George Orwell's 1984

[dennis in se pa]

I am surprised to not find this previously discussed. Saw the movie then read the book. There is so much more going on in the book of course. It is positively scary how it applies to the world today.

I am wondering why Winston was not "evaporated"? Possibly because O'brien had befriended him?

[GH85Carrera]

Wow, I read that back when I was in high school and 1984 was still many years in the future.

I don't remember enough about the plot to remember those points.

[legion]

Winston was kept alive so that he could be paraded around as a defeated man before his execution. It's part of the psychology totalitarian regimes employ to maintain control.

[Groesbeck Hurricane]

It is akin to hitler sitting amongst young children and later school children when he announced the great new strides in public safety the government was taking as it removed more and more rights from people. Think 1934, 35, and 36. Not that anyone would try that today.

[BE911SC]

Originally Posted by Groesbeck Hurricane

great new strides in public safety the government was taking as it removed more and more rights from people

USA Patriot Act.

[RDM]

If you'd really like a parallel to today, go on and read Brave New World. A soft despotism that makes everyone comfortable and pliant. Go ahead, have your Soma, I mean game system and cable TV. Relieve yourself of the worries of living as a free man.

[cashflyer]

and Harrison Bergeron.

[pwd72s]

Orwell was an optimist.

Lots of political talk about the USA being "free" these days.

Believe it if you wish.

[RDM]

Originally Posted by cashflyer

and Harrison Bergeron.

+1 I read this in high school when I was a big Vonnegut fan. I'm still not sure how a man whose corpus insisted that life was meaningless, nay ridiculous, wrote such a piece.

[Rick V]

I have been saying for a while now he was only off by a couple of decades.

[kiwiokie]

I preferred 'Animal Farm' to '1984'. Orwell's book 'Coming up for air' is also another good read.