It wasn 't a paragraph that caught my attention, it was the "running commentary on merchandise, media, and entertainment" (Orlean) that really left an impact. The thoughts are short and change so quickly, but it kept me interested. What else could this unusually profound ten-year-old boy from Suburban New Jersey have to say about pop-culture in the 1980s? Maybe it 's because I tend to write in short sentences and change subject quickly. Maybe it 's because, though I never saw a day of the '80s, he mentioned things (Frosted Flakes, Step By Step, Skittles, the Giants, his mom being the most beautiful woman in the world) that I could easily relate to.
In the novel 1984, outward conformity is crucial to the survival of the citizens of Oceania. One character in particular who practices this extremely well is the main character, Winston Smith. He not only conforms outwardly, but also questions his society inwardly, due to the overhanging fear that Miniluv will find and torture him. Winston constantly questions Big Brother and all of the laws that the citizens of Oceania are required to obey while also inwardly questioning his forbidden romance with Julia. Without this rising tension throughout the novel, 1984 would lose its suspenseful tone and would easily lose the focus of readers.
The 80 's was a pivotal and controversial decade in American history. It can be characterized by prominent political, religious, military, economic and social aspects. While turbulence was common, it is also noted for being one of the most influential and important periods for America and the rest of the world as well. When asked what they remember about 1980 's politics, one might immediately think of Ronald Reagan. Ronald Reagan was born February 6th, 1911.
The culture in Northern America during the 1960’s and 1970’s was very controversial. There were several that were happy with it but several that were extremely unhappy with it. There were several causes for the protests that took place in the United States during the 1960’s and 1970’s. Allen Ginsberg was a prominent figure during the time of counterculture. Ginsberg lived from 1926-1997 and he was a very key individual in all these protests.
Between the years of 1947 and 1991 the USSR and the United States remained in a long period of tension known as The Cold War. This war was a state of political and economical in proxy wars such as the space race and the arms race the lead to the weakening of American society and laws. Marking the end of the Cold War in 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed due to their economic failure and their approach to the space race. As the Cold War intensified there was a significant increase in infrastructures and military, a shift in education, and there was an overall fear in society. Education in the United States began to focus on science instead of general education in an attempt to try and win the “space race” against the Soviet Union.
The origins of the intense cultural conflict of the 1920s, was Prohibition. Prohibition was the 18th Amendment, which banned the production and selling of alcohol. This caused a large part of the country to be very upset and had speakeasies behind closed doors. A speakeasy is an illicit bar. When speakeasies arose, so did flappers and gangsters.
Conformity and originality are two concepts that define human life. Originality is the ability to think independently, whereas conformity means to comply with socially acceptable behavior. In 1984, both of these concepts are expressed through the actions of the Party, and protagonist Winston. Through Winston’s actions, Orwell expresses the costs of both originality and conformity.
Events of American Conservatism in the 1980s Conservatism was on the rise during this influential decade. There were many people, including president of the time Ronald Reagan who believed that conservatism was the most direct and ideal way to govern the American people. Even though before the 1980’s many people quietly supported conservative ideals, it was an uncommon approach to government. Fading away slowly and coming back again, conservatism popularity completely hit the fan with the inauguration of Reagan, and later George H. W Bush.
According to Jake Rosenfield, organized labor had already begun its decades-long decline. During the 1970’s and the 1980’s unionization rates nearly halved and this was especially brutal for organized labor. It was then that economic conditions had begun to change. Then organized labor had begun to disappearing in the sector where it has had the greatest impact on people’s livelihoods. Even before the 1980’s, Jiwook Jung explains that corporate America had experienced waves of downsizing.
Prohibition wasn’t the only source of social tension in the 1920’s. The Great migration of African Americans from the south countryside to the north cities, and the increase of black culture had embarrassed the white’s and it made them feel very uncomfortable about themselves. Because of this, millions of white people in different places like Indiana, and Illinois joined the KKK in the 1920’s. To them, they felt like this Klan helped them by killing the black people and going back to their own culture.
"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few." ~ Winston Churchill. The second world war and the cold war reintroduced the themes of war and at the same time, progress in the United States of America. In the 1940s and the 1980s, a number of major global, political and historical events greatly influenced lifestyle and fashion at the time and established the United States of America as a superpower of the world. In order to understand what in 1940s and 1980s made the United States economically, socially and culturally important, it is necessary to consider its relationship with the rest of the world, both its resourcefulness and its scandals, its long-standing consumerism and World War II radically altered the
Today America is bombarded with objects that are utilized as symbols that either perpetuate cultural codes or that rebel against dominant conventions. The bandana is an example of an object that has become an iconic symbol of rebellion. Throughout history, the bandana has served numerous purposes. Regardless of the meanings it has had over any time period, no connotation has been more prevalent, to this day, than the association between bandanas and gangs of the 1980’s. Gangs were initially created for the purpose of unity and protection in ghettos and barrios (neighborhoods) against any oppressors.
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
The 1970s and 1980s were very turbulent times in British society. Inflation, oil shortages, and strikes led to a dire economic situation at the time. Not only was the country was in turmoil economically, but socially as well. The social and economic situation in Britain was a powder keg and once Margret Thatcher became Prime Minister, the keg blew. The movie This is England encapsulates Thatcher’s Britain.
Countless people evaluate their life and wish they had the chance to grow up in a different era or decade. An era like The Great Gatsby, everything so grand and luxurious, or a decade like the 50s, when teenagers hung out at the local diner and drove in vintage (vocab word) cars. Nevertheless, nobody gets to choose when they are born. Growing up in any decade, all children experience similar occurrences such as puberty, relationships, and finding themselves; however, growing up in the 80s is vastly different than growing up in today’s world but they both face distinct challenges. When most people think of the 80s, they think of vibrant fashion, upbeat music, and the popular video game Pacman.
