Reviews with content warning for Xenophobia - Nineteen Eighty-Four

Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

65 reviews

ggcd1981's review against another edition

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dark reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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yaminagabe's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

1984 by George Orwell

Doublethink

- to be aware but not to be awre, to hold the truth and lying at the same process. It is defined by having opposing beliefs at once, believing both are true.

- To believed in lies when they were false.

It was like the Type 1 error of our STATS 10 that failed to reject the p > value when it is less than the alpha (a) means, false. Type 2 error indicates the rejection of p > value when it is higher than the alpha (a), simply says that the hypothesis is true but you choose to reject it either accidentally or intented.

My point is, doublethink has a sense of paradoxical hypocrisy.

They are 5 debatable lessons highlighted by Pageperiscope in George Orwell's 1984:

1. Totalitarianism is dangerous and its power lies in controlling every aspect of citizens lives.

That means, no individuality, no freedom of speech, no freedom of expression, no contradiction towards the law. It was governed in a total centralized control by an autocratic authority. You cannot stand-out from the rest of monotony or else you will be vaporized and ceased to exist.

2. Language is a powerful and indispensable tool of mankind but also potentially destructive. It can be manipulated to control people's thought and action.

Language is the medium for us to communicate and interact with each other yet it is also destructive and misleading when coveted with limitations from which ceased by the corrupted authority itself.

How can we able to express our thoughts and opinions when our choice of words was being limited?

3. Individualism is crucial in resisting totalitarianism, even in the face of pressure to conform.

Humans are unique animals that given the rights for individual expressions and creativity. We cannot undo the things that distinguishes us for being different from each other. We are thinkers! We have ideas! Resisting them is unhealthy.

4. Historical revision is dangerous and be used to manipulate people's understanding of the truth

"Control the past, control the future"

One of the most controversial history of all time in the government of the Philippines is the former President Ferdinand Marcos issue regarding with his family conglomerates and the infamous Martial Law he declared during (year). It was all written in the history that Ferdinand Marcos leads as tyrant and dictatorship from his (years) in the Republic. All of the people believed he was powerful, dominant and a corrupted oppressor. People lived in fear during that time, and up until now the Philippines' citizen were convinced that President Ferdinand Marcos was a manipulative and tyrannical figure of terror during (year). Not until when the following historians and accumulated evidence emerged later on proving that none of the following accusations to the Marco's was true. And it was verified by the authority itself that the following records of his life was nothing but the work of fabrication by the Aquino's--the family who had coveted the presidential administration after overthrowing President Ferdinand Marcos of his seat.

History could alter the fact that we were convinced of in our present state.

5. Loss of privacy and constant surveillance are dangerous and can be serious consequences for individuals and society.

Everyone deserves a private life and should values solitude.

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riverofhorton's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

So this was actually my second read of this book, the first having been around 10 years ago. Just as I did the previous read through, I was struck by just how much of this book is relevant to our world today. This is one of the books that I will keep coming back to again and again throughout my lifetime.
The book itself is a somewhat dramatised (hopefully) version of Stalin's Russia/Nazi Germany. It has so many layers to it, and I', still not convinces I've worked out just how deep the 'Party' goes in their propaganda, gaslighting, and plotting against its own citizens.
This is an incredibly well planned out (or perhaps the word is researched) and realised world, where even the bits that are fiction could very easily be real. That, I think, is the true terror of this book: How easily society could go from even today's status, to that found in this book. Thus, Orwell's intention to have this book serve as a warning was fully realised.

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