Dystopian Doublethink, Tones, and History: George Orwell’s 1984 and Phillip K. Dick’s Ubik
Authors
Shao Lingzhu
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Annotation
As a well widely celebrated science fiction novel, George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four imagines a world of totalitarian reign and the attempts of its citizens to rebel against the authoritative power. Nineteen Eighty-Four takes place in a version of London, on a continent referred to as “Oceania,” where the main character Winston Smith works for the party of the mysterious “Big Brother” in the Ministry of Truth, which alters the historical records according to the instructions and will of the party’s leaders. Winston has long felt oppressed by the party and longed for the freedom of ordinary life and the true past. Sent to the Ministry of Love (ironically the opposite, a place for punishment and reform) by O’Brien, a character who plays an important role in the destruction of Winston’s unfaithful thoughts, to be brainwashed, Winston’s spirit will eventually get crushed by the inhumane treatment in Room 101 and becomes devoted to Big Brother and the party. Above all, “Doublethink,” the ability to believe in the coexistence of reality and deception, and the conscious and unconscious is one of the central themes of the book.
Authors
Shao Lingzhu
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References:
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