1984 Themes, Symbols, and Literary Devices

'1984' Themes, Symbols, and Literary Devices Written at a time when dictatorships and totalitarian regimes were establishing a hold over much of the world despite the defeat of Hitler’s Nazis in World War II, in 1984 Orwell described what he saw as the inevitable outcome of any political movement that embraced authoritarianism and the cult of personality. Orwell was extremely frightened of political power being concentrated in a small number of individuals, correctly seeing it as a pathway to the loss of personal freedoms, and foresaw the technology that would make the erasure of those freedoms a simple task. Totalitarianism The most obvious and powerful theme of the novel is, of course, totalitarianism itself. A totalitarian state is one where there is only one political force legally permitted- all opposition to the state’s policies and actions is illegal, usually categorized as treason and met with violent retribution. This naturally stifles freedom of expression and makes change within the system impossible. In democratic societies, opposition groups can form political parties, express their ideas freely, and force the state to address concerns or be replaced. In a totalitarian society, this is impossible. Orwell’s Oceania goes further than even most existing totalitarian states. Where real-world authoritarian leaders seek to restrict information and control their populations in terms of their physical movements and spoken or written communication, Orwell’s government of the future seeks to inhibit thought itself and alter information at the source. Newspeak is a language invented by the state specifically to make independent thought literally impossible, and even Winston’s physical surroundings are designed to inhibit his freedoms, like the way his small apartment is dominated by the enormous two-way television screen, crowding him into a corner he incorrectly believes offers him some degree of privacy. That illusion is crucial to Orwell’s theme, as he strives to demonstrate that in a truly totalitarian society all freedom is in fact an illusion. Winston believes he finds ways to resist and meaningfully fight back against repression, all of which turn out to be gambits controlled by the state. Orwell argues that people who imagine they would heroically resist such a repressive regime are kidding themselves. Control of Information A crucial aspect of Oceania’s control over the citizenry is its manipulation of information. Workers at the Ministry of Truth actively adjust newspapers and books on a daily basis to match the ever-changing version of history that suits the purposes of the state. Without any kind of reliable source of facts, Winston and anyone who, like him, is dissatisfied or concerned about the state of the world, has only their vague feelings on which to base their resistance. More than simply a reference to Joseph Stalin’s practice of literally airbrushing people out of historical records, this is a chilling demonstration of how a lack of information and accurate data renders people powerless. Winston daydreams of a past that never actually existed and sees it as the goal of his rebellion, but since he lacks any real information, his rebellion is meaningless. Consider how he is tricked into overtly betraying the state by O’Brien. All the information Winston has about the Brotherhood and Emmanuel Goldstein is fed to him by the state itself. He has no idea if any of it is true- if the Brotherhood even exists, if there is even a man named Emmanuel Goldstein. Destruction of the Self Winston’s torture at the end of the novel is not simply punishment for his Thoughtcrimes and incompetent attempts to rebel; the purpose of the torture is to eradicate his sense of self. This is the ultimate goal of totalitarian regimes according to Orwell: A complete subservience to the goals, needs, and ideas of the state. The torture Winston undergoes is designed to destroy his individuality. In fact, every aspect of life in Oceania is designed to achieve this goal. Newspeak is designed to prevent negative thoughts or any thought that is not approved or generated by the state. The Two-Minutes Hate and the presence of Big Brother posters promote a sense of homogeneous community, and the presence of Thought Police- especially the children, who have been raised in the poisoned environment of the totalitarian state and who function as credulous and uncritical servants of its philosophy- prevents any sort of trust or true kinship. In fact, the Thought Police do not have to actually exist to achieve this goal. Simply the belief that they do is sufficient to inhibit any individual expression, with the ultimate result that the self is subsumed into Groupthink. Symbols Big Brother. The most powerful and recognizable symbol from the book- recognized even by people who have not read it- is the looming image of Big Brother on posters everywhere. The posters obviously symbolize the power and omniscience of the party, but they are only ominous to those who retain any kind of individual thought. For those fully assimilated into the party line, Big Brother is not an ironic term- he is seen as a protector, a kindly older sibling keeping them from harm, whether it be the threat of outside forces, or the threat of unmutual thoughts. Proles. Winston is obsessed with the lives of the proles, and fetishizes the red-armed prole woman as his main hope for the future, because she represents the potentially overwhelming power of numbers as well as a mother who will bear future generations of free children. It is notable that Winston’s best hope for the future takes the responsibility from his hands- he is not the one counted on to deliver this ill-defined future, it is up to the proles to rise up. And if they do not, the implication is that it is because they are dull and lazy. Telescreens. Another obvious symbol are the wall-sized televisions in every private space. This literal intrusion by the state is not a commentary on modern television, which did not exist in any meaningful way in 1948, but rather a symbol of the destructive and repressive power of technology. Orwell distrusted technology, and saw it as a grave danger to freedom. Literary Devices Limited Point of View. Orwell chooses to restrict our access to information by tying the narrative solely to Winston’s point of view. This is done specifically to keep the reader reliant on the information they are given, just as Winston is. This underscores the betrayal and shock that both feel when, for example, the Brotherhood is revealed to be fictional. Plain Language. 1984 is written in a very plain style, with few flourishes or unnecessary words. While many students take this to mean Orwell was a humorless man, or who simply lacked the ability to write in an exciting way, the fact is the opposite: Orwell had such control over his art he was able to match his writing style precisely to the mood and setting. The novel is written in a sparse, grim style that perfectly matches and evokes the grim, unhappy, and hopeless setting. The reader experiences the same dull, plodding sense of mere existence that Winston does.

