Author: Christopher Waugh

1984–>2+2=5–>Minority Report–>Clockwork Orange

The year was 1949. The world was picking itself back up from the Second World War, and the Cold War was now the conflict playing on societies mind. It was a time of uncertainty and fear, and from this came one of George Orwell’s most famous pieces of work, a book that created a genre that plays a critical role in giving literature yet another purpose in society from when it was conceived and will continue to do so until such a time that the ideas presented in dystopian fiction come to fruition. Marxist literary theory suggests the idea that literary works act as a reflection of the author’s societal origins- the ideas and themes presented in a dystopian authors’ works highlight fears and ideas from their experiences in society. This idea brought forward by Marxism is especially prevalent in the dystopian genre, and is a major influence on much of the world’s within the stories’ plots and settings, and one look no further than texts such as Nineteen-Eighty-Four, 2+2=5, Minority report or Clockwork Orange, all stories of which the authors have drawn heavily from society around them to create a warning to their audiences.

Upon reading George Orwell’s highly acclaimed Nineteen-Eighty-Four, it quickly becomes apparent that the novel was written in the late 40’s. From the base level ideas to the underlying themes of the story present some ideas to the reader that are undoubtedly drawn from Orwell’s societal beliefs, such as his opposition to totalitarianism. This idea in particular is made very apparent to the reader, as Orwell blatantly drew inspiration for “The Party” directly from the Soviet Union, which at the time held total control over the Russian people and much of Eastern Europe, and a prevalent issue and common conversation topic of the western society Orwell was from was the communist invasion by the eastern powers. Drawing from this fact, it is undeniably that Orwell was using his position as a respected author to create a work that was at first glace a piece of fiction, but should the reader look anywhere below the surface, it is abundantly clear that it was a tool designed to warn its audience about a socialist totalitarian state and what it would bring to society. Once Orwell pioneered the dystopian genre, he had unwittingly created one of the most important areas of literature, and his legacy would live on to give life to a great many interpretations of the genre, such as the film Bladerunner 2049, a film of which bases its plot on the 1968 novel “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”, which explores a world where slavery has been made legal once again, but only with humanoid robots that act and appear the same as the average human. It is apparent that the story drew from the author, Phillip Dick’s societal experience, as the story is set in a world where nuclear war has taken place, resulting in lack of almost all organic life outside of humans. In 1968, the cold war had been established as one of the most prominent issues plaguing Western society, and at the time Phillip Dick published “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” the threat of nuclear war was a real issue that terrified the public, so it is clear that the intention of the story and later the film adaptation was to present to his audience the reality of living in a post nuclear fallout reality.

The ideas presented in Bladerunner 2049 show the audience a reality in which society as is currently known has been decimated. Whilst freedom in a traditional sense has been retained by the general population of humans has been retained, however true freedom has not. Much of the world has been destroyed as a result of nuclear fallout, and the cities in which most of the population lives are surrounded by massive walls of which there is presumably no escape. This is not an issue that is widely explored in the film, and the walls on a surface level seem to be nothing more than an aesthetic put in place by the director to add to the dystopian “feel” of the film, however once one looks at the era of which the story is based upon, it becomes more clear that they are there as something else entirely. Phillip Dick, the author of the original premise for the film, and the crew behind the creation of the film adaptation are all from the United States of America, a country widely known for its strong beliefs in freedom and liberation, so the addition of massive walls that trap the population in are the exact opposite of their beliefs. The fact that the walls are not touched on in much or if any detail in the film suggest to the audience that they are accepted, they were put there not necessarily without anyone noticing, but without anyone questioning their purpose, no one paid attention to their addition to the city. The idea that a dystopia is created by a lack of attention being paid to such advances in construction, technology or control are a pivotal idea portrayed in Radiohead’s song, “2+2=5”, in which the band tells its audience, “you have not been Payin’ attention…” repeatedly throughout the song. The song writer has used the dystopian genre in a different format than has been historically practiced, to deliver an important message similar to that that Bladerunner 2049 included in its story. They tell their audience that doing nothing to prevent a dystopian future is to be aware of the surroundings, to be aware of the changes around society, to pay attention. The song’s alternative title is “The Lukewarm”, a reference to “Dante’s Inferno”, a poem in which those who are in Hell, because they did nothing to stop wrong doing- A reference as such further telling its audience that if the human race does nothing to stop wrong doing in its’ societies, it will be plunged into the Hell of a dystopian future.

