Significant texts offer insights into how core values define the thoughts and actions of individuals within society. It is, however, the context of such texts which present the values and perspectives of composers. Lang’s Metropolis (1927) focuses on the misuse of technology, power and control, reflecting his fears of an exploitative capitalist system in a period of hyperinflation and social turmoil within the Weimar Republic. Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984(1948) demonstrates his criticism of totalitarian systems as he, through his representation of the repression of his characters by society.Orwell echoes Lang's fear of industrialised capitalism as 1984 examines the destructive potential of extreme political ideologies in post WW2 Europe.
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Orwell draws on the theory of language determinism to critique Stalin's psychological control suggesting that an individual's perception of reality is inherently tied to language. Orwell asserts his interests in language by implicating the theory of linguistic determinism – that one’s language influences their perception of reality – through constructing Newspeak. Newspeak narrows the lexicon of Oceania citizens, thus removing their right to even think outside of the philosophy of IngSoc; the violent imagery in Syme’s remark, “we’re cutting the language down to the bone,” the metaphor emphasises the drastic consequences and loss of hope resultant from limiting one’s range of thought. Additionally, Orwell employs de Man’s contention that history is literally the texts that record it by allowing the party to control the past by manipulating all texts. By controlling history in such a way, the party is also able to control an individual’s memories – which must be altered to agree with “mutable history” – and, subsequently, and individual’s perception of reality. O’Brien’s aphoristic confession, “only the disciplined mind is able to see reality,” satirises Stalin’s falsifying media and demonstrates how the individual must deny their senses, memories and thoughts in order to assume the reality of the party. Hence, Orwell demonstrates how significantly …show more content…
Responding to the contextual emergence of laissez-faire Fordism following the Great War, Lang emphasises social class stratification and the subsequent degeneration of individuality. Conventionally expressionist, the vertical architectural structure of the city of Metropolis establishes the contrast between the bourgeoisie – with clean, geometric shapes of art deco skyscrapers – and the proletariat – who are restricted to their industrial setting underground. After establishing such stratification, Lang portrays the consequences of a pronounced social class system – namely, the suppression of individuality.Lang utilises the contrasting imagery of the Yoshiwara club and the machine workers to emphasise how 1920’s created a culture of excess and transgression in the disempowerment of its people. The disempowerment of individuals results in the breaking of morality and identity, metaphorically represented through the Robot Maria. Here, Lang employs the use of the eye motif to symbolise moral corruption as he lingers on close ups of her constant twitching and the darkness of the eye makeup evoking a strange unearthly quality. Comparatively, Orwell depicts the severe manipulation of society and individuals as a result of totalitarian socialism. Himself a democratic socialist, Orwell wrote Nineteen Eighty-Four with the intention of exposing the flaws of a corrupted form
In …show more content…
Orwell draws on the theory of language determinism to critique Stalin's psychological control suggesting that an individual's perception of reality is inherently tied to language. Orwell asserts his interests in language by implicating the theory of linguistic determinism – that one’s language influences their perception of reality – through constructing Newspeak. Newspeak narrows the lexicon of Oceania citizens, thus removing their right to even think outside of the philosophy of IngSoc; the violent imagery in Syme’s remark, “we’re cutting the language down to the bone,” the metaphor emphasises the drastic consequences and loss of hope resultant from limiting one’s range of thought. Additionally, Orwell employs de Man’s contention that history is literally the texts that record it by allowing the party to control the past by manipulating all texts. By controlling history in such a way, the party is also able to control an individual’s memories – which must be altered to agree with “mutable history” – and, subsequently, and individual’s perception of reality. O’Brien’s aphoristic confession, “only the disciplined mind is able to see reality,” satirises Stalin’s falsifying media and demonstrates how the individual must deny their senses, memories and thoughts in order to assume the reality of the party. Hence, Orwell demonstrates how significantly …show more content…
Responding to the contextual emergence of laissez-faire Fordism following the Great War, Lang emphasises social class stratification and the subsequent degeneration of individuality. Conventionally expressionist, the vertical architectural structure of the city of Metropolis establishes the contrast between the bourgeoisie – with clean, geometric shapes of art deco skyscrapers – and the proletariat – who are restricted to their industrial setting underground. After establishing such stratification, Lang portrays the consequences of a pronounced social class system – namely, the suppression of individuality.Lang utilises the contrasting imagery of the Yoshiwara club and the machine workers to emphasise how 1920’s created a culture of excess and transgression in the disempowerment of its people. The disempowerment of individuals results in the breaking of morality and identity, metaphorically represented through the Robot Maria. Here, Lang employs the use of the eye motif to symbolise moral corruption as he lingers on close ups of her constant twitching and the darkness of the eye makeup evoking a strange unearthly quality. Comparatively, Orwell depicts the severe manipulation of society and individuals as a result of totalitarian socialism. Himself a democratic socialist, Orwell wrote Nineteen Eighty-Four with the intention of exposing the flaws of a corrupted form