1984 - Orwell by Charlotte Lomax

Buying a notebook

2021-02-04 09:17:50 UTC

This can result in imprisonment in a concentration camp. It is similar to life in North Korea, where people are imprisoned for owning Bibles. Also, in 1948 when Orwell wrote it, people still remembered the Nazi concentration camps.

Miss Lomax.

Critizing the government/ the governor

2021-02-05 20:00:15 UTC

People who say or think things against the government are killed or mysteriously missing. In 2020, Chinese scientists have disappeared after talking about the involvement of the Chinese government in the covid-19 epidemic. We can also reminded the kills of the Russians, between 1924 and 1953, when they had different opinions from those of the dictator, Stalin.

Perrine BRESSAND

Propaganda and population control

2021-02-08 10:01:08 UTC

The Control of the population in this regime, by using microphones to spy on people, slightly remind us the surveillance during Stalin's regime, by the Russian KGB, or even the Gestapo : the political police during the Third Reich. Finally, the French Milice, which existed during Vichy' regime to fight the Resistance also remind us of the Thought Police, created to punish thoughtcrime, personal and political thoughts unapproved by the Party.
Moreover, propaganda in Big Brother's regime, for example, the Hate of the ''Enemy of people'' (Emmanuel Goldstein) is similar to the propaganda against nazisme by Staline during WW2, or the other way around, the hate against communism by Hitler towards Stalin's regime.

Maureen Rouhette

Example of a totalitarian regime

2021-02-08 11:56:28 UTC

Other countries have undergone totalitarian regimes, which can be compared to that in 1984. For example, after the Second World War, Germany split in two, East and West Germany. In East Germany a dictatorship was established by the Socialist Party. Individual freedoms, such as freedom of thought or freedom of the press, are suppressed as in Orwell’s book.
Grégoire Neuder

Fear of communism

2021-02-08 14:53:08 UTC

In his book Orwell describes the fear of communism . He perceived communism as a threat . In 2020 communism also generates fear . In USA people are especially concerned on the grounds of the post-cold-war and the totalitarianism . Nowadays people always use the term "big brother" , of the book 1984 , to describe totalitarianism governments which exercise intense scrutiny .

Enora BOULAY

telescreen which watch you

2021-02-08 15:41:01 UTC

In the book 1984, we can note that Georges Orwell have imagined new technologies which exist today . For example, the telescreen which watch you all the time . Today, electronic devices could keep us under surveillance with cameras and microphones . For instance, when somebody talk about shoes that he wants buy in due course, and when he goes on internet he has a pub about these shoes . Equally, we have the case where someone is watching you unknow to you through our cellphone screen .
In a nutshell, we can say that fears in dystopia are reality in our world, so it presents a very pessimistic vision .

Mascha Debrueres

Presentation of totalitarian regimes

2021-02-08 18:01:18 UTC

In the novel 1984, George Orwell describes a world without any individualism freedom and also the use of propaganda. Moreover the governement transfomed the language. For example the place where people where tortured is called "the ministry of love", in addition the place where they were changing the real informations is called "the ministry of truth".
I can link 1984's regime with Staline's regime during World War II. The USRR were a totalitarian regime, full of propaganda. The soviets still called Staline "the people's Father". Eventhow he was a severe dictator who killed all his opposants.
The language were transformed in his regime to make him look like a good person to the population, just like in the novel 1984. The government was completely adulated by the population eventhow they didn't have the choice.
Lorraine Lambert Delalbre

Thoughtcrime

2021-02-10 09:51:40 UTC

We can notice that the government's fear is people thoughts. So the language have been changed for a 'New Speak' in which words have been removed. When yon don't have the words to describe an idea, you basically can't think about it. The use of 'doublethink' also help authorities to control people's opinions. If you have odds thoughts with government, you can be just Vaporized, like if you never existed.
This reflects some totalitarian governments in which people are forced to think that the regime in place is the best in the world to not lose their jobs, and life.

Léni Breton

The "memory hole"

2021-02-10 09:58:55 UTC

In the book 1984, Orwell describes technology which looks like technology created after the autor's life. Indeed, Winston, the Orwell's protagonist, works as a clerk in the Ministry of Truth, where he rewrite Big Brother's speech to make him predict the thing that actually happened. He obliterates all contradictory government policies and blundered predictions in a contraption called a "memory hole". Nowadays, technology allows mainstream media to seamlessly rewrite stories or instantaneously alter TV information, creating an endless stream of fake news. For example, so many fake news have circulated in media about the coronavirus, like it had been made by scientist in China. So, even in 2021, 1984 is topical.

Judith Picot

Restriction of freedom

2021-02-10 14:07:16 UTC

In his book, Orwell describes a government hiding the truth, restricting freedoms and using force to prevent people from reacting.