Radiohead communicated to its audience a topical warning to its audience- gone unchecked, the world is an evil place, filled with evil people, all scrambling for personal gain; for money and most importantly, power. People are not inherently good and there is no way to change that. This fact is not one that spells doom for the human race, for there can be no true good without the choice to be so. Removing the option to be evil does not guarantee good, it just removes evil. True good comes from the knowledge that there is evil, from the knowledge that good is a choice, and evil is an option. Choice is something humans need to be humans. Without choice, there is no sense behind life, no reason for being, a truly terrifying reality of which Anthony Burges decided to explore in his novel, “A Clockwork Orange”. The story is set in 1980 London, a turbulent time for the country, its’ economy having been crippled by the World Wars. The novel follows Alex, an evil man, someone who rapes and murders for fun, with no regard for the lives he destroys. Alex is arrested and convicted, following which he is offered the chance to reduce his sentence by undergoing an experimental treatment which attempts to remove his violent tendencies. He does it, and the therapy is successful, and he comes out unable to commit crime, the thought of violence sickening him. Burgess explores the pointlessness of Alex’s life following the treatment, following losing his love for classical music as a side effect of the treatment- he loses a part of himself, he is attacked by his past victims- he is no longer able to be evil, but he is not good either. After his actions, he can never be good, having lost the choice, he has lost his humanity, the reason for existing at all. Burgess warns his audience of the loss of choice that comes with an authority with all the power, of society turning to a desperate prisoner, sacrificing what makes it have a reason for existing for the promises made by an authority with total power.

Dystopia’s conception in 1949 was a critical breakthrough and re-defined literature’s importance forever. Seventy years later in the present day, the genre still plays a critical role in keeping society aware of the dangers that come with advanced technology and power hungry entities. Dystopia has acted as a mirror for authors to project the fears of their societal experiences in order to warn of what the future may bring, should the human race leave evil unchecked and free to multiply. Orwell brought the genre to life with his work, Nineteen-Forty-Eight, using the fears of his society to create a compelling world and a warning to heed. Bladerunner 2049, a more modern approach to the genre, used the same formula to warn the modern generation of what was to come should it continue in its ways, and Radiohead adapted the genre for their preferred medium, to warn of the loss of humanity that will come should the choice to be bad be taken away and people do not hold their attention upon the topical issues of their society. Anthony Burgess used a story filled with unbelievable violence and evil to grab the readers attention and deliver his warning to them- the importance of human choice and the pointlessness of life should it be taken away. “Dystopia is and will remain a critical area of literature until such a time that is not possible to be created anymore.”

From the top of Headquarters, past the grand but solemn walls Alehx gazed upon the corpse of a once mighty city. The fourteen year-old boy squinted at the setting sun over the skeleton scattered horizon. Behind the skinny young boy, a glass door whooshed silently open, a man in an expensive suit walked through with purpose and a certain swagger that comes only with exuberant wealth and high status. He spoke to the boy with a kind, yet indifferent tone. “Have you completed your daily education?” He asked. Alehx rolled his large turquoise eyes and turned to face the man, whom was his father, “Yes sir, I have completed my daily education”, in a sarcastic tone, as, such as can be expected with a spoiled young teenager, education bored him. His father, used to, but not at all accepting this behavior, dismissed it- more important matters pressed, and time was not available to waste on such trivial matters. “Come.” He said as he ushered the boy inside. Alehx knew at once to obey this request. His father’s tone had quickly changed, now with more hints of purpose, and maybe some anxiety, which could only mean one thing.

The majesty of architecture of the modern age had certainly been diminished by an age of technology. Where once complex shapes collaborated to form beautiful and intricate functional structures, now thick brushed aluminium panels hid an equally complex, but far less visually impressive computer systems. Alehx looked around his father’s office, his eyes scanning across the room. The walls were white, just as the floor was. The massive windows that once granted one a view of the expansive outside world were now concealed with an inches thick blast shield, the overlapping steel sheets providing protection from a force Alehx was not yet aware of. He looked to the glass sliding doors, of which he knew where sealed tightly, on account of the glass being more than an inch thick, meaning it was probably just as impenetrable as the blast shield over the window. This one of the first times Alehx had been allowed had been locked in his fathers’ office during what Alehx had heard being called a “raid”. Exactly what they were, or why he had to be locked in some fortified room for them Alehx was unsure.

