Is "1984" still relevant? Well, duh!
A few days ago, while stationed in a corner at one of our local Starbucks -- as I am most afternoons -- I heard a couple of high school kids talking. Said one: "I have to wonder if this book is even relevant anymore. After all, 1984 was more than 20 years ago!"These kids were talking about George Orwell's 1984. Honestly, I wanted to shake the little bastard and yell into his face. But I restrained myself. Just another victim, I thought, of the Ministry of Truth (i.e., government schools) and its program to rewire today's children, "our most important resource" (as Hillary might say).
Next time I hear someone question the relevance of Orwell in this "enlightened" era, I'll send 'em to Orwell Today. Check it out.
posted by Wally Conger @ 12:38 PM
6 comments
6 Comments:
That's a very valid question. In fact there is an assignment done every year for grade 12s at my school answering that question. It may be surprising but there's more opinions in the world than your own
Of course 1984 is still relevant. Orwell never actually wrote that what happens in the novel would hapen by 1984 he just said that it would happen in the future. Therefore it can and is happening in modern sciety just as much as it happened in contemporary society.
Orwell wasn't trying to predict anything. He wasn't claiming that the society he portrayed in 1984 would ever really become actuality. He was simply warning people of what COULD happen and what was already happening(to a lesser degree of course). 1984 will always be relevant because it will always be a possibility and always something we will have to be aware of and consciously aiming to avoid
Thank you for your article, pretty worthwhile material.
Very worthwhile piece of writing, thank you for this article.
The chap is completely right, and there's no skepticism.
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