We can relate this to the decisions that the French government is making in the face of the global pandemic. Indeed, by installing a lockdown, then a curfew, our freedoms are limited. Moreover, at the beginning of this pandemic, the figures on Covid's cases were rather vague. The society in 1984 look like today's society on some points.
Victoire Malher

Going into a shop that not for Party Members

2021-02-11 09:44:07 UTC

In the extract "Crime and Punishments in 1984" Winston goes to a shop that is not for party members.
This is reflected dictatorships or countries where there is not complete freedom of movement. Depending on their social class, political views or social frequentations, people are not allowed to go to certain places. Winston is an example of this in 1984 and the North Corea is a today's example.

Melchior de Montessus

1984 and the fear of surveillance

2021-02-11 12:33:42 UTC

1984 is a novel which was written by George Orwell in the aftermath of World War 2. At this time, the whole world was still deeply in shock because of totalitarian regimes. In fact, a lot of totalitarian regimes existed during World War 2 and left their own citizens horrified by their actions. For example, opponents to the regimes were often tortured by the government because they disapproved of the regime’s ideology. In 1984, this torture system exists through Room 101. In fact, in this room, opponents to Big Brother like Winston are forced to face their deepest fears. This room can therefore be easily compared to a torture room which also existed during World War 2 and which might still exist in countries with totalitarian regimes.

Moreover, the figure of Big Brother as an almighty governor can remind the reader of a despot like Joseph Staline or Adolf Hitler. However, nowadays, even though there still are totalitarian regimes, Big Brother can be associated with technology. Indeed, technological devices like cellphones are taking a big part in our everyday lives. We are sharing a lot of moments of our lives with them through social media for example. The sentence "Big Brother is watching you" thus takes a whole different meaning.

To conclude, 1984 is a novel which is still accurate nowadays by its fear of massive surveillance.
Guillaume TRUONG

Are new technologies ubiquitous in our every day lives ?

2021-02-11 14:15:45 UTC

First of all, we live in a Society in which we are suronded by new technologies, always having our phones nearby for example, in George Orwells’ novel, 1984, the main features that make this novel a dystopia is the lack of freedom that some may feel. Mainly because every one in this society is under constant surveillance via telescreen that are
everywhere and watching every deed and movments of all the citizens. We can therefore say that in this novel technologies are more then ahead of it’s times, and has even become a tool of power. This is why today we need to be aware and be carefull of the advances of new technologies and their impact on our society.
Louis Lourdain-Torre

A totalitarian regime

2021-02-11 17:24:49 UTC

The political slogan is ‘BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU’. This is to remind you that you are under constant surveillance and to create fear.

The ‘Thought Police’ are police that punish you for thinking thoughts that don’t please the Establishment.

The government has established nine 3-year plans. This is possibly to prevent people from thinking that it has changed its position; or it could possibly be to sound better than a 27-year plan.

‘Big Brother’ is depicted as having a moustache, like the fascist leaders Stalin and Hitler.

There are posters with the leader’s face on it in public buildings. China has pictures of ts leader in public buildings, too. The eyes on the poster seem to follow you, giving you the impression that you are under constant surveillance by the government.
To conclude we can say that this fictiv regime is similar to today's political regime.

Charlotte Daran

Speakwrite

2021-02-12 11:44:29 UTC

In the futuristic novel 1984, by George Orwell, the protagonist mentions several times the existence of devices who, only in the last decade, have been becoming common in day-to-day life. For instance, the speakwrite machine, who is capable of speech recognition. Having said that, it is used frequently, indeed at some point Winston’s coworker dictates to it and then the machine writes down his every word either on a piece of paper or on a screen. In this day and age, voice recognition is customary thanks to new technologies like Alexa or Siri who are capable of hearing you, registering you and small tasks like sending messages or setting alarms. Therefore, both creations are remarkably similar even though they are from different times. To conclude we must ask ourselves if George Orwell managed to predict the future or if his warning of what could happen actually inspired great minds to create these devices.

Amélie Féau

The fear of constant control and manipulation

2021-02-13 10:32:27 UTC

From Orwell’s point of view, lack of freedom and constant surveillance are the worst things which could happen to a society, it represents a huge hurdle for the political awareness of the population. The people is not thinking clearly, they are hearing what the government wants them to hear.
Indeed, in 1984 the government has a motto which is : “Who controls the past, controls the future”, they manage to do that with the help of a new form of language: the NewSpeak where the words which do not perfectly respect the government thoughts are erased. Furthermore, the population is guided by propaganda and lies, for example the Ministry of peace is called the military or Labour camps are called Joycamps. It is linked with the totalitarian regimes which destroyed the population mentality and imposed it’s ideas in the 1940s.
The lack of freedom of thought is consequent and it reminds us how, in the modern society, we are manipulated by the media and new technologies which provide the velocity of the information false or true.

