Totalitarian Governments Nazi Comparison 1984 Totalitarian Governments Nazi Comparison

1984’s parallelism with Nazi Germany's persecution of the jews Who is Emmanuel Goldstein and how is he presented to the people of Oceania? What is the probable significance of using the obviously Jewish name? (Leader of the Brotherhood, an underground rebel organization. He wrote the book read by Winston. He is the object of the daily Two Minutes Hate exercise designed to direct citizen frustration away from the Party. Considering the fact that World War II with its horror of the holocaust had just ended, the use of Goldstein as a scapegoat parallels the Nazis‘ attempt to blame their problems on the Jews.)

1984 vs. nazi germany -If you were a citizen in 1933 Germany, how would you feel about your government? What options did you feel you had for expressing opposition to this government or to participate in it? How do these options differ from the options you have today in the United States? (Same question but replace ―1933 German with ―Orwell‘s 1984‖)

1984 vs. nazi germany The Hitler Youth Adolf Hitler was on the verge of creating an Orwellian-style cable TV system to broadcast Nazi propaganda around Germany. Screens would have been set up in public places, including in laundries so housewives could tune in, according to a documentary based on papers and tapes found in his bunker. When the Allies overran Germany, engineers were on the point of a technological breakthrough to allow TV pictures to be transmitted to screens and sound to radio receivers. -Prototype programs included Family Chronicles: An Evening With Hans And Gelli, an early reality TV show depicting the wholesome Aryan life of a young German couple for the rest of the population to model themselves on. -Another plan was to show footage of executions of traitors to the Nazis. The plans first came to light in 1945, when boxes with tapes were found in the ruins of Berlin by Soviet soldiers, the Russian documentary says.

1984 vs. joseph stalin’s communist russia Stalin claimed to defend the Russian Revolution but actually destroyed it. He destroyed a communist government and transformed it into a totalitarian regime. Stalin had history books destroyed and rewritten. Stalin was known for “demonizing” his enemies (2 Minutes of Hate) – Leon Trotsky. Big Brother resembles Stalin in appearance. Images and statues of Stalin could be found in every city in Russia. Power and wealth were controlled by the minority. Violence and secret police (KGB) were used to maintain control.

The last man in Europe – individual vs. society Some see Winston Smith as a revolutionary, someone who “stands alone” against the corrupted reality of his world. But in the novel, Smith is powerless – and he knows it. He does not try to rally people for his cause or protest. He simply wants to live in a way forbidden by society. The social change that affects the individual is therefore to control the individual and make him follow the required behavior of the group: What types of social pressures do we see in our society today? How are they presented to the people?

The last man in Europe – individual vs. society Continued Encouragement to join group activities. Television is used to control what people are exposed to. Televisions can be found in almost every venue keeping us up to date with the news. In 1983, 50 corporations controlled most of the American media. By 1992, that number had dropped by half. By 2000, six corporations controlled the majority of the media. Today, five corporations control the majority of the media (Time Warner, Disney, Murdoch’s News Corporation, Bertelsmann of Germany and Viacom). Security cameras are becoming a major part of our community: On average in Britain a person is captured on camera 30 times.

The last man in Europe – individual vs. society Continued The 1950s saw a Red Scare which hindered many efforts of privacy while the government hunted down “communists.” The NSA and other security agencies can view your social media at will. In the novel they fight an endless war against various countries in an effort to maintain domestic peace.. We have been fighting the war on terrorism since I was in 10th grade. Newspeak – OMG, LOL, etc. Memory Hole – Wiping hard drives, shredders, etc. The United States Government seeks to legislate morality.

Closing Question Why do you believe George Orwell wrote his dystopian novel 1984? Explain your answer in a minimum of 1 paragraph. Please use examples from the text to support your claims. Has your opinion changed from the beginning of class?