Abstract
A number of reviews of Orwell’s totalitarian tale 1984 – with a filmic sci-fi drama based on the book released in 1956 - interpret it in an antisemitism-oriented light. In his symbolic, classic yet timeless narrative, Orwell leaves us with a political message and shows “how the possibilities of human nature are undermined by the overwhelming power of the political order that surrounds us” (White 2008, 11). Narrated as a fable, 1984 is a sombre reflection on a utopia turned dystopia where power falls into the hands of a privileged elite. Fast-forward to 2021 and