Social manipulation plays an integral role in the operation of a tyrannical regime as it gives the state more control over its subject. This concept can be seen in George Orwell’s novel Ninety Eighty-Four and Fritz Lang’s film Metropolis. However, in comparing these texts, it can be seen that the way in which this concept is approached varies due to the different circumstances and time in which it was written. These differences, however, work to highlight the unique characteristics of each text.
The portrayal of social manipulation in these text is greatly influenced by the context in which it was written. Due to the different concerns Orwell and Lang held, their depiction of this concept is dissimilar and thus serves to highlight the diverse …show more content…
Big Brother and the Party uses a myriad of methods to psychologically break down individuals’ minds in order to make them blindly follow the party’s doctrine. Orwell’s employment of repetition of “control” in the party slogan “Who controls the past, controls the future: who controls the present controls the past” emphasises the Party’s ability to manipulate the masses by falsifying history with their propaganda to fit political exigency. By doing this, the Party is able to control their citizens’ perception of the past and therefore able control their citizens’ perception of their current society and of the party itself. This leads a uniformity of opinions where subjects conform to the ideologies of the party. In addition, Orwell’s use of sequencing “the past was erased, the erasure was forgotten, the lie became truth” illustrates process in which an individuals’ perception is altered. This further underpins how the removal of the truth, removes an individual’s ability to form their own judgement and results in them losing their independence. Furthermore, the repetition of the phrase “BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU” throughout the novel gives Big Brother a looming and domineering …show more content…
Similar to 1984, in Metropolis Joh Fredersen the authoritarian figure also watches the workers, however, he does not use it as a tool for manipulation but rather to ensure that the machine runs smoothly. Unlike Orwell, Lang’s depiction of social manipulation is much more subtle and ingrained. Although it is never explicitly shown, it is clear that the workers in the Underground – the proletariat have been subject to psychological manipulation. This becomes obvious in the mid-shot of the worker clinging onto Freder and trying to desperately reach for the machine despite the horrible condition he is. The dialogue “the Machine! There needs to be someone at the Machine!” further underscores his need to work on the machine. This implies that this worker has been conditioned to believe that his worth is intricately linked with his job and that he must be at the machine until there is someone available to replace him. Also the full shot of the workers working on the machine in sync even when the temperatures are rising to an extreme levels further underpins the worker’s dedication to
The portrayal of social manipulation in these text is greatly influenced by the context in which it was written. Due to the different concerns Orwell and Lang held, their depiction of this concept is dissimilar and thus serves to highlight the diverse …show more content…
Big Brother and the Party uses a myriad of methods to psychologically break down individuals’ minds in order to make them blindly follow the party’s doctrine. Orwell’s employment of repetition of “control” in the party slogan “Who controls the past, controls the future: who controls the present controls the past” emphasises the Party’s ability to manipulate the masses by falsifying history with their propaganda to fit political exigency. By doing this, the Party is able to control their citizens’ perception of the past and therefore able control their citizens’ perception of their current society and of the party itself. This leads a uniformity of opinions where subjects conform to the ideologies of the party. In addition, Orwell’s use of sequencing “the past was erased, the erasure was forgotten, the lie became truth” illustrates process in which an individuals’ perception is altered. This further underpins how the removal of the truth, removes an individual’s ability to form their own judgement and results in them losing their independence. Furthermore, the repetition of the phrase “BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU” throughout the novel gives Big Brother a looming and domineering …show more content…
Similar to 1984, in Metropolis Joh Fredersen the authoritarian figure also watches the workers, however, he does not use it as a tool for manipulation but rather to ensure that the machine runs smoothly. Unlike Orwell, Lang’s depiction of social manipulation is much more subtle and ingrained. Although it is never explicitly shown, it is clear that the workers in the Underground – the proletariat have been subject to psychological manipulation. This becomes obvious in the mid-shot of the worker clinging onto Freder and trying to desperately reach for the machine despite the horrible condition he is. The dialogue “the Machine! There needs to be someone at the Machine!” further underscores his need to work on the machine. This implies that this worker has been conditioned to believe that his worth is intricately linked with his job and that he must be at the machine until there is someone available to replace him. Also the full shot of the workers working on the machine in sync even when the temperatures are rising to an extreme levels further underpins the worker’s dedication to