Louison Huas

Characteristics of a totalitarian regime

2021-02-14 13:11:45 UTC

In his novel 1984, Orwell implicitly denounces totalitarianism based on people’s dread because of constant watch, propaganda and government manipulation which can lead to imprisonment or even torture. Indeed, Big Brother, the leader of the government knows everything and constantly monitors everyone even in private places as at home thanks to the telescreens.

Thus, we can compare this totalitarian system to that of Hitler exercised in Germany or that of Mussolini in Italy during the Second World War. These two politicians have committed crimes against humanity which have been strongly condemned i the aftermath. Nonetheless, there are still some very authoritarian leaders such as Kim Jung Un, heads North Korea who forbids, for instance, freedom of the press which conducts to a lack of freedom of expression.

Unlike democracies, totalitarian regimes allow only one ideology which does not have the right to be challenged and which must be approved by all. This is the reason why in the book, the protagonist can be qualified as an opponent of the regime since it does not abide by the law by buying a book, by having a romantic relationship and also form an opinion different from that disseminated by the government.

Therefore, Orwell emphasizes the characteristics of an authoritarian system in order to better be able to criticize them and hence better warn society of the dangers of this type of government. In this way, Orwell could be qualified as a whistleblower against totalitarianism.

Romane PALANQUE

Fear of totalitarianism

2021-02-14 18:40:05 UTC

In his book « 1984 », Orwell describes a fictive disturbing world, a dystopia, by which he denounces totalitarianism.
In fact, the story takes place in a society where freedom of speech and freedom of expression is not allowed. The government surveillance is omnipresent in the political sphere, but also in the private sphere : all thoughts are monitored, influenced because of propaganda. For example, huge posters display « Big Brother is watching you » in the streets in order to show that the population is controlled everywhere ; it just has to abide by the law, to adhere to the ideology of the government.
Furthermore, the totalitarian regime is one-party, and no opposition to Big Brother is accepted. Indeed, the Thought Police has to persecute individuality and independent thinking : if people is at odds with the ideology, they are hang in the Ministry of Love, an indoctrination place, where you are forced to love Big Brother through torture.
In addition to, this cautionary tale reflects society today : Orwell denounces that we can be manipulated, controlled by media, government or other cluster and we have to be careful with domination in order to stay free.
Margaud de Pommereau

1984 and freedom of expression

annadufresne — 2021-02-15 10:38:40 UTC

With his book ‘1984’, George Orwell wanted to show how important and necessary the language is for a healthy society.

As far as Oceania is concerned, the Government controls actions but also speechs and thought with, for instance, doublethink. The words aren’t used to convey a message but to destroye it.

Besides we obviously can take « War is peace », « Freedom is slavery » and « Ignorance is strenght » which are expressions which totally corrompt ideas. But we also take the new language which is invented by the government : The « Newspeak »

In other words, the Government eliminates words in order to remove for populations the possibility to have nuanced and complex thoughts. It is the State that is able to define each word like it wants.

To conclude, Orwell shows in ‘1984’, the importance of every single word that can we use today.

Anna Dufresne

How could crimes exist as there is no law ?

2021-02-15 15:20:59 UTC

In 1984, George Orwell depicts Winston's life under a totalitarian regime. The behaviour Winston must adopt is dictated by someone or something... we can't really know, as justice does not really exist.

However, the fact that law does not really rule this distorted world does not prevent people from being punished. Acts, actually called "crimes" in this book, seem to be everything that is not suitable for Big Brother. Therefore, buying a note book, thinking about something that the regime does not agree with (actually called thoughtcrime and punished by the thought police), leads to a punishment such as years in a labour camp.

This actually reflects a world
everyone feared in the past decades. During World War II, in Germany, a dictator named Hitler used to exterminate whole populations because he just considered they were not in accordance with his ideal. Therefore millions of people died, because justice was not existing or it was highly corrupted. In USSR, also during the World War II period, people opposed to the soviet regime were also suppressed. They were not allowed to have any jugement, and were only killed because they had mixed views with the regime on what society should be, and how it should work.

However, such societies does still exist. North Korea could be a modern reflection of 1984, as in this country, people are still eliminated for being opponents to the regime, and as it is a place where the dictator usually represent the whole country "justice".

Therefore, in such a corrupted world, justice does not exist, but crimes and punishments do. Life is only a series of injustices, and a constant need to please the regime in order to have the right to live as freely as people can, despite an unremitting surveillance.

Iliana Laporte

1984 and our fears of loose of personal data

2021-02-15 17:19:23 UTC

In 1984, people’s fears are mainly linked to the loose of freedom.

In the Big Brother’s dictature, inhabitants are constantly surveyed. Even what happened in their mind is controlled by the though police. In the world describe in 1984, people are dissolved in the community. Obedience is a duty and if you do not believe in Big Brother or if you resist to him, you go to Room 101, where fake doctors transform you like a robot to serve the supreme dictator.

