Upwards of 90% of women are displeased with their bodies and shift towards dieting to achieve their preferred body shape. From ancient times to modern day, societies have created ideals for individuals to strive to achieve, and George Orwell’s classic novel, 1984, is no exception. The government in the novel requires conformity among its population and manipulates its citizens to believe that an individual can only succeed if he/she follows the official rules set by the leaders of the society. In modern society, popular media depicts a perfect woman, for example, as thin and beautiful. From stereotypes to body image, the publishing and entertainment industries offer an image of perfection that makes us believe if we are not their definition …show more content…
One clear example of the conflict of manipulation appears in George Orwell’s famous piece of literature, 1984. In the novel, although a few members of the society are rebellious to the Government’s controversial plans, many are unaware about their questionable rules. The government has complete control over everything in the society, and that is not even an exaggeration. One example of this type of manipulation appears numerous times in the beginning chapters of the book: “War is Peace, Freedom is slavery, Ignorance is strength.” (Orwell 4). This slogan was created by the government in the book, and although it is obvious that these statements are invalid in our modern world, the citizens would not know this because they are being manipulated constantly by their own authority. The government makes all these slogans and rules and displays them through technology and in public so the entire population will notice its demands and be forced to follow all of them through fear. Although we believe this absurd, if people stop to think, it’s not much of a stretch from our modern world, as some countries use propaganda to try to communicate their ideas to their population. For example, in a recent North Korean video sent to its public, they attempt to depict that Americans eat snow and live birds while a large majority of the population is struggling to survive, (Stanley 1), and what is really unsettling …show more content…
Young children are taught not to label people and assume ideas because of their differences, but stereotypes have a powerful impact that we are unable to control. An article from 2011 observed the different stereotypes of men and women depicted in TV commercials, and the contrasts were quite different. The article stated that women are usually either shown as housewives with their biggest life issue at the moment was what type of food to serve for her family, or they are shown as sexy, seducing and care-free women with no self dignity and are every man’s