In this paper, the texts “1984” by George Orwell and “The Maze Runner” by James Dashner will be compared and analysed, in specific the language and stylistic features used to portray the different perspectives on the ideas of oppression and helplessness. The point of view of “Big Brother” and the theme of higher power are vastly used in both of these texts, along with both the conforming and rebelling point of views, all of which will be examined in this paper.
In both novels, “1984” and “The Maze Runner”, a “Big Brother” point of view is portrayed through language and stylistic features in the texts, and these techniques show how this unknown and seemingly mysterious higher power can manipulate and control the characters. The key similarity …show more content…
A key similarity in these two texts is that characters in both of them conform to the rules supplied to them by their respective higher power, and both authors have designed the storyline as so the characters must follow and live a highly controlled and strict life, abolishing thought of helplessness through a stream of repetitiveness. Orwell makes the population appear not human and completely detached, living in the conformity and orthodoxy that “Big Brother” has established in society. Likewise, Dashner describes the dystopia of the Glade in a similar form, as the Gladers’ conform to living the same life every day, with both authors using fear as a large tool in order to suppress the consideration of rebellions. Moreover, both texts use conformity in order to manipulate the populaces’ thoughts and emotions, and hence oppresses them in even the simplest acts, such as thinking. When Winston (1984) states, “don’t you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought?” (Orwell 46), he is recognizing the intense oppression that he, and the populace, suffers through conforming to everyday life, which is similar to Thomas’s discovery of the pattern in the maze, as the constant conforming to …show more content…
A notable similarity in these two novels is that rebellion is a large factor, and both authors ease the idea into the minds of the protagonists over the course of the book by using seemingly rhetorical questions to pose to them, and therefore causing them to act on these. This is evident when Dashner poses the question, “why does the maze keep changing?” to Thomas, as he creates this question upon studying the map of the Glade. This in turn causes him to step outside of the norms of conformity and rebel against the rules by going outside into the maze after the curfew, similar to the thoughts Winston undergoes regarding stepping out and breaking curfew. The authors begin creating these rebellious questions for the protagonists to think, hence toppling the contagious stone of thought, and changing the tone of the novel. Furthermore, Winston keeps a diary in which he writes all forms of rebellious thought, and this begins to lead him on a trajectory to rebellion against the Party and “Big Brother”, similar to the gradual rebellious mindset the Gladers’ begin to adopt. This is evident in both texts, as both Winston and Thomas slowly begin to rebel and question, breaking the bonds of oppression and helplessness, as Orwell and Dashner portray this through a more dominant stream of consciousness
In both novels, “1984” and “The Maze Runner”, a “Big Brother” point of view is portrayed through language and stylistic features in the texts, and these techniques show how this unknown and seemingly mysterious higher power can manipulate and control the characters. The key similarity …show more content…
A key similarity in these two texts is that characters in both of them conform to the rules supplied to them by their respective higher power, and both authors have designed the storyline as so the characters must follow and live a highly controlled and strict life, abolishing thought of helplessness through a stream of repetitiveness. Orwell makes the population appear not human and completely detached, living in the conformity and orthodoxy that “Big Brother” has established in society. Likewise, Dashner describes the dystopia of the Glade in a similar form, as the Gladers’ conform to living the same life every day, with both authors using fear as a large tool in order to suppress the consideration of rebellions. Moreover, both texts use conformity in order to manipulate the populaces’ thoughts and emotions, and hence oppresses them in even the simplest acts, such as thinking. When Winston (1984) states, “don’t you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought?” (Orwell 46), he is recognizing the intense oppression that he, and the populace, suffers through conforming to everyday life, which is similar to Thomas’s discovery of the pattern in the maze, as the constant conforming to …show more content…
A notable similarity in these two novels is that rebellion is a large factor, and both authors ease the idea into the minds of the protagonists over the course of the book by using seemingly rhetorical questions to pose to them, and therefore causing them to act on these. This is evident when Dashner poses the question, “why does the maze keep changing?” to Thomas, as he creates this question upon studying the map of the Glade. This in turn causes him to step outside of the norms of conformity and rebel against the rules by going outside into the maze after the curfew, similar to the thoughts Winston undergoes regarding stepping out and breaking curfew. The authors begin creating these rebellious questions for the protagonists to think, hence toppling the contagious stone of thought, and changing the tone of the novel. Furthermore, Winston keeps a diary in which he writes all forms of rebellious thought, and this begins to lead him on a trajectory to rebellion against the Party and “Big Brother”, similar to the gradual rebellious mindset the Gladers’ begin to adopt. This is evident in both texts, as both Winston and Thomas slowly begin to rebel and question, breaking the bonds of oppression and helplessness, as Orwell and Dashner portray this through a more dominant stream of consciousness