Life Is Beautiful And 1984 Analysis

Roberto Benigni and George Orwell explore similar central ideas in the texts Life is Beautiful and 1984. Considering the setting of; a controlled society, a war based on ideological differences and family; the importance or unimportance, the concepts of words, thoughts, actions, death and family structure are explored. Life is Beautiful follows protagonist, Guido Orefice, in 1939 and his experiences through WWll, as later narrated by his son, Giosue. The fable-like tale focuses on the concepts, as outlined earlier, in a war environment, which fuels a lack of individuality, the fear of death and the importance of family. Orwell’s 1984 is set in a dystopian setting, ruled by a leader, known as Big Brother. While 1984 focuses on similar and contrasting …show more content…
In 1984, Winston lacks a childhood, which contrasts the rich family life in Life is Beautiful. Recounted in a fable style, Life is Beautiful is narrated by Giosue, the son, thus showing his fulfilled childhood, that he is able to remember the time he had with his father stating, ‘This is my story. This is the sacrifice my father made. This was his gift to me’. The setting of a family experiencing war allows the theme of family companionship to be explored. The setting of war, and specifically concentration camps in Life is Beautiful, families are separated, for example, Guido and Giosue are separated from Uncle Eliseo when entering the concentration camp, causing the family to tear apart and live in separate quarters of the camp. Dora, Giosue’s mother, almost loses her son and husband, however she demands that she be sent to a concentration camp even though she is not Jewish, ‘My husband and son are on that train. I want to get on that train. Did you hear me? I want to get on that train’. This further displays the connection they have as a family in a war setting as they are willing to risk their lives for one another. In 1984, Winston tries to remember his childhood, but his memories are faded and he can never picture his father, ‘but it was no use, he could not remember: nothing remained of his childhood’. In a setting struck by continuous war, family has no meaning; it is simply a group of people who live in the same house. 1984 ’s idea of a family is truly seen through the setting of war, the war against Big Brother and the war in Oceania. Parson’s relationship with his daughter expresses 1984’s concept of a family, his daughter accuses him of saying ‘down with Big Brother’ in his sleep, which he is then jailed for. The setting of a war-torn family emphasises the importance or the unimportance of family when concerned with