1984英语书评

大连理工大学作业课程名称：阅读与写作II（全球化研究，西方文学、哲学经典）研究生姓名：XXXXXX学号：XXXXXXX作业成绩：任课教师(签名)交作业日时间：2016年6月14日1984:AForetelloraFable?Almosteveryonebelievesthatthebook1984wasnotonlyanovelbutalsoaforetellwhichwrittenbyageniusauthor,GeorgeOrwell,in1948,anditreflectedtoday’ssociety.However,afteralittlethinking,Ithinkthisbookismoreafablethanaforetell.Thebookdescribedaterrifyingworld,where“warispeace;freedomisslavery;ignoranceisstrength”andtherewasaresister,theheroWinstonSmith,butheyieldedintheend.Toreviewabookcannotavoidlookingoveritswriter’slife-history.GeorgeOrwellgrewupinEngland,acapitalistsocietyandworkedinBurma,acolonialcountry.Thenhefoundtheworkers’miserablelifeunderexploitationandfinallyacceptedthesocialismideology,however,totalitarianismgavehimafatalblow.Ithinkthewriterbecameapessimisttowardspoliticswhenhewrotethisbook.Soitexplainswhythestorywassodarkandrealthatitisconsideredtobeaforetelltowardstodayorfuture’ssociety.Toregarditasafable,thereisthefirstquestion:ifitisaforetell,wouldthetotalitariansocietydepictedinthebookbecomereality?Theanswerseemstobeyes.Inourcountry,theGreatCulturalRevolutionhadverifiedtheworldwrittenbyOrwell.In1984,theworldwasdividedbythreesuperpowers,Oceanian,EastasiaandEurasia.Historywastamperedallthetime.Peoplewaspovertyandignorance.Besides,BigBrotherwaswatchingyouallthetime.Everythingseemstobeequaltoourdarkesttimes,aleader,crazypeople,poorlifeandtheunknownhistory.Buttheculturalrevolutionwasaspecialtimeinsteadofthefinalshapeofthesociety.Sowillthetotalitariansocietybecometrueinthefuture?Thingsarenotsosimple.Inthebook,theanswerwhethertheBigBrotherexistedinrealitywasambiguous.Whileapersonisdifferentfromaspiritbecauseapersonmakesmistakesbutaspiritisalwaysright.Withthedevelopmentoftheera,wecanhardlyfindaBigBrothertoday.Besidesthenumerousmediamakepeopleknowmoreabouttheoutsideworldandthediversityofculturealsoimpactsoursociety.AnotherimportantreasonistheheroWinston,hewasfullofrebelliousspirit,buthedidn’thavethespiritofself-sacrifice.InOrwell’sbook,especiallyin1984andAnimalFarm,almosteverypublicwaszombies,numbandstupid.Actually,Chinesehistorywaswrittenbyresistersandvictims,forexample,evenintheculturalrevolution,thereweremanygreatmenupholdingtruthandfacingtodifficultsituationstably.Theseheroesdedicatedtheirlifetoagainstoppressionandawokenzombiestofightforfreedom.Itseemsthattotalitarianismisfarfromus,butitisnottrue,either.Westillliveintheshadowof1984,andnevergetthoroughpoliticalcivilization.Thus1984isaverymeaningfulpoliticalfable.Toregarditasafable,thereisanotherquestion.Whatisfable?Fableisinastoryformandtellsatruthoralesson,oftenwiththeroleofironyandexhort.Onepointthatnoonecoulddenyisifwedon’tonguardagainstthesproutoftotalitarianism,ourfuturewillbedarkasthebooksaid.Toavoidthis,weshouldcultivateindependentthinking,andpaymoreattentiontoourinnerworldratherthanmateriallife.Anotherimportantreasonisif1984isaforetell,thereisnoneedtotryhardbecauseeverythingwedidispointless.Toseekfordevelopmentandfreedom,itmustbeseenasafable,whichwarnusnevercompromising.Maybewearelivingintheworldof1984,however,1984isdifficulttobecometrue.Reference[1]张中载.十年后再读1984——评乔治·奥威尔的1984.外国文学[J].1996,(01):66-71[2]王世瑰.天才的预见性文学的政治性——解读1984.四川职业技术学院学报[J].2014,(04):82-85