Drilling in the ANWR essays

Drilling in the ANWR essays Drilling for Oil in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge Remaining controversial since its conception, the Artic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) was signed into federal law by President Richard Nixon in 1973(Krasnow). The ANWR is composed of nineteen million acres, including the controversial area of 1.5 million coastal plain (Sub-Driver). This area is home to the Gwichin tribe, Inupiat tribe, polar bears, caribou, Moose, King Salmon, American Bison, Killer Whales, Sea Lions and other wildlife and plants. Supports of drilling in the artic often say the refuge is estimated to contain up to sixteen billion barrels of oil (A.P.N.). While the United States Geological Survey says there are about three billion and would only last the United States six months (A.P.N.). However, The ANWR federal law states that the only way to get authorization to explore for oil and extract it is through Congress. Republicans say Alaskan drilling will create tens of thousands of jobs, and backers say the refuge could produce one million in peak production (Holland). In the United States, we use about nineteen million barrels a day and we import about sixty percent of that (Holland). During his 2000 presidential campaign, George W. Bush announced his support for drilling oil in the ANWR, and now as president, he is trying to get his amendment through Congress. After passing the House of Representatives, attached to a larger energy bill, the amendment has stalled in the Senate. Now the White House is aggressively trying to push the legislation through, and heated rhetoric proliferates. In Steve Hollands article named Bush Says U.S. Needs to Drill for Oil in Alaska, he stated that the republicans are generally on President Bushs side, and the Democrats are environmentally safe minded. The bill for Drilling in Alaska is having a hard time passing through the senate, and the United States people still don...

Death rituals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Death rituals - Essay Example I have seen that the death rituals have remained the same over the years. These have comprised the gathering of near and dear ones to make sure that the affected family feels that they are not alone in their tough times (Gilbert, 2011). The close family members and friends come up and meet the concerned family and tell them what they thought of the deceased individual. They showcase how good or strong the person was who had passed away. It implicates for empathy on their part that they understand the situation and are ready to be a part of the death rituals that the family is undertaking at the present. I believe these death rituals will almost be impossible to change as time moves ahead. This has been seen in the recent past when one of my dearest aunties had died. We exhibited the same death rituals that were present at the time of my niece’s passing away some 4 years back. The death rituals did not change at all, and this strengthened my belief that the same steps and processes were going to be followed whenever someone is going to pass away in the family. However, there would be minor amendments within the death rituals as and when required but on the whole the basic agenda would more or less be what I experienced at the time of my aunt’s death. She was close to us and we loved her dearly. I noticed that nearly all the women in the family wore white clothes to pay homage to aunt’s soul (Hazan, 2004). They sat together, spoke at length about her qualities and the manner under which she used to help people around her. This was quite an enlightening experience for me since I learned that the best way to pay respects was to talk about the deceased itself rather than the worldly events that people usually talk about. The death rituals in my family will always change as and when there is a need but the bottom line remains the same – there is immense respect for the person who has died so that his/her soul rests in peace. I am

