1984 By George Orwell
The media gains a broad influence in both George Orwell’s novel 1984 and in current society through similar methods. The most powerful ways to control a society are fear and direction of anger. Whether it is fear of attack, death, or torture, the vast majority will rally behind a leader promising safety or revenge. In 1984, the daily Hate spurs the people into screaming fits of rage against Emmanuel Goldstein, the ultimate enemy of Oceania. Orwell writes, “...the sight or even the thought of Goldstein produced fear and anger automatically” (13). No member of the society has any reason to hate Goldstein directly as he hardly exists. He is simply a figurehead for anti-Ingsoc ideas in the same way Big Brother is the figurehead of Ingsoc. By definition,
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Likewise, the increasingly-biased news agencies in our society use these tactics to spread their philosophies. While the Hate may appear insane, we are not far off. No one wants to listen to a press report on the tactical details of war, they want to know who to be angry at. They want to read the headlines and rage against the enemies which are single handedly destroying the country. However, these situations are never that simple: there is always more to the story. 1984 simply takes this idea up a notch: In the real life, these evil characters are only in the spotlight for a relatively short period of time; in 1984 however, the enemy is immortal and hate toward him seeps down into the deepest crevasses of the individual. An example of this behavior in our society can be found in the recent election. Media hate against Donald Trump, not that he is anywhere near innocent, lead to children so worried for their lives and country that local schools briefed teachers on how to console children during the days following the election. Incarnating evil is not the only method these societies use to persuade the
Likewise, the increasingly-biased news agencies in our society use these tactics to spread their philosophies. While the Hate may appear insane, we are not far off. No one wants to listen to a press report on the tactical details of war, they want to know who to be angry at. They want to read the headlines and rage against the enemies which are single handedly destroying the country. However, these situations are never that simple: there is always more to the story. 1984 simply takes this idea up a notch: In the real life, these evil characters are only in the spotlight for a relatively short period of time; in 1984 however, the enemy is immortal and hate toward him seeps down into the deepest crevasses of the individual. An example of this behavior in our society can be found in the recent election. Media hate against Donald Trump, not that he is anywhere near innocent, lead to children so worried for their lives and country that local schools briefed teachers on how to console children during the days following the election. Incarnating evil is not the only method these societies use to persuade the