1984, Faranheit 451, and Animal Farm- Real or Coincidence?

[tombeef]

I bring this up becuase these days you hear so many people bring up the fact that a lot of what was written in these three books, and other books along the same lines, are coming true.

For instance, in Faranheit 451 the government uses lots of advertisements, like long bilboards, to keep the people proccuppied. Sports are a main activity at schools, to keep the children preoccupied.

In a way you could say that this is somewhat true, commercialization and advertisements appear almost everywhere theses days. On NASCAR racers, on the internet; bilboards, and commercial times, are both increasing. Congress has also taken a recent interest in sports, with the steroid hearings, and sports themselves are becoming such a huge part of people's lives. Distraction, perhaps?

My question is this, are the events that these books speak of coming true, or are we connecting them coincidentally? Is it only the fact that someone wrote about these things that we are connecting them to real life, and, that these books are far from the future and truth. Or is there something to be learned from them? Are we approaching a society not unlike one in 1984, Faranheit 451, or Animal Farm? Or any other similar book/movie?

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

I bring this up becuase these days you hear so many people bring up the fact that a lot of what was written in these three books, and other books along the same lines, are coming true.

For instance, in Faranheit 451 the government uses lots of advertisements, like long bilboards, to keep the people proccuppied. Sports are a main activity at schools, to keep the children preoccupied.

In a way you could say that this is somewhat true, commercialization and advertisements appear almost everywhere theses days. On NASCAR racers, on the internet; bilboards, and commercial times, are both increasing. Congress has also taken a recent interest in sports, with the steroid hearings, and sports themselves are becoming such a huge part of people's lives. Distraction, perhaps?

My question is this, are the events that these books speak of coming true, or are we connecting them coincidentally? Is it only the fact that someone wrote about these things that we are connecting them to real life, and, that these books are far from the future and truth. Or is there something to be learned from them? Are we approaching a society not unlike one in 1984, Faranheit 451, or Animal Farm? Or any other similar book/movie?

I think these books were warning against totalitarianism in general, and so they describe some of the methods that could be used. I do think that (in the US) what we are seeing these days is a little worrying, but I also think that we are not quite to that level yet.

 

[Silent Spectre]

For Fahrenheight 451, don't forget the fact that no one wanted to have deep thoughts, they just wanted superficial happiness, especially from the TV. Yes, it does seem like we are coming closer and closer to making these books reality instead of fiction. A scary thought indeed.

 

[GinandTonic]

Newspeak certianly has come to pass. Operation enduring freedom? To save the village it was necessary etc etc.

 

[Tenochtitlan]

The rate at which the US is turning into a totalirianism is very worrying.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Newspeak certianly has come to pass. Operation enduring freedom? To save the village it was necessary etc etc.

I would hardly say that that is a new thing. It has been going on throughout human history. I tend to think that those who feel the US is turning into a totalitarian state are exaggerating a little But let's wait and see what happens in 2008 . . .

 

[tombeef]

The rate at which the US is turning into a totalirianism is very worrying.

On the one hand I kind of agree with you.

However, our society has such an apocolyptic view of the world. Look at the news, it's all about death and destruction. Look at movies and books, getting "darker" all the time. Is this perhaps adding to the flame? Do we as a society jump to apocolyptic views and exaggerate their possibilities or existance?

 

[h4ppy]

NASCAR=BIG BROTHER!

I think this thread is unsmart.

 

[willemvanoranje]

As for animal farm, the link with the Soviet Union is too clear. Some main characters in the story are obviously based on Lenin, Stalin and Trotski... so no, that's no coincidence, since it's based on what really happened.

As for Farenheit, I haven't read it.. and 1984 is just what George Orwell thought would/could happen to the world if totalitarism, already known back in the 40'ies (Hitler Germany/Soviet Union), would continue to exist and would be able to use modern inventions. The book was a warning for how life could be like in 1984 if people would not pay attention.. if totalitarism would get a chance.

 

[I am the Future]

The books were writen by some of the most brilliant sociologists ever. It is no surprise that they would have been able to predict how the human enviorment would change.

 

[Irish Caesar]

The connections are rather forced. For instance, your (OP) example of advertisements: ads are from corporations to make money.

If you look for parallels between any two things hard enough, you'll find them.

