Week 8 Entry
This week in our tut we were discussing whether it would be possible for 1984 to eventually become the world we live in. I thought about this and for many reasons I thought no but then I look back on our history and think yes it could. It really could and it’s scary. I mean look at the world there has been 4 Major wars (WW1/2, Vietnam and Iraq) Apartheid, the Holocaust even Australia’s history just to mention a few. All of which have been built on ideologies of indifference and hate. All because of words when it comes down to it and the choice of words.
Even today as much as our vocabulary is increasing it is also diminishing with so much short hand as a result of txt messaging, internet chat, emails etc. There is no need to spell whole words or use complicated words. Simplicity is the key nowadays. So I think, if like the people in 1984, society was conditioned to adopt these new words, languages, ways of speaking it could really work. Like in Winston’s position, yes there would be a few who would remember some distant time where things were different, but are only reminded of so when asked to re-write history.
I know the book has that intention to exaggerate history and show what can happen when these boundaries are pushed beyond the limits. Yet I think Orwell really does have a point here. We only know what we know and behave the way we do because it is considered acceptable. The done thing.
So when considering these aspects I think it totally could be possible I am just hoping for all our sakes it isn’t. It’s bad enough that Winston knows what is going on but can’t do anything about it then you have people like Julia who seem to be the biggest supporters of the system but only because she has to and doesn’t care enough about anything to make a difference anyway. At times I think this world is a very sad and lonely place in which you can ask why about pretty much everything to do with it yet I think if it ever turned out like 1984 it would truly be a tragedy!
