Ignorance is bliss and sometimes knowing too much is a curse. The truth in that statement can be found throughout dystopian literature. Especially in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and George Orwell’s 1984. While Atwood writes Gilead as a society only three years in the making, Orwell’s Oceania has been in power for decades. Both are totalitarian governments with oppressive rules yet the people living in these societies have completely different thoughts and opinions on their situations. Although Gilead has a strong connection to the past, the people of Oceania are more content due to the complete disconnect with the world before Big Brother.
Gilead’s citizens outwardly appear submissive, yet many have individual thoughts. This society …show more content…
Offred’s first meeting with the Commander commences a series of encounters reminiscent of life as it was three years ago. They do seemingly normal activities, such as playing scrabble and reading magazines. However, Offred knows that “it’s something different. Now it’s forbidden… Now it’s dangerous” (Atwood 138). The Commander also brings Offred to Jezebel’s which contains many half dressed women entertaining Commanders. This secret hotel is more like “a movie about the past” rather than a place exactly like an escort service or club (Atwood 235). Although the Commander has the most power in this society, he still excited remarks on Jezebel’s resemblance of the past. The men at the top of Gilead’s hierarchy are constantly gravitating towards everything that reminds them of their previous lives. This shows that no one is satisfied or happy, and everyone is trying to go back. People are desperate enough to break strict laws, putting their lives and positions at risk, just to get a taste of the …show more content…
In the first chapter of 1984, Winston is shown illegally writing his thoughts into an old journal he found at the antique shop. He also finds “a heavy lump of glass, curved on one side, flat on the other” with pink coral in the center (Orwell 95). This paperweight is a completely useless item yet it mesmerized Winston because of its connection to the past. He believed that it was “‘a message from a hundred years ago, if one knew how to read it’” (Orwell 145). All of the artifacts came from an antique shop that was eventually found to be a cover for the Thought Police. This means that the Party still controlled all of the history that Winston saw. Still, this weak connection Winston felt with the past made him feel very content in Book 2 of the novel. He thought he had found a safe haven for him and Julia surround by the antiques in Mr. Charrington’s attic. Ultimately, not knowing anything about the past made Winston and the people of Oceania satisfied with their lives and not wish for anything
Gilead’s citizens outwardly appear submissive, yet many have individual thoughts. This society …show more content…
Offred’s first meeting with the Commander commences a series of encounters reminiscent of life as it was three years ago. They do seemingly normal activities, such as playing scrabble and reading magazines. However, Offred knows that “it’s something different. Now it’s forbidden… Now it’s dangerous” (Atwood 138). The Commander also brings Offred to Jezebel’s which contains many half dressed women entertaining Commanders. This secret hotel is more like “a movie about the past” rather than a place exactly like an escort service or club (Atwood 235). Although the Commander has the most power in this society, he still excited remarks on Jezebel’s resemblance of the past. The men at the top of Gilead’s hierarchy are constantly gravitating towards everything that reminds them of their previous lives. This shows that no one is satisfied or happy, and everyone is trying to go back. People are desperate enough to break strict laws, putting their lives and positions at risk, just to get a taste of the …show more content…
In the first chapter of 1984, Winston is shown illegally writing his thoughts into an old journal he found at the antique shop. He also finds “a heavy lump of glass, curved on one side, flat on the other” with pink coral in the center (Orwell 95). This paperweight is a completely useless item yet it mesmerized Winston because of its connection to the past. He believed that it was “‘a message from a hundred years ago, if one knew how to read it’” (Orwell 145). All of the artifacts came from an antique shop that was eventually found to be a cover for the Thought Police. This means that the Party still controlled all of the history that Winston saw. Still, this weak connection Winston felt with the past made him feel very content in Book 2 of the novel. He thought he had found a safe haven for him and Julia surround by the antiques in Mr. Charrington’s attic. Ultimately, not knowing anything about the past made Winston and the people of Oceania satisfied with their lives and not wish for anything