Today, many people realize that many things in their life are controlled by computers or artificial intelligence. Some of them accept this fact but others are afraid of manipulation or use of their private data. For example, it can be frightening that assurance companies have access to our health data and use it to accept or not to cover us. Moreover, many things of our numeric life are traced and recorded. For most people it will not be troublesome but for person politically active, they may want that their data are not use by the power in place.

In sum, 1984 is a novel who reflects present fears in a quite different period than ours and shows how far consequence of loose of personal data can go.

Léa BIGNON

Falling in love

2021-02-15 17:43:02 UTC

In the dictatorship that Orwell created, falling in love and being in a relationship is something forbidden. The message here, is that everybody in the society must be fully devoted to Big brother and all their affection must go to him. We find this idea again with "The ministry of love" where the goal is to reduce the person to an object wich focus only on Big Brother. Sending people to this place is one of the punishment for love, but it can also be arrest, vaporizing or even death
I don't really think falling in love has been seen as a crime in past totalitarian regim, but the idea of devotion for a dictator comes back a lot in history

Clara Pochon

Justice in 1984

2021-02-15 18:08:14 UTC

In 1984, the British novelist George Orwell presents a world in which Justice doesn't exist. Indeed, crimes are dealt with by the Party itself, and punishment is often excessive. For instance, freedom of speech is not guaranteed in Oceania, and writing down the following words 'DOWn WITH BIG BROTHER' is punished by 25-year forced labour or even at times death. Therefore, Justice does not exist under the Party's rule, given that no mitigating circumstances can reduce the punishment given to those whose actions are at odds with those of the Party.
Martin de Montille

Law and Justice in 1984

2021-02-15 19:06:15 UTC

George Orwell, in his 1984 novel, describes a Britain that is totalitarian, inspired by Nazism and Stalinism. Freedom of expression no longer exists. All thoughts are carefully monitored, and huge posters are posted on the streets, telling everyone that “Big Brother is watching you.” The novelist describes a world without mercy, which often punishes violently and without limits. Rights and freedom of expression do not exist because at the slightest contradiction the Party reprimands the opponents. He practices misinformation and brainwashing. So we can see that justice and law no longer existed at that time.

Maelle Bonthoux

Having a different opinion is a crime.

tkq8m36x6q — 2021-02-16 14:33:49 UTC

In 1984 , George Orwell describes the “Thought Police”. The organization punished you for thinking thought that don’t please the Establishment. The punishments could be torture, death but also forced labour camps.

During the Berlin Wall in the East Germany (1961-1989), the Stasi was a police organization belonging to the GDR State. This police force kept a very close eye on regime’s ennemies and controlled the way of thinking of citizens through spying. This organization can reflect Big Brother and the Police of Thought in Orwell’s book.

Nowadays in Xinjiang (China), the Chinese Government is constantly spying the Uighur population because of their religion since 80’s.
The government is controlling citizens with the Big Data and a police. This example can also reflect the dystopian organizations of the book 1984.

Léopoldine Sester

the pneumatic tube

2021-02-16 14:53:54 UTC

We will first establish that, in this book, Orwell portrays technologies which did not even exist by the time. He seems to be ahead of his time as much as these technologies. For example, when Winston was in the Ministry of Truth, Orwell describes us the « pneumatic tube » similar to the email in the world of 2021. Indeed, it transports documents from a government worker to a higher up. Actually, these techniques were well ahead of their time, which seems both incredible and terrifying because dystopias serve as a warning. It may be considered as a form of warning : with these inventions, leaders all around the world could exercise total authority over the population.

Agathe CASSIGNOL

The speakwrite, the facecrime

2021-02-16 21:29:50 UTC

In 1984, the book , Orwell joined multiple technologies that are described as " ahead of its time ". At that time, we can't imagine all of this technology also develop. The author is the source of this imagination.

First of all, we can take for instance the speakwrite followed by the facecrime. One the one hand, a speakwrite is a technological device, a machine, in which the user of the product said a word into a microphone, and the appliance understands the language and can record it. This means, that converts speech intro written text. On the other hand, the facecrime is contrast to the speakwrite, is not a real thing as such. The term refers at a concept in which one's facial expressions, can be a violation of the law if they are interpreted as revolutionary or disapproving of the totalitarian regime. Firstly, a character can commit a facecrime like Big brother when he comes on the telescreens to speak to the people. Secondly, we can fake for exemple, for the speakwrite, in part II, chapter one, when Winston used the speakwrite with a trembling voice.

