Saturday, February 3, 2018

Prescient from the Precocious One

    "I believe the book, 1984, by George Orwell, shows traits of a science fiction book but isn't quite true science fiction.
     George Orwell exaggerated into fiction by using the telescreen and peepcasters.  He also wrote about  the future, which is a common mark of science fiction.  However, I don't think he wrote about the future; he wrote for  the future.  He hid his real point under the surrealisms of 1984 and Oceania.  His real point showed that humans are conquerable, ignorant creatures.  They are even capable of duping themselves to believe their own lies, which is definitely a truth about humans.  Orwell showed how fear can suppress a world of people.  He showed how Catch 22's completely wiped out any way of retaliation.
    George Orwell's 1984 would be classified as sci-fi, but I would file it under future history.  As Orwell wrote, Ignorance is Strength, War is Peace and Freedom is Slavery."
   **Teacher comment:  "Thoughtful and thought-provoking.  One of the main functions of all types of literature is to force man to hold up  a mirror to himself."     (Use of masculine pronoun was ok back in the '90's.)

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