1984, a novel written by George Orwell in 1949 (in the wake of World War II), explores a dystopian future where every action is monitored by the government and the world is constantly at war to maintain class discrepancies by using up resources. The novel’s opening page begins establishing the world’s condition in the year 1984. “Don’t Let That Shadow Touch Them” is a poster created in 1942 by Lawrence Beall Smith in the midst of World War II in the United States of America to inspire the population to support the war effort. Both texts focus heavily on war and dominance of governments, issues still debated in the modern world. Despite differing in format, 1984 and “Don’t Let That Shadow Touch Them” both employ similar stylistic features to highlight the shared theme of the dangers of totalitarian government.
Both texts use negative diction to emphasize the dangers of oppressive government. In the opening page of 1984, Orwell describes the world as “vile,” “gritty,” and “rotting.” These words all share negative connotations, though with different nuances. “Vile” connotes evil and disgust, suggesting the world created by the …show more content…
Simplified into three short phrases, the slogans are easy to remember and have a euphonious effect. This euphony is incongruous with the paradoxical nature of the slogans and this incongruity emphasizes the idea that the government, being totalitarian, cannot exist in a society without compromising the society’s freedom. In “Don’t Let That Shadow Touch Them” tricolon is exhibited through the three children in the center of the poster. The three children provide an artistic balance to the text, but also highlight the most important aspect of the poster by symbolizing the future of the United States of America that is threatened by the presence of an expansionist and totalitarian government in Europe. The use of three children also serves to make the poster more poignant and
Both texts use negative diction to emphasize the dangers of oppressive government. In the opening page of 1984, Orwell describes the world as “vile,” “gritty,” and “rotting.” These words all share negative connotations, though with different nuances. “Vile” connotes evil and disgust, suggesting the world created by the …show more content…
Simplified into three short phrases, the slogans are easy to remember and have a euphonious effect. This euphony is incongruous with the paradoxical nature of the slogans and this incongruity emphasizes the idea that the government, being totalitarian, cannot exist in a society without compromising the society’s freedom. In “Don’t Let That Shadow Touch Them” tricolon is exhibited through the three children in the center of the poster. The three children provide an artistic balance to the text, but also highlight the most important aspect of the poster by symbolizing the future of the United States of America that is threatened by the presence of an expansionist and totalitarian government in Europe. The use of three children also serves to make the poster more poignant and