The consumer in a repressive society dissertation
Assess how Orwell, a British novelist writing in the 1940’s, and Atwood, a female Canadian author writing inside the 1980’s present the individual within a repressive culture.
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Atwood’s ‘The Handmaids Tale’ and Orwell’s ‘1984’ the two present a critique of social constructions. The Oceanic society in ‘1984’ shares strong commonalities between 20th century dictatorships and can be construed as a criticism of the regimes of Stalin in the USSR and of Hitler’s Nazi Germany. Hitler’s secret authorities, the Gestapo, are infamously known for abduction-style arrests in which thousands of “enemies of the state would be taken away at night.
This really is similar to the arrests made in Oceania “during the night by ‘Thought Police’ for “thought crimes. In both instances, ultimately, living of those individuals that were used would be erased. In Nazi Germany these enemies would be provided for concentration camps, used while labour, tormented and eventually murdered ” and likewise in Oceania they were “removed from the registers, “forgotten then “vaporised.
‘The Handmaids Tale’ on the other hand gargote strong similarities between 1980’s Iran, where there existed great inequality of ladies. In both societies men are shown to hold a better status than women. This kind of higher status would stretch even as far as believability of the voiced word, wherever for example in Iran generally there would need to always be veritable men witnesses to attest to a rape. Very similar men in ‘The Handmaids Tale’ are noticed to be the owner of objects. The leader is shown to have a huge collection of unacceptable items and private keepsakes where as in contrast Offred effectively is without possessions whatsoever. In the Islamic Republic of Iran right now there also is out there a rigid dress code for women. Post-pubescent women are required by law to put on veils protecting their body system and locks and inability to do so could cause arrest and imprisonment.
Similarly in ‘The Handmaids Tale’ clothes are forms of control. The handmaids have to wear rigid white veils covering their hair and very long and loose fitting clothing that covers their physiques. Women in the Gilead contemporary society are given “colour coded clothes according to their list, therefore wives or girlfriends and handmaids would wear distinct coloured outfits. Segregation in the sexes also seems to be a prominent characteristic of Both Iran and Atwood’s dystopian society. In Iran segregation of both males and females is in effect at general public busses to parks which idea is definitely further developed by Atwood high is rigid lack of contact for women with men inside the novel. The handmaids are not allowed to end up being alone with males and this isolation Atwood shows provides resulted in a sexually overpowered, oppressed and frustrated society.
‘The Handmaids Tale’ is also seen upon simply by some as a critique of the individual’s expression of liberty. Atwood’s handmaids are not pictured as persons in the novel but reproductive vessels to get society. In Orwell’s dystopia similarly people hold simply no individual privileges, they are part of a larger group, “comrades in the party just as in ‘The Handmaids Tale’ Offred belongs to her Commander, Wendy, and as a concubine her real term is not really revealed.
Both authors present repressive communities where the significance of the individual is definitely undermined. Face expressions and reactions are tightly handled in ‘1984’. Orwell’s telescreens are the future of technology and it is used as a platform intended for mind control. “Comrades are surveyed and their “every movement scrutinized throughout the “simultaneously receiving and transmitting telescreens. Winston tells of how there was “there was no technique of shutting it off and that “any sound and anything at all “within it is field of vision could possibly be seen and heard by the state Thought Police. Cosmetic expressions are also seen being controlled in ‘The Handmaids Tale’.
Love-making in the two novels can be described as key idea and takes on an important position in equally dystopian societies. Winston phone calls sex a “political act and a “blow hit against the party. The state in ‘1984’ is usually actively proven to campaign against sex since it is called to “create a global of their own that the party simply cannot control. Control over sex is usually ultimately control of the individual and thus the party in Gilead aim to have “sex instinct eradicated. Winston tells someone how wish for sex is definitely “thought crime and the work, if successfully performed, “was rebellion even though at the same time he stresses that Julia’s rebellion was just through love-making and the lady was simply a “rebel from waistline down.
Love-making in ‘The Handmaids Tale’ is even so seen as conformity. Women will be shown inside the novel to adopt the function of reproductive machines and sex can be solely carried out as a sort of fulfilling the species. Offred says how “what goes into this place under Serena Joy’s metallic canopy, is usually not exciting and likewise Winston reveals of how the party observed “eroticism because “the enemy and aimed to prevent people from developing loyalties. This therefore means sex in both works of fiction is unpleasant and with no pleasure, sexual in both societies is meant o be loveless, mechanised and reproductive : purposes simply. What is different in the novels is that Sexual intercourse in ‘The Handmaids Tale’ is appealing but is definitely sanctified, it truly is awarded to people with status, and this culture ultimately revolves around sex because sex is a type of electrical power, whereas in 1984 sex is “a slightly gross minor operation, like having an enema.
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