In a nutshell, today Donald Trump had practiced a form of the facecrime, with the Dr. Christine Blasey Ford which he mocked. In addition, in today's world the speakwrite is similar to a speech to text fonction on a phone or à computer like "Siri" or "OK Google". So we find comparable types of speakwrite or its complement the facecrime nowadays in the image from those of 1984, therefore technology is “ahead of its time”.

BURRIEL Loula

The pneumatic tube

2021-02-17 11:10:00 UTC

In Orwell’s dystopia 1984, we can notice that the author is using multiples technologies that where not yet existing when this book was written. Indeed, inside The Ministry of Truth, Wiston is using a futuristic invention called the “pneumatic tube” which functions via suction and which transports several documents from a government worker to a higher-up or vice versa. Nowadays, a technology we can relate the pneumatic tube with can be email. The principle is very similar: we can send documents, pictures or text to anyone within seconds.
In conclusion, this invention by George Orwell can be both scary and fascinating: did the author predicted our future or did the government take inspiration from this dystopia to create modern technologies?
Noémie Eynard

An authoritarian regime

2021-02-18 10:09:33 UTC

A totalitarian regime is an authoritarian, regulated regime, where freedoms are alienated, violated. In Orwell's book, the phrase "BIG BROTHER ...." proves that the people of Great Britain are being watched and deprived of all liberty. Another example of a totalitarian political regime is North Korea, ruled by Kin Jong Un. This Stalinist-type communist regime is based on the self-sufficiency of the ruler. The people are deprived of all rights, censorship reigns and propaganda is constant.

Emma CASALTA

Anti-Democratic Systems

2021-02-18 10:47:19 UTC

Throughout History, several countries have had a similar political regime to that of Oceania. In fact, it is still the case today.

Orwell’s dystopian novel depicts an anti-democratic system, ruled by fear, ignorance, and submission. Language itself is manipulated and distorted so as to fulfill the Party’s ambitions (Newspeak). Moreover, each individual is under government scrutiny, which undeniably impacts their actions but also their thought process. Those who do not abide by the rules and indulge in unorthodox thoughts are accused of Thoughtcrime, which ultimately results in death.

This close scrutiny of the citizens’ actions can be compared to that of China’s regime today. Indeed, the ruling party uses technology - and most particularly big data - to exercise control over the masses. This way, China ranks its citizens with a “social credit system”. They have a personal social score - which can move up and down according to their behavior - and can be rewarded or punished according to their scores.

However, many other political entities could be mentioned, such as North Korea today, or Hitler’s Germany before and during the Second World War.

Adèle Pajot, 1’4

Technology that is “ahead of its time”

2021-02-18 10:48:21 UTC

In his futurist book “1984”, George Orwell shows a dystopian novel which predicts the reality of life in 1984. It depicts the use of the technology. While the West is a society under surveillance, the novel’s sinister technology goes far beyond CCTV.

For instance, the society is surrounded of “tele screens”, it is a piece of technology used to spy on every citizen which is present in which dwelling. In addition, there is pneumatic tubes which is a system in which cylinder-shaped containers are propelled through a network of tubes via compressed air or partial vacuum.

Therefore, Orwell seems be “ahead of its time” since we can relate telescreens with Zoom or Skype today, except that in 1948 there was no Internet and telescreens were impossible to turn off. Moreover the pneumatic tube is nowadays similar to email.

To sum up, much of what the British author imagined has come true, including facial recognition, speech to text conversion, music made by artificial intelligence, and, of course, the concept of ‘Big Brother’ watching your every move.

Elize Mc Namara

Fear of propaganda and censorship

2021-02-18 15:07:47 UTC

In his dystopian novel 1984, George Orwell warns against a world governed by surveillance, propaganda and censorship. We define propaganda in this novel as information, usually biased, used to promote a political cause.

Indeed, in 1984 propaganda is continually transmitted on the telescreens. They select news to make the government appear efficient and benevolent. And since they cannot be turned off, citizens live under constant scrutiny and are not able to escape from the Party's propaganda and censorship. Moreover, the citizens got information only from the official Hate programmes, and so there is no information outside the government sources. Thus, they are unable to formulate thoughts of rebellion against the party. We can bring together this sort of propaganda to the spread of information today on social media. Everyday, lots of persons have the capacity to publish fake information about any topic. The idea of laying out fake information does not necessary lead to bad consequences. It is becoming an issue if it harms a person, group or mouvement. For example, the mouvement #BlackLivesMatter is against racist propaganda, especially on Twitter. The problem is even more serious today than it used to be because rumors spread more easily and quickly and can lead to discrepancies.

Therefore, 1984 reflects fears of 1940's society that are also fears today starting with the fear of propaganda but also of surveillance, of totalitarianism...

