Hatred In A Dystopian Society

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In 1532, over 400 years before George Orwell wrote 1984, Niccolo Machiavelli states, “It is much more secure to be feared than loved.” Several instances in both modern and medieval times, societies have taken the concept that fear and hatred are much more powerful than love and friendship and applied it to a form of government. A society based on hate could certainly survive so long as it was isolated and exerted the highest form of control over its citizens. Though a society that thrives primarily upon power and loyalty, rather than love and comradery, would be difficult to live in if an individual possessed previous knowledge of a different way of life. Hate does not necessarily divide a population so long as the object of hate is unanimous …show more content…

However, love and friendship are only a problem when these emotions are directed inappropriately. While O’Brien tortures Winston in the Ministry of Love, he states, “There will be no loyalty, except loyalty towards the Party. There will be no love, except the love of Big Brother” (Orwell 277). Societies based in hatred do not need to eliminate love and comradery, only guide them toward the correct subject. In Oceania, “the links between child and parent” were severed (Orwell 276). That much is clear when Parson’s daughter turns him in for thoughtcrime. Other societies have been known to do this as well. In North Korea, household do not contain framed photos of children or relatives, but rather pictures of their current leadership (Ahn). This nation has also strained the relationship between children and parents through its education system. There was a huge ideological gap between older generations of Koreans who recall life before the dictatorship and the youngest generations who have known nothing but loyalty to the government. Through its aggressive teaching styles, the North Korean education system alienated generations from one another by providing information to young people that may directly go against the beliefs of previous generations (Fifield). Though North Korea has yet to truly break the connection between family members, it has established an