RedRalph
Deity
- Joined
- Jun 12, 2007
- Messages
- 20,708
This is a good question that I have heard come up before. I say there is in fact a war because it would alow them to dispose of excess production (they can't make consumer goods, and people can't be idle) as well as keep a real stressor/distraction on the people. Presumable ever soldier who goes to the front doesn't die or fight indefinetly, even in 1984 someone would eventiually make it home.
well there is clearly some form of fighting happening, as Winston is almost hit himself by a rocket bomb, but I think some susopect that it could be BB firing them theirselves at their own population, or that there may be only one government, posing as three, making three sides fight when in fact they are one. As for the disposal of production, even if there wasnt a war this stuff could be just being destroyed in the imaginary "conflict zones" without there actually being a war.
No. It was made clear they were completely devoid of power. Kept happy by enough food/booze and kept busy by war and work they have no time to organize. Not only that, but there is nothing for them to aspire to. They don't know that there could be anything better, in when newspeak takes root they won't be able to articulate such ideas anyway.
Even in the event of a famine, flood, global warming to a life threatening degree? think theyd go down quietly? Take away the bread and circuses and maybe not
Interstingly, Orwell never described actual mindreading. It was always physical observation or none telepathic pychological techniques used to control party members. I can see natural disasters temporarily causing problems. If a Katrina hit it is very likely the telescreens might not work for a few days and people really would be on their own. However, given the scale of these states and the resources at their disposal, they can easily weather the loss of any one population center if it needs to be sanitized. Just blame it on an East Asian nuke.
I know its not mindreading, thats why I said techniques, but there is obviously osme form of thought manipulation going on, where O'Brien can instantly tell when winston is trying to remember the philsophy that can resolve two contradictory and similtaneous opinions