9th August 2018

Practice Question

Dystopian literature warns us of what could happen if the civilians of the modern world remain complacent. Like all great literature it has inspired action in its readers and their society. In George Orwell’s “Nineteen Eighty-Four”, he speaks of “The sacred principles of Ingsoc. Newspeak, doublethink, the mutability of the past.” These mechanisms by which the totalitarian state controlled the lives and thoughts of 

It shows us that unless we take action against the actions of tyrannical leaders we will end up being deprived of individuality and privacy. For example, 1984 showed the people of the early 20th century what would happen if they were to continue to let surveillance and propaganda, two new elements of the political climate, escalate to the point of absolute control. This led to these people developing a criticism of propaganda thanks to Orwell, and if this awareness wasn’t created then the susceptibility of humans to these techniques may be far greater today. 

This statement is valid, however, present-day society is proof that the dystopian texts we have studied are good but not great pieces of because they haven’t inspired action as the warnings they have presented us haven’t been acted upon. 

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