984 displays themes of totalitarianism. One example directly from the novel 1984 is this quote written by the author George Orwell; “Down in the street little eddies of wind were whirling dust and torn paper into spirals, and though the sun was shining and the sky a harsh blue, there seemed to be no color in anything, except the posters that were plastered everywhere.