That's not to say that the government shouldn't be held accountable for what it does, but to say that USA is heading towards totalitarianism is a crock of you-know-what.

Most totalitarian countries don't have problems where millions of people risk their lives to live in the country, and illegally at that.

 

[willemvanoranje]

That's not to say that the government shouldn't be held accountable for what it does, but to say that USA is heading towards totalitarianism is a crock of you-know-what.

Most totalitarian countries don't have problems where millions of people risk their lives to live in the country, and illegally at that.

You cannot seriously say that the USA is not heading in the direction of a totalitarian state. I'm not saying the USA is heading there to actually arrive, but with all the new possibilities police have gotten in the past few years, and even in the past decades, you can't deny that the USA (and many other countries) have gotten closer to being a totalitarian state than before. The USA is not a totalitarian state right now, so that millions-of-imigrants-point kind of slips away..

 

[Irish Caesar]

You cannot seriously say that the USA is not heading in the direction of a totalitarian state. I'm not saying the USA is heading there to actually arrive, but with all the new possibilities police have gotten in the past few years, and even in the past decades, you can't deny that the USA (and many other countries) have gotten closer to being a totalitarian state than before. The USA is not a totalitarian state right now, so that millions-of-imigrants-point kind of slips away..

The USA has always been in a period of either drifting toward or away from a totalitarian state. In fact, I think we're much farther from a totalitarian state than we were in say, 1798. Or anytime we've had a draft. Or during any war, including imagined ones.

I'm not happy that they make me take off my shoes at the airport, but this ain't anything close to anything in one of those books. And it won't be.

 

[willemvanoranje]

I'm not happy that they make me take off my shoes at the airport, but this ain't anything close to anything in one of those books. And it won't be.

True, the USA isnt really close.. but all those 'spying'-methods of the police.. the whole patriot act thingy... it does make sense that it scares people.

 

[Xenocrates]

There is a connection between advertising and the 'stupidifying' of the masses.

In order for adverts to maximise efectiveness, people need to be iniuced into a certain state of mind. A form of hypnosis. There is no doubt that TV is addictive and that the programmes which attract the most advertising income are those that are the most stupid.

In other words, the political and the commercial establishment both gain from the same system. This is doubly dangerous.

 

[MattJek]

The rate at which the US is turning into a totalirianism is very worrying.

What worries me more is that US citizens are not seeing that this is happening.

 

[HawkeyeGS]

Like all works of fiction they are just that - fiction. that does not mean they are not important and do not teach you things. I guess the main thing is not to listen to what is being told to you (either by a book, the media or a polly) and you should make your mind up based upon the facts and not sensationalised rubbish. If you get in the habit of thinking "they know best" you will end up at the mercy of the pigs.

 

[Red Stranger]

You cannot seriously say that the USA is not heading in the direction of a totalitarian state.

How can you say that when you don't even live in the US. The US is currently in the best shape in history. The economy is doing well. We're spreading democracy not limiting it. You should come see America before you judge it. Most of the people I know are living much better because of Bush's policies.

Edit: And no, I'm not saying this because my family is in charge of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. We didn't profit from the war at all.

 

[Sidhe]

ack whenever you hear the US saying it's spreading democracy don't you just want to cringe, keep your damn democracy to yourself is my advice, let people decide if they want it or not. Bloody trouble makers.

Brave New world is a better book than both Animal Farm or Franheit 451 IMO.

forcing democracy though, doesnt the delicous irony of that make you giggle

 

[Lambert Simnel]

Congress has also taken a recent interest in sports, with the steroid hearings, and sports themselves are becoming such a huge part of people's lives. Distraction, perhaps?

Juvenal's "panem et circenses" observation dates from 1900 years before Fahrenheit 451. Nothing new there, either in terms of the distractions, how easily people are distracted, and the worries that people have about sliding into oligarchy or dictatorship.

@willem, I understand that Orwell wrote 1984 about what he saw was happening in the UK at the time he was writing (ie 1948), but reversed the digits and gave it a futuristic setting to try to get people to step back from it and be better able to judge. It wasn't a warning about what might happen, it was a warning about what was happening.

Animal Farm, as willem says, was a straightforward telling of the fall of the USSR into despotism. It's interesting on that front, but I don't think it's particularly useful as a social commentary on any other place or time.