The Egyptian accounting profession Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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Business-Level Strategy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business-Level Strategy - Case Study Example Through expanding their array of products, the company would attract more clients; thus, remain the leader in business (Hill & Jones 179-80). Apple Inc. would adopt the strategy of differentiation. As Hitt, Ireland & Hoskisson argue, this strategy allows companies create products with inimitable features at minimal costs (115-123). Through this strategy as well, a company can adapt novel technology and all changes that may take place in its external environment. With cost and differentiation at hand, Apple Inc. can easily attract clients and produce unique products at very low costs. This will ensure that the company remains proficient in its production; thus, retain the existing clients and attract more. This also translates to the actuality that Apple Inc. must have flexible structure of production, quality management and networks that will see to the manufacture of top quality products as the strategy stipulates (Hitt, Ireland & Hoskisson

A Demand Curve Shifts Economics Essay

A Demand Curve Shifts Economics Essay A shift in the demand curve to the left or right represents a change in consumer preferences. A shift to the right indicates that an item has become more commercially desirable and that a larger number will be sold at a given price. A shift to the left is just the opposite, indicating that a marketplace good is less desirable and that fewer items will be sold at a given price. How would supply or demand be affected when the following things occur? Oranges- after a tornado The demand cure will shift to the left meaning that there has been a change in what the consumer is interested in. The oranges will become less desirable because there will be fewer oranges to sell at a given price. There will be a short supply of oranges and the demand for them will lessen in that area hit by the tornado. It will take time to build the funds for any equipment that had been damaged by the tornado. Other areas will still have the same demand for the oranges because they were not affected by the tornado and they may pay a higher price for the oranges. Automobiles after a major recall This will affect the maker of the automobile and the demand for autos from that maker will go down. Other auto companies may have a spike in sales if the consumer is shopping for an automobile that has not been affected by the recall. This spikes the demand for other autos from another company and halts the supply from the auto that has been recalled. Spinach- after the FDA announces that spinach can prevent cancer Here the demand curve will shift to the right. Suppliers will have to adjust to the change to meet the level of demand. The price on the spinach rise because if demand increases so does the price. This may lead to a shortage of the spinach because the demand can exceed the quantity of the spinach supply. Flu Vaccines after technology was discovered to mass produce flu vaccines If there is a mild flu season not everyone will get a flu shot. For example, if there was a press release of a large amount of people contraction the flu, more people would get flu shots and the demand will go up. If there is less press coverage of people contracting the flu, the less there will be a demand. Since the vaccine can be mass produced the supply and demand will stay equal and the price affordable and may not fluctuate much at all. The midterm exam will be worth 150 points or 15% of your grade. It will constitute of 5 short answers worth 30 points each. The midterm exam is open book and there is no time limit on the exam. You have the option of saving your answer and resuming at a later time. When completed, please submit in a ONE word document. *Upload via attachment* The midterm exam questions will contain material discussed in class (discussions, assignments, websites, etc.) and textbook material (Chapters 1-7, 9-11). All short answers must contain information using no external research. Students are required to respond in their own words using applicable examples and knowledge gained from the class. A typical short answer should be between 100-150 words. The following rubric will be used to assess each of your midterm answers: 15 Points- Justification and Accuracy of Answers (opinion, point articulation) 10 Points Integration of example (s) 5 Points- Spelling, Grammar and APA (typos, grammar style, tone, flow) ** Please note that APA must be used when answering each question (introduction, body, and conclusion). ** Each answer should be on a separate sheet of paper ** There should be one title for the midterm exam 3. Describe the flow of resources, products, income, and revenue among the economic decision-makers (households, firms, and markets) in an open economy. How does this affect GDP? (30 Points) 4. Compare and contrast the command economy, the capitalist economy, the traditional economy and the mixed economy. (30 Points) 5. In your own words, please define and describe the following terms: supply curve, demand curve, gross domestic product and gross national product. (30 Points) To better define macroeconomics, consider its distinction from microeconomics. Imagine you are attempting to figure out how the price of a certain good has been determined. Microeconomics would focus on how supply and demand determine prices, while macroeconomics would study the determination of prices at all levels. To test particular policies and ideas, or to find out the causes of good macroeconomic performance, we need to have some measure of overall economic activity. For this reason, macroeconomics uses aggregates (totals) to measure key concepts such as national income, output, unemployment, inflation, and business cycles (periodic expansions and contractions of economic activity). By studying macroeconomics and understanding the critical ideas and tools used to measure economic data, you will have a better perspective on the issues and problems discussed in contemporary economics. Compare and contrast 3 main differences between microeconomics and macroeconomics. Why is it important for you to study macroeconomics? (30 Points) Microeconomics is the study of your economic behavior and the economic behaviors of others. (McEachern, p. 8). Macroeconomics studies the performance of the economy as a whole. (McEachern, p. 9). Economists use economic models when making predictions or assumptions about the economy because they are easy to relay information through. Most people are visual and like things broken down into pieces that all connect. The circular flow model would be beneficial because it traces the flow of resources, products, income, and revenue for making financial decisions. Economists use economic models when making predictions or assumptions about the economy because an economic theory, or economic model, is a simplification of economic reality à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (It) captures the important elements of the problem under study (McEachern, p. 9). Trying to examine all of the economic variables and data would be so complex and overwhelming, that the original problem or question could easily become lost or diffused. A theoretical model, on the other hand, facilitates focusing on the key relationships (p. 69). Economist use economic models when making predictions or assumptions about the economy mainly because the models help simplify things. The economy and everything that goes along with it can be a very complex matter so without the simplification it would be easy to get confused or off track. The models also help to create a template for economists to follow when they are making their predictions of what will happen in the future. This allows them to try and plan ahead for things that might come about. You cannot plan for everything but it is better to be over prepared then not at all. These predictions help economists be sure that all the demands can be met. Economists sometimes use the scientific method to study economic problems. It consists of four steps, Step one: Identify the question and define relevant variables, Step two: Specify assumptions, Step three: Formulate a hypothesis, Step four: Test the hypothesis. According to William McEachern, an economic model is a simplification of economic reality, which economists use to make predictions about the real world (McEachern, 2009, p. 9). Economic models assist economists by condensing and illustrating information, allowing them to analysis situations and create a future forecast. There are several different economic models, such as the production possibilities frontier (PPF), the circular flow diagram, supply and demand diagram, as well as other advanced economic models. The PPF takes into consideration all resources, technology, and rules which apply to production, and identifies possible combinations of the two goods that can be produced when all available resources are employed efficiently (McEachern, 2009, p. 27). In general, the PPF model is a curved graph that allows economics to determine what production levels are efficient, inefficient, and unattainable. The circular flow diagram is a flow chart which describes the flow of resources , products, income, and revenue among economic decision makers (McEachern, 2009, p. 6) . This economic model illustrates for economists how a system functions in order to determine if it is operating efficiently or inefficiently and if it can be improved. Finally, the supply and demand diagram identifies the supply and demand of a good or service, while depicting its price, quantity, and equilibrium. This model allows economists to measure and predict how changes in supply or demand effect price and quantity. 2.List and describe in your own words 3 determinant of aggregate demand and 3 determinants of aggregate supply?(30 Points)

