Posted by Tim Cratchit on August 07, 2002 at 21:19:05:
In Reply to: 1984- social issues in need of reform posted by me on August 06, 2002 at 10:59:02:
Dear paranoid android Marvin,
I think that the person posting a lot of naci crap here all the time is you. If it is so, please don't. (And it would be better for you to stick to one nick only.) If it is not so - and wall + a lot of other aliases is somebody else - then I am sorry.
Also, I don't think a teacher would give such a vague and ignorant assignment (even though, it is possible). Sounds more like theme from "White pride" fan-zine.
The whole point of 1984 is: it is possible to understand social and political processes to a point that a new oligarchy (the inner party in the novel) could create permanent dictatorship. War, propaganda, starvation, incessant surveillance and teror are all necessary for this kind of industrial totalitarian society to work, all these things are done so that the ruling elite can cling on power indefinitely.
The story of 1984 is about an inteligent man that somehow managed to keep his sanity. He gradualy emancipates himself and he is punished - broken and brainwashed, eventualy. At this point, it becames clear that he has been recognized by the secret police as non-conformist early on and he was being set up and watched all the time while doing it. So, it reads more like political assay than a fine novel.
1984 is good because it is very convincing - the Oceania kind of society can be accomplished. (Nazis and Commies have gone quite far in the right direction, but they did not know enough.)