Crafting Creative Concepts with Charlotte

 I think the fact the 1984  is still relevant is actually really positive. We all know that history tends to repeat itself, so for 1984  to be able to address concerns raised by WWII and keep these concerns relevant for so long is significant. So, my answer to this question of avoiding an Orwellian future is simple - remember and learn from history. We also need to make sure that we maintain a form of government where the people have power, because as soon as citizens begin to lose their voice in the government it's a very slippery slope. I think this historical relevance is a huge part of why 1984  is still popular and Brave New World isn't. WWII nearly led the world down the path towards global authoritarianism, while the technological developments of the early 1900s had nearly none of the effects that Huxley predicted. I don't think we need to obsess over the possibility of becoming an Orwellian society (like some people do) but we need to keep 1984  in the back of our m

Sorry, that was clickbait. I don't actually have a list of 1,984 reasons to hate Orwell, but I do have some big problems with him that I'll be hashing out here (aka ranting). He is obsessed with torture. 1984 is a study in human nature. However, Orwell chooses to study human nature through the lens of torture. I understand his desire to make Oceania such a deeply horrific society, but I think he goes far past the point of appropriateness. He seems like part of that group of creepy old-school psychologists who thought that any lengths could be taken in the name of science. Even though everything in 1984  is obviously theoretical, it's unsettling to me that Orwell has mentally worked out so many intricate details about the brink of human sanity in relation to torture. Creep. He is sexist.  I think I've already written a post about this one, but I'll say it again: there is no female independence in 1984 . All the social and political leaders are men, and the only femal

In terms of optimistic book passages, I can't say this one is at the top of my list. Basically what we learned from chapters III-V of Part Three is that the Party will rule the world for all of eternity, and there is no situation in which they will not succeed. Winston protests when O'Brien tells him this, arguing that the Party will self-destruct at some point, or at least some spiritual force in the universe will prevent the eternal rule of the Party. However, O'Brien just mocks Winston. O'Brien makes a very convincing case for the Party, but there is one potential loophole that could topple the Party - decreasing devotion to the cause.  In revolutions, the most passionate generation is the one that actually revolts (obviously). In 1984 , that is the group that is currently running the Party. However, as authoritarian regimes pass down through the generations, this revolutionary fervor dies down, and those in power either loosen their grip enough to destabilize themse