Anna Belin-Atlan

1984 : a society affected by a lack of freedom

2021-02-19 06:44:04 UTC

The company that George Orwell presents in his dystopian novella, 1984, is completely controlled by a justice system that prohibits many actions.
First of all, thinking can itself be considered as a crime.In fact, the thought police is responsible for detecting and eliminating any individual who's betrayed even by a subtle sign of opposition to the Party. It is called Thoughtcrime.
Associated with this crime, possessing and writing a diary is also considered being an opposition to Big Brother, and is sentenced to 25 years of forced labor in a camp and can even go as far as the death penalty. Furthermore, if an individual utters or writes the ultimate sentence of opposition to Big Brother: "Down with Big Brother," he or she would risk a sentence of 25 years of forced labor.
On the other hand, the lack of freedom in this fictional world is so overwhelming that it even forbids people to fall in love. Indeed, having a boyfriend or girlfriend is illegal in 1984, as it would not show total devotion to Big Brother. The Party therefore set up a Ministry of Love to force opponents to love Big Brother through torture.
Nevertheless, there are no real laws and justice seems to be really vague. For example, going to an ordinary shop can be punished but no law has been strictly reinforced.
Thus, the Justice created by the Party really testifies to a lack of freedom for citizens, which existed in former dictatorships, notably during the Second World War.

Candice Yot

Technology that is “ahead of its time”

2021-02-19 09:26:09 UTC

As an example, he describes telescreens which monitor the population, this technology does not seem to be ahead of its time because in 1984 a large number of camera models had already been invented.

But, it can be said that technology in the world of books is ahead of its time because it is used as a weapon, which has probably had the impact of raising awareness about the use of technology when the book comes out.

This book thus shows The vision of technology by George Orwell and allows to sensitized since 1949 the population.

Raphaël Pozzo di Borgo

2021-02-19 09:26:25 UTC

George Orwell's 1984 book is a dystopia written in 1949. This book describes the world of 1984 that George Orwell imagined in 1949. In it, he describes a society totally under state control symbolized by the character of Big Brother who monitors the population through a large number of cameras installed in the city. As an example, he describes telescreens which monitor the population, this technology does not seem to be ahead of its time because in 1984 a large number of camera models had already been invented. But, it can be said that technology in the world of books is ahead of its time because it is used as a weapon, which has probably had the impact of raising awareness about the use of technology when the book comes out. This book thus shows The vision of technology by George Orwell and allows to sensitized since 1949 the population.

Technology that is 'ahead of its time'

2021-02-19 09:27:26 UTC

As an example, he describes telescreens which monitor the population, this technology does not seem to be ahead of its time because in 1984 a large number of camera models had already been invented.

This book thus shows The vision of technology by George Orwell and allows to sensitized since 1949 the population.

Raphaël Pozzo di Borgo

2021-02-19 15:05:29 UTC

In this 1984 fictional world, people are observed and heard everywhere, as shown by the thougtpolice and the posters on which we can read ''Big Brother is watching you''. Indeed there are similarities with the Stasi which put microphones in accommodations in order to monitor population and wich repress violently the opposants.
Anne Elisabeth DUBARD

Thoughtcrime

2021-02-20 15:14:30 UTC

In his dystopian novel, « 1984 », Orwell depicts a society in which thinking something that is against the Establishment or the ideas conveyed by the government is considered a crime. This crime is punished by the vaporisation of the people who committed it. Indeed, « your name was removed from the registers, every record of everything you had ever done was wiped out, your one-time existence was denied and then forgotten ».

This reminds us of the period when the Stasi had power in Germany. Indeed, people weren’t able to have their own ideas and in the case they had, they were severely punished by the government.

Héloïse Pillet-Will

2021-02-20 16:49:47 UTC

A totalitarian regime

In 1984, George Orwell is denouncing totalitarian regimes. Indeed, we can see that he is showing the brainwashing in countries, he says that false information are spreading all around the country and that these fake news can be turned into real if everybody trust it.
We can compare this with the nazi regime which was practicing the brainwashing of her population by saying only the things that people wanted to heard. Orwell said « who controls the past, controls the future » and employed the expression « reality control »; it is exactly what happened during the Second World War under the nazism: the government was lying to hide consequential information in order to not worry the people.
Lola Vartanian

Refelction of the communist government

2021-02-20 22:31:17 UTC

In 1984, the world is watched by a company called 'Big Brother'. It might be a reference to the regime of Stalin in URSS from 1929 to 1953. Every inhabitant of this union was watched and punished in case of an infraction, like the possession of a good undeclared. we can also link the regime in 1984 to the government in China. There, every one is watched everywhere. When I went to China, I even saw cameras inside of the taxis. To conclude, Big Brother is simply a form of communist regime.

