Written in 1949, this is Orwell's classic book about an oppressive, totalitarian regime ("the Party") in the year 1984. Part of the regime are the "Thought Police" who use constant surveillance to punish those who even think about challenging authority ("thoughtcrime"). There are constant reminders to citizens that "Big Brother is Watching" - though I couldn't figure out if Big Brother was an actual person or just a way to further the authority's propaganda. The main character, Winston Smith, is a government employee who has the job of falsifying historical records and newspaper articles so that it seems like the government is always right. It's fascinating to see how many phenomena Orwell seems to have "predicted":"With the development of the television, and the technological advance which made it possible to receive and transmit simultaneously on the same instrument, private life came to an end. Every citizen ... could be kept for twenty-four hours a day under the eyes of the police and in the sound of official propaganda, with all other channels of communication closed." Wow! Cell phones; wiretaps, GPS ... not to mention how we put our "private lives" in the public sphere on Facebook, Twitter, etc.!
I decided to read this book after Chris and I discovered the Latitude application on our Blackberrys that allows us to track each others' exact real-time location. Forget "Big Brother is watching" - Chris Walker was watching me! There is a Star Trek: TNG episode that lifts a torture scene out of this book; also, the movie Minority Report has lots of "Orwellian" elements. I recommend this book not only because it's a great story - but because it's truly a part of cultural literacy.
Dear Library of Alexandria:
ReplyDeleteI'm thorougly impressed with your range of readings. Impressive. I very much like your use of the term "cultural literacy." Wow. Such an appropriate term. Cultural literacy is directly influenced by cultural capital. What do you think? I haven't been as fortunate as you, to travel the world, to have a college degree, or to speak foreign languages, so I don't know much about literacy or culture as you use it; but I'm learning so much capital from your blog.
As I write this, I'm listening to Seal's version of the James Brown classic, "It's a Man's World." Is it cultural literacy in the 21st century to know James Brown's music? Who determines the level of CL? If there's no shared literacy there's a distinct missing link in the flow of communication, humor, understanding and punning.
So, I thank you for that usage of the term. Keep up the good work--you enable many of us who live in the lower eschelons of society to reconsider out station.
Dizzy
Lol ... hi, Mom. A few comments about your post ...
ReplyDelete1) I traveled the world with you.
2) You have a Ph.D.
3) You speak French.
4) There's a book by E.D. Hirsch called "Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know." Although I don't think Hirsch determines what one needs to know to be culturally literate ... I'll let you know what he says!
:)
Thanks for the post.
you mention some allusions in other films, you should check V is for Vendetta...very similar...i dontknow if movies are part of your reading schedule...:-)
ReplyDelete