Being a relatively inquisitive boy by nature, Alehx began examining his surroundings. The dominant feature of the room was of course the desk that sat in the center of the room, near to the back, somewhere Alehx had impatiently watched his father work at for sometimes hours on end, especially in his younger years. The desk top itself was glass, with stainless steel rimming which flowed around the edges of the emerald glass that sat elegantly upon sturdy white legs, an aesthetic that was common in the upper levels of the Headquarters. Alehx wandered around the large desk and climbed onto the large black leather chair, who’s presence in room was powerful, an aspect that Alehx now realized was given to whomever sat in it. Filled with confidence given to him by seemingly an everyday object, the boy turned to the computer that sat upon the desk, lid up. The elegant silver edges seeming danced in the stagnant LED lighting of the room, each of its’ keys containing seemingly infinite possibility that could come with their use. Alehx reached forward to the computer his curiosity pushing through any fear he might have rightfully had regarding the consequences that would follow should he be caught. The screen lit up, and to his surprise, no password was required- his father must have left in a hurry.

On the screen Alehx saw messages, some of which he recognized to be sent from the computer he was currently using, so it was safe to assume his father was the sender. His young mind, although intelligent, was not ready for what he saw. He was grateful for the life he was living, but unable to imagine anything else. The messages- some accompanied with images that he saw showed grotesque scenes of mutilated bodies, their skin rough with rashes and boils, their bodies frail and skinny. One striking detail that he noticed was in each of the photos was a bullet hole in each of their foreheads. Alehx sat in the chair where he had only minutes ago felt a sense of power, but now felt only a strange feeling- one not quite of shame, not quite of fear, and one not quite of disgust, but a horrible mixture of all three.

Suddenly, seemingly from nowhere, someone was standing right behind the computer screen. Alehx slowly pulled his eyes from the laptop, his eyes red, close to tears to look upon the person who had come in. Before him stood a well built tall man, whom Alehx did not know personally, but it was easy to judge from his attire he was from somewhere within Headquarters. He held out his arm, which even through the silky black suit, was still visibly muscular, which was even more apparent as he gestured for Alehx to follow, an order of which he was quick to comply. Looking down at the boy the man told Alehx,”You shouldn’t be using that” to which he replied, “I know, I’m sorry”. No more words were spoken between the two, as they walked along a seemingly endless labyrinth of corridors, and much to Alehx’s dismay, avoiding elevators, instead using the stairs.

The two walked for what seemed like quite a while, and Alehx had become somewhat tired from the journey. His eyes now stung, the shock from what he had stumbled upon had combined with the harsh LED lighting of which replaced all other forms of lighting, apparently preferred because of its power efficiency, but more likely because it provided a clean and recognizable aesthetic within all company outlets. Through a set of sliding doors they walked, to a high ceiling room inside which two armed guards stood stationed at what looked like a massive vault, whose defined steel edges glinted in the dim light, its’ strength a dominant feature, easily making it the dominant feature in such a strange space. As they walked in, one of the guards reached for a slim black device of which he had a short conversation with. Moments later the vault entrance came alive, its’ powerful presence becoming even more so with the movement of massive bronze cogs being set into motion. On either side of the impenetrable door stood two stoic steel supports which framed and gave Alehx the impression he would be calling the innards of this beasts’ body for quite some time into his now uncertain future.

George Orwell’s use of dystopia to criticize communism in his novel, Nineteen Eighty Four

Hidden not far below the surface of the page, George Orwell crafted a complex yet blatantly clear political statement regarding communism. Orwell used fears of his time, such as lack of religion to make a criticism of the communist system of governance and its power hungry nature.

A great fear of the years surrounding 1949 was the impending threat of take-over by communism. Having just come out of World War 2, Britain was weak, it’s people battered by war, the country’s bank account completely empty. George Orwell, like many influential people of his time, took to his preferred medium in an attempt to make an observation about the ideology through his final novel, “Nineteen-Eighty-Four”. In the story, it is apparent that Orwell drew from the fears of his society to construct the world of Oceania, and used his writing to make a criticism about the controversial system of governance.