Côme JACQUET

Thoughtcrime

2021-02-21 07:47:09 UTC

1984, which is a dystopian novel written by George Orwell, describes a society where thinking differently or having an opinion contrary to the Party is considered a crime. This « crime » is punished by the thought police. Indeed, it uses ubiquitous surveillance through « telescreen » to monitor members of this society who would defy the ruling authority in order to eliminate them. Thinking differently that the truth that has given us must be punished. Orwell quotes « The crime of thinking does not lead to death. The crime of thinking is death.
Victoire ALBRAN

Totalitarian regime

2021-02-21 09:18:45 UTC

First of all, in the novel 1984 by G. Orwell despicts a government which is controlling and exercices high level of surveillance. Throughout History, numerous countries have had a similar regime such as Germany even if it is still the case currently.

First, Orwell's dystopian book describes a totalitarian regime which advocates violence and surveillance, where dystopia is everywhere. Moreover, the novel shows a population divided between the Inner Party, the Outer Party ans the Proles. This regime is not without reminding us Nazism in Germany during the World War II...

Then, Nazism leaded by A. Hitler was also a totalitarian regime where citizens lost their privacy ans freedom of thought. In fact, the Ministry of Love - in the book 1984- that forced people to love "Big Brother" (the government) could be compared to the propaganda, spread by Goebbels (a german leader) to convince the population that Nazism was the best regime.

Furthermore, the communist regime in North Korea directed by Kim II-Sung is another political regime such as "Big Brother" and Nazism, where government is ubiquitous.

Clarisse Labattut

2021-02-21 10:15:01 UTC

Orwell is a great author of anticipatory tales (or dystopias) about events happening in the not-so-distant future and in a society that could very well be ours in a few years. At the time he wrote his books (1948 to 1984 for example) the devices used by the characters were in the realm of science fiction. However, with advancements in technology, some of these inventions are very real today.

Our brains were thought to be our last bulwark of individuality in a world where everything is connected and privacy is no more than a thin veil. But it turns out that it's possible to alter a living being's memory, or at least that's what an MIT team discovered while experimenting with mice.

Indeed, a study by Dr. Steve Ramirez in 2013 showed that it was possible to instill in a mouse a false memory of events by using the technique of optogenetics which consists of using light to stimulate neurons. They put a mouse in a room, then in a second different from the first but where it receives electrical impulses. While the mouse feels threatened in this room, the researchers stimulate the cells responsible for memory with the help of optogenetics. When the mouse is returned to the first room, it will be paralyzed with fear that she had no bad memories of that room. A false memory had been transmitted to him.
Esteve Lucile

fears of yesterday and today

2021-02-21 17:49:31 UTC

In 1948, when Georges Orwell's innovative novel appeared, the public did not immediately understand the author's real motivations. The latter, while wishing to write an atypical and breathless novel, wanted above all to paint and reflect the fears and fears of his society (and of himself) in this painting that is 1984. At the end of the second World War, Orwell therefore raised the fears already present and existing at that time but also accurately sensitized future generations to other evils that could occur. We will therefore start with the fears which marked Orwell's society and ours and which occurred on a massive scale and we will show, in a second step, those whose existence is a little more mysterious or even unknown to popular belief.
First of all, we will take an example of fears that have already arisen in the past but which still pace the fears of our society. We are obviously talking about mass surveillance. In 1984, all citizens are watched by machines, posters also warn them that BIG Brother, the totalitarian leader of the narrative regime, is leading the surveillance process with this slogan known to all: "Big Brother is watching you ". By this scenario, Orwell demonstrates here that mass surveillance, present in particular within the Nazi regime, still feeds, despite the end of the war, popular fear. A generation was traumatized but, nowadays, individuals are still afraid because with the digital world and especially social networks, governments may be lurking in the shadows to monitor our every movement on the web.

In addition, we are now going to address one of the fears present in 1984 but which does not evoke real examples for a major part of our society but which nevertheless creates some fears. Indeed, in one of the passages of the book, the hero is confronted with room 101. It is a room of psychological torture where the prisoners are confronted with their worst nightmares and absolutely inhuman and illogical brainwashing. This example created by Orwell symbolizes the fact that post-war society had been marked by the physical and mental torture of the Nazi regime. However, we can add a nuance, a difference between the fear of torture 70 years ago and that of now. This fear is still maintained but is greatly reduced because some wish to hide the truth, the real facts in order to forget the horror and to preserve future generations and not to expose them to certain bad paths that they could take.
To conclude, 1984 is a fresco in which many fears are aligned which punctuated the society of the past and that of now. However, after nearly 70 years of existence, the sensitizations carried out by Orwell have weakened under the impulse of some people to, perhaps, not to face a harmful possibility and to move away from a reality. and a traumatic past.

Matthieu Picot

Punishment in 1984

2021-02-21 20:21:33 UTC

In the novel 1984, the British writer George Orwell describes a future where the oppressive and omnipresent state controls the life of every citizen : freedom of expression does not exist, all thoughts are carefully monitored as the state watches the inhabitants and their actions while the propaganda messages of the Party are continuously spread everywhere.