Essays --

Analysis and Critique of Reading Assignment 1 Paper â€Å"Limits of Instruction-Level Parallelism† In this report the author provides quantifiable results that show the available parallelism. The report defines various terminologies like Instruction Level parallelism, dependencies, Branch Prediction, Data Cache Latency, Jump prediction, Memory-address alias analysis etc. used clearly. A total of eighteen test programs with seven models have been examined and the results show significant effects of the variations on the standard models. The seven models reflect parallelism that is available by various compiler/architecture techniques like branch prediction, register renaming etc. The lack of branch prediction means that it finds intra-block parallelism, and the lack of renaming and alias analysis means it won’t find much of that. The Good model doubles the parallelism, mostly because it introduces some register renaming. Parallelism increases with the model type; while the model adds more advanced features without perfect branch prediction it cannot exceed even the half of t he Perfect model's parallelism. All tests conducted show that the parallelism of entire program executions avoided the question of what constitutes a 'representative' interval because to select a particular interval where the program is at its most parallel stage would be misleading. Widening the cycles would also help in improvising parallelism. Doubling the cycle width improves parallelism; appreciably under the Perfect model. But, most of the programs do not benefit from wide cycle widths even under the Perfect model. Depiction to the parallelism behaviour due to window techniques. Evidently discrete window widening tends to result in lower level of parallelism th... ...h prediction and jump prediction, the negative effect of misprediction can be greater than the positive effects of multiple issues. Alias analysis is better than none, though it rarely increased parallelism by more than a quarter. 75% improvement has been achieved under "alias analysis by compiler" on the programs that do use the heap. Renaming did not improve the parallelism much, but degraded it in a few cases. With few real registers, hardware dynamic renaming offers little over a reasonable static allocator. A few have either increased or decreased parallelism with great latencies. Instruction Level Parallelism basics are well explained. Pipelining is important than size of the program. Increased ILP by branch prediction and loop unrolling techniques. But cycles lost in misprediction and memory aliases handling at compiler time have not been taken into account.