During the period of which Orwell wrote the book, the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill had just announced to the world the splitting of alliances between the Western powers and the communist Soviet Union. As a result, slews of anti communist propaganda and ideology was spread everywhere it could have been, just as the anti-capitalist equivalent was being drilled into the minds of those living under the governance of the communist regimes.

To ensure someone is listening to you, you must grasp their attention. Orwell clearly knew this relatively simple fact when he wrote Nineteen Eighty Four, and he knew that there is no better way to grasp one’s attention than by fear; and the people of his time were scared-that was the basis for the cold war after all- and so the dystopia was born. In Nineteen Eighty Four, the government has stripped all humanity from its people, removing their freedom, their religion, their individuality, replacing these aspects with feverish patriotism and complete devotion to the Party. Essentially, Orwell has imagined a society in which life and actually living have become completely detached, the latter being almost completely obliterated, any freedoms possible have been taken from the party members, something anyone would find frightening even today.

The absence of any religion in the society presented in “Nineteen Eighty Four”, is an aspect that he makes very clear to the reader throughout, Orwell telling the reader that even the Proles, the more free general population of Oceania, no longer worshiped any gods, saying, “For that matter, even religious worship would have been permitted“, adding “…if the proles had shown any sign of needing or wanting it.” To an audience in 1949 England, the thought of the absence Christianity was unthinkable, making the exclusion of such an aspect vital to creating an effective dystopian world, for especially Orwell’s society, and definitely an effective warning against communism.

If one takes a closer look at the idea of a society without religion, it becomes apparent that the Party would have most likely “permitted” a religion of some sort, but the proles showed no “sign of needing or wanting it. ” This idea that not only was their no religion in Oceania, but that no one expressed a desire for it would possibly be more frightening to many a reader in Orwell’s time, which is why this text was such an excellent opening entry to the now vast catalog of texts in the genre.

“We know that no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it.” When Orwell wrote this, it is undoubtedly a criticism on the soviet ideals. Communism as an philosophy that says that to achieve “the perfect world”, there must be total elimination of their opponents, something that can never eventuate, an impossible task; Orwell suggests that the ideals behind communism are designed to disillusion its followers, to unite the people under their control a with a never ending war, an idea depicted in “Nineteen Eighty Four”, with Oceania in a seemingly endless cycle of war with changing enemies every few years. There will always be opposition of an ideal, especially one such as communism, and therefore, always need for the government to hold complete control, “They pretended, perhaps they even believed, that they had seized power  and for a limited time“. Orwell has given The Party a sense of righteousness in the fact that they “had the courage to recognize their own motives.“, in doing so, Orwell has simultaneously created The Party to criticize communism in its similarities, and also as a way of essentially illustrating cowardice of their ways.

Through understanding Orwell’s criticism, the idea that communism and “Doublethink” are one in the same would not be as much as stretch as one might initially assume. Through presenting the idea that “Power is not a means; it is an end“, Orwell is showing that just as one can hold “two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them“, Orwell shows the reader that to believe in communism is to accept two directly opposite beliefs- communism promises for a world of harmony and prosperity, but the core ideas behind the philosophy make it so that those living under such a governance are oppressed, and almost endless conflict and bloodshed are inevitable, and required for any of it to be possible in the first place.

Since the birth of the human race, and almost certainly until it’s end, conflict always has, and always will plague humans as a species. It seems that no matter how much one wants it, no one can seem to agree on how achieve it- The communist philosophy addresses this issue by removing all those who oppose, but in doing so create an endless supply of enemies, creating “an endless war”, always with new enemies, an idea observed and presented by George Orwell in his novel “Nineteen Eighty Four” through The Party, an entity seemingly created to criticize communism in almost all aspects of it. Orwell shows his reader that humans, because of their power hungry nature are simply incompatible with total peace and harmony. Instead, it is used as a veil, an excuse for one to gain power-“one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship“, not the inverse, which is the method of which many revolutionaries through history have used to justify their actions.

Orwell created a genre, used the fears of his people in order to effectively articulate his warning against communism, to warn that it is not the harmony seeking form of governance it promises to be, but instead interested only in gaining complete power, “entirely for its own sake“. In reality, Orwell’s observations stretch to the present day, where dictators and oligarchies still control several countries around the world, the power they possess so great they are able to keep those under their control completely unconscious of the oppression of which they are under the control, rendering them unable to ever to become conscious of, their leaders using a veil of peace and prosperity to mask their own selfish goals of wealth and power.