Punishments are implemented especially with the crimes of thought, which consists of maintaining a belief or doubt contrary to the party in power, in any way whatsoever.

Thus, the thought police are responsible for discovering and punishing the perpetrators of thought crimes. To conclude, there is no justice because the life of the inhabitants is dictated contrary to crimes and punishment. However, this reflects totalitarian governments since this novel denounces the derivatives of an almighty and totalitarian state.

Violette Briday Moretton

Mass surveillance of telescreens

2021-02-21 22:13:01 UTC

We notice that in George Orwell's book, the main character is confronted with "telescreens". These objects are far ahead of current technology at the time of writing. They almost look like the ones we use today. Indeed Winston is watched by Big Brother and by The Party by means of the latter: all these facts and gestures are taken into account to know if it is harmful to Oceania. This idea of surveillance reminds me of the debate that took place when the Tik Tok application was released, seen as a Chinese tool for spying on users. Moreover in August 2020 Donald Trump declares war on this application and threatens to ban it from all American use.

Fleur Levesque 1ere4

The timeless work of George Orwell « 1948 »

2021-02-22 14:56:08 UTC

The novel "1948" denounces a universal totalitarianism which can be characterized by a few key criteria: the existence of a single party which prohibits pluralism; a State which has a monopoly on the truth and which devours civil society, with all that this implies of restrictions on individual freedom and opinion, but also of deprivation of privacy. Finally, once civil society has been brought to its knees and private life reduced to nothing, the slightest professional or behavioral fault is understood as opposition to the regime, an act of sabotage, and therefore deserves punishment.

To illustrate what is denounced in the book I took the example of the election of Donald Trump in 2016 which caused a stock shortage of this dystopian novel "1948" by George Orwell written at the end of the 1940s. Indeed this book was already a classic of school literature and thanks to these elections the novel experienced a new lease of life because the new president was going to cover all tracks, bring paranoia to the highest level of the State and give other meanings to words and to reality as in "1948". Also the adviser to Donald Trump considered the "fake news" as an "alternative truth" once again approaching the work "1948".

LAFFAY Clara

Totalitarian regime of our time

2021-02-22 19:26:48 UTC

In our reality, there have been many totalitarian regimes in different countries.
The two best known remain the German Reich with adolph hitler as leader and the soviet union with Stalin.
they are the same because torture is used exactly as it was in German camps under the Reich. Moreover fear is everywhere. In the Golden Book just like in the regimes of our reality the fear of torture and the regime is used as a means of pressure in addition to propaganda.
Camille BronDello

Fear of jail and torture in 1984 :

2021-02-22 19:40:46 UTC

”1984” Was written in 1940 by George Orwell, in the middle of the World War II. During this war, the nazis instituted a dictature whose head was Hitler. This totalitarian regime killed, tortured and locked up all the people who could be considered as its enemies in concentration camps. This fear of arrest and imprisonment is conveyed by Orwell via his novel, especially when Winston is arrested by Big Brother and led to the ministry of love.

This situation is reminiscent of nazi’s captives: both were arrested because their opinions on a regime. Indeed, O’Brien uses a certain technology to harm Winston and convince him of the wrongness of his thinking and of his guilt.He goes as far as to proving Big Brother and the whole system innocent, even if they are the true responsables. Stuck in this situation, Winston has no hopes of escaping and surviving. Big Brother tries to dehumanize and stultify each prisoner by treating them like animals in order to make them believe that they do not deserve to live as did the nazis.

To conclude, in his novel, Orwell portrays a human character who attracts the reader’s pity because of he does not deserve his fate. His lot may evoke the numerous people who died because of the Nazi torture regime in 1940. Nowadays, this fear may remain topical as some ethnicities can still be arrested for their beliefs as in "1984".

Hannah Déniel 1’2

A fictitious totalitarian regime

2021-02-22 20:42:24 UTC

George Orwell's 1984 book is a book that will present the reader with a world in which totalitarianism reigns. The author, a fervent opponent of communism and more particularly of the Stalin regime in the USSR, will make reference in the novel to many totalitarian regimes that have existed.

We can indeed find through the "Thought Police" the concept of censorship of opinions. Any opposition to the regime is punished, a concept that the Nazi regime had already adopted with the Gestapo or the Soviet regime with the GPU. In the book, if a person is arrested by the Thought Police, they can be subjected to various punishments. We have been able to study the brainwashing that Winston underwent but we also mentioned the imprisonment in a forced labor camp for a long time or more simply the execution. we find these sentences in the USSR where political opponents were sent to the Gulag. These repressions are only intended to frighten the population so that they respect the domination of Big Brother. Similar concepts are still found today in totalitarian countries such as China, where it is not uncommon to mysteriously see people criticizing the regime disappear.

Baptiste Perrin