ipl-logo

Similarities Between 1984 And Metropolis

1800 Words8 Pages

A comparative study of texts gives a richer understanding on how perspectives and common human values are shared within texts. These shed light upon how significant a texts context is in shaping a composer's perspective. Julia Kristeva comments on intertextuality, saying that it “deals with the materialisation of a text from a social text and its perpetual existence within society and history”. This is seen in Fritz Lang's Metropolis and George Orwell's 1984. Studying these two texts with different contexts reveals different values that can only be understood through the eye of perspective. Fritz Lang responds optimistically to the breakdown of class division in Metropolis, as his religious perspective reflects the values of faith in 1927. …show more content…

Written post world war II, Orwell characterises the rigid class structure of the era prior to the war, where conformity was expected and any attempt to deconstruct or disconnect from the social hierarchy was “restricted by social convention”. Orwell witnessed the danger of complete political authority, such as the governments in Spain and Russia whilst alluding to Stalin and Hitler and their greed for power. Orwell creates a novel that is thus a cautionary sign, indirectly showing us the dangers of a totalitarian society, capturing the real world belief of “purging the world for sins and desecration; and their sustenance for authority and total control. Throughout this book we see a member of the middle class feeling imprisoned within the world he lives, who then seeks freedom by breaking the laws. We see the power that the inner party holds in the quote “Who controls the past controls the future, who controls the present controls the past”. Orwell uses repetition to emphasise who, while the high modality of the sentence reinforces the control that the party members seek. The novel is filled with indications that Big Brother is in control, as ‘he’ is at the top of the hierarchy; which further established through Winston stating “Nothing was your own except the few cubic centimetres inside your skull”. Orwell uses descriptive language, and the limited third person narration allows the audience to gain insight into Winston’s thoughts. This paints an image that highlights Winston’s thoughts being the only thing he can control in this totalitarian regime, showing us the extreme lack of freedom experienced by the outer party members. Throughout the novel Orwell continues to intensify his hatred toward totalitarianism and political authority, this demonstrates his pessimistic perspective and warns his readers of the aftermath of societal

Show More
Related

Metropolis And 1984 Essay

1039 Words | 5 Pages

As examples of dystopian fiction, metropolis and 1984 share some common concerns and conventions. In a comparative essay, analyse and evaluate each text as an artistic response to the political, social and cultural climates of their respective contexts: Texts are inherently responses which represents composers concerns of their political, social and cultural climates. Both Fritz Lang’s German Expressionist Film Metropolis (1927) and George Orwell’s dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four (1948) portray the subjugation of the individual and the divide between social classes. Lang’s focus is on the consequences to society due to loss of values such as compassion in Weimar Germany following WWI.

Read More

Examples Of Autonomy In 1984 By George Orwell

342 Words | 2 Pages

Winston’s explanation of the Party and these beliefs illustrates the corruption they experience for they are unable to think for themselves and are forced to accept whatever they are told to believe. Orwell uses diction to convey a theme of totalitarianism

Read More

How Does Winston Have Power In 1984

891 Words | 4 Pages

In George Orwell’s classic novel, 1984, a dystopian society is created and set in socialist England. The government is a cruel, tyrannical, totalitarian entity with a fearful grip on each party’s citizens including the main character, Winston Smith. Throughout the novel, Winston expresses his fear and displeasure of the party’s philosophy, Ingsog, which forces him to abide under its control. In 1984, Orwell highlights the negative aspects of socialism and how tyrannical governments hold power.

Read More

What Is The Vulnerability Of Power In 1984 By George Orwell

1141 Words | 5 Pages

George Orwell's Swiftian satire 1984 (1949) exposes the dangerous potential of totalitarian regimes which exploit vulnerable individuals to maintain ubiquitous power over society. Orwell enhances audiences' understanding of human vulnerability through his representation of a totalitarian regime that disempowers its citizens and eradicates their agency. Also, he demonstrates how constant political indoctrination and intimidation create a brutalised society devoid of compassion, leaving human relationships susceptible to destruction. Furthermore, Orwell depicts the futility of rebellion against totalitarian regimes, demonstrating the vulnerability of humanity to tyrannical oppressors.

Read More

Similarities Between 1984 And Metropolis

939 Words | 4 Pages

Fritz Lang and George Orwell express their concern for the welfare of future societies throughout their texts Metropolis and Nineteen Eighty-four, stimulated by the scenes they witnessed from their contexts. Fritz Lang directed and released Metropolis (1927) in Germany during the time of the Weimar Republic, significantly influencing his film. George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-four (1949) was motivated from the events from both World Wars and the malicious dictators such as Hitler, Stalin and Mussolini that came to power, demonstrating totalitarian dictatorships. Through their dystopic texts, they present a warning on the detriment of totalitarian leaders with their covetousness to demonstrate power and control by all means necessary leading

Read More

Revolutionary War: The Most Important Events During The American Revolution

226 Words | 1 Pages

It is words that win wars, and throughout history moments have been defined by speeches, proclamations and documents. They shape political policies, rules and inspire change amongst men, they can start and end wars, rally troops and put the fear of god in men. The American revolution was no exception. During the course of the war many important letters, reports and political bills were written on both sides, giving historians and the general public a better understanding of the events and sufferings that formed a country and shaped democracy as we know it today. One of the most influential of these came from the British, a proclamation made by Thomas Gage on behalf of King George III of England.

Read More

Room 101 By George Orwell Essay

1516 Words | 7 Pages

Evaluating the Power of Fear in George Orwell’s 1984 Societies that function under the pretense of one caste benefitting from the other's oppression is nothing new. However, it does come with consequences, a major one being class struggles. When applying Marxist criticism, it is unmistakable that George Orwell’s 1984 presents a totalitarian government by maintaining control of citizens and putting them in a frightening state, consequently placing an overwhelming sense of paranoia and fear in citizens' everyday lives. For example, the Inner Party instills fear in citizens by utilizing propaganda, enforcing negative terms and ideas to trigger anxiety, and maintains constant surveillance of its citizens. Therefore, it is evident that Orwell illustrates how the highest class retains their power and

Read More

Loyalty In 1984

1083 Words | 5 Pages

They had held on to the primitive emotions which he himself had to relearn by conscious effort” (165). Winston, a member of the Outer Party, is exasperated by the internal workings of the Party as he lives in a terrifying society that completely represses humanity, while also demanding complete control of all aspects of daily life. Throughout Winston’s lifetime, Big Brother and the Party instill fear and paranoia in him through their persistent surveillance aimed at eliminating deviation from the Party and dehumanizing him, causing him to eventually misplace his loyalty as he lives unhappily. Orwell emphasizes how the Party demands not only loyalty and respect from their citizens, but also absolute obedience, causing them to live as puppets of the regime. While sitting in the Chestnut Tree Café, Winston is reminded of a conversation he had with Julia, where she remarked, “‘They can’t get inside you,’

Read More

How Does Orwell Present Dystopia In 1984

612 Words | 3 Pages

The very purpose of dystopia is to create an imagined state in which everything is unpleasant to disturb the reader. Often this is to provide a warning to the readers against the possibilities of extreme possibilities if control is taken too far; Orwell himself states “I do not believe that the kind of society I describe will arrive, but I believe that something resembling it could arrive”. Therefore, dystopian fiction as a whole presents a disturbing picture of the future, often with a ruthless class system and the eradication of individualisation. Within 1984 Orwell uses the loss of individuality to paint a frightening picture of the future.

Read More

Similarities Between 1984 And Metropolis

952 Words | 4 Pages

I am writing to you to inform you about our new textbook entitles, Exploring Intertextual Perspectives: Ideas, Values and Attitudes. This textbook explores the different forms of totalitarianism including surveillance and total control. Throughout the texts Metropolis by Fritz Lang and 1984 by George Orwell. Totalitarianism is a political concept where the state recognizes no limits to its authority and strives to regulate every aspect of public and private life wherever feasible. Loss of privacy is one of the main ideas that is conveyed in 1984 and Metropolis, as a form of surveillance set out by the totalitarianism government.

Read More

How Did Florence Nightingale Influence Professional Nursing

266 Words | 2 Pages

Florence Nightingale influenced a social movement that impacted the development of professional nursing in the U.S. In 19th century before Florence Nightingale’s time, families and friends cared for their loved ones at home and there were untrained and uneducated women who worked in the hospitals. But Florence Nightingale changed all the chaos and improved hospital settings. Due to her passion of nursing, Florence Nightingale changed the condition of the health care systems and instituted nursing as a respected profession. She structured nursing schools for nurses as to become respected professionals. Demand for higher education for nurses also impacted the development of professional nursing.

Read More

Totalitarian Government In George Orwell's 1984

951 Words | 4 Pages

In 1949, a man predicted the domination of citizens by the totalitarian government and their custom of technologies to dictate the society. His name is George Orwell, a well-known British author, who wrote one of the most famous dystopian novels, 1984. The novel 1984 illustrates the totalitarian society and the life of Winston Smith, who works at the Ministry of truth and his humiliation by the party of the country, Oceania. George Orwell’s exaggeration and mockery of the totalitarian governments in the novel 1984 is now turning out to be one of the nightmare come true in our modern society.

Read More

1984 Victory Gin Analysis

973 Words | 4 Pages

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.

Read More

George Orwell And Totalitarianism

1336 Words | 6 Pages

George Orwell has left a lasting impression on the lives of his audience despite only living for forty-six years. Known for his politically critical novels, Orwell’s material is proven relevant, even today, to explain situations pertaining to society or to government. However, the question of how Orwell understood totalitarianism to the extent that he did remains. On June 25, 1903, this Anglo-French writer, originally named Eric Arthur Blair, was born in Motihari, India, to Richard Blair and Ida Limouzin. At a young age, Orwell was sent to a convent run by French nuns, where his hatred of Catholicism was established.

Read More

How Does George Orwell Get Too Much Power

1607 Words | 7 Pages

While Winston works, there are cameras placed everywhere to keep a constant watch on everybody. Orwell explains Winston’s job, “even the written instructions which Winston received… which it was necessary to put right in the interests of accuracy” (37). Winston is given handwritten directions everyday, showing that even though Winston is very aware of how to do his job, the government still insists on telling him how to get it done. This shows how the Party aims to take away any source of individuality because, in Oceania individuality is the last thing the Party wants so they block every form of this being able to happen by giving out written instructions everyday. Literary analysis expert, Irving Howe, explains, “In 1984 Orwell is trying to present the kind of world in which individuality has become obsolete and personality a crime” (62).

Read More

More about Similarities Between 1984 And Metropolis

Related Topics

Open Document