"Sex, Violence and Concrete: The Post-war Dystopian Vision of London in Nineteen Eighty-Four "
By: Lawrence Phillips
Summarized By: Yasmine Abdallh
In “Sex, Violence and Concrete: The Post-war Dystopian Vision of London in Nineteen Eighty-Four,” author Lawrence Phillips states that George Orwell’s 1984 is only one part of a larger fad of post-war anxiety in London. The author cites various novels as having a similar central idea of fear of the future, and warning against change.
Phillips points out the similarities between then present-day London and the world of Nineteen Eighty-Four, such as the names used, as well as the architecture of the city itself. Though the Party claims that that various impressive buildings were built since the reconstruction of the city, the author seems doubtful, as the buildings contain nooks in which one may be unseen by the telescreens. Phillips makes the argument that the Party would never build such buildings, as they would eliminate any possibility to hide from Big Brother’s watchful eye. The fact that these nooks still exist is an indicator that the buildings were leftover from a time before the Party. Because these, as well as other flaws in the system exist, the Party must employ other forms of keeping the people from observing unorthodoxy.
The article speaks of the Party’s use of pan optics to control the masses, the telescreens leaving the constant possibility for Big Brother to be present. With the threat of Big Brother constantly being able to hear or see what happens in their everyday lives, whether or not they choose to, people are too afraid to acknowledge when Big Brother lies, in case an official should hear it. This use of psychological control is much more effective than control by brute force. The author lists editing historical events and Newspeak as some of the Party’s means of controlling the citizens; Winston himself edited the records of how and if events took place, though he did not agree with it, and realized that as long as the Party had control of the past, they would have control of the future, and that Newspeak would only further prevent the masses from contradicting the fake histories by limiting their words.
Phillips writes that Winston’s rebellion was altogether expected by the Party, and perhaps even encouraged. The Party supplies all daily needs to their citizens, except for a select few that must be purchased from Prole stores in normally unseen parts of London. The Party monitors its population closely, so it is deemed unlikely by the author that the Party would not expect their people to grow curious about the Proles and consider living like them. By anticipating this kind of rebellion and somewhat encouraging it by withholding amenities, the Party lures the rebellious people out of their careful habits and into the hands of Big Brother, so that they may prevent any larger-scale rebellion from ever even starting.
References:
Phillips, Lawrence. "Sex, Violence and Concrete: The Post-war Dystopian Vision of London in Nineteen Eighty-Four." Critical Survey 20.1 (2008): 69-79. Print.
In “Sex, Violence and Concrete: The Post-war Dystopian Vision of London in Nineteen Eighty-Four,” author Lawrence Phillips states that George Orwell’s 1984 is only one part of a larger fad of post-war anxiety in London. The author cites various novels as having a similar central idea of fear of the future, and warning against change.
Phillips points out the similarities between then present-day London and the world of Nineteen Eighty-Four, such as the names used, as well as the architecture of the city itself. Though the Party claims that that various impressive buildings were built since the reconstruction of the city, the author seems doubtful, as the buildings contain nooks in which one may be unseen by the telescreens. Phillips makes the argument that the Party would never build such buildings, as they would eliminate any possibility to hide from Big Brother’s watchful eye. The fact that these nooks still exist is an indicator that the buildings were leftover from a time before the Party. Because these, as well as other flaws in the system exist, the Party must employ other forms of keeping the people from observing unorthodoxy.
The article speaks of the Party’s use of pan optics to control the masses, the telescreens leaving the constant possibility for Big Brother to be present. With the threat of Big Brother constantly being able to hear or see what happens in their everyday lives, whether or not they choose to, people are too afraid to acknowledge when Big Brother lies, in case an official should hear it. This use of psychological control is much more effective than control by brute force. The author lists editing historical events and Newspeak as some of the Party’s means of controlling the citizens; Winston himself edited the records of how and if events took place, though he did not agree with it, and realized that as long as the Party had control of the past, they would have control of the future, and that Newspeak would only further prevent the masses from contradicting the fake histories by limiting their words.
Phillips writes that Winston’s rebellion was altogether expected by the Party, and perhaps even encouraged. The Party supplies all daily needs to their citizens, except for a select few that must be purchased from Prole stores in normally unseen parts of London. The Party monitors its population closely, so it is deemed unlikely by the author that the Party would not expect their people to grow curious about the Proles and consider living like them. By anticipating this kind of rebellion and somewhat encouraging it by withholding amenities, the Party lures the rebellious people out of their careful habits and into the hands of Big Brother, so that they may prevent any larger-scale rebellion from ever even starting.
References:
Phillips, Lawrence. "Sex, Violence and Concrete: The Post-war Dystopian Vision of London in Nineteen Eighty-Four." Critical Survey 20.1 (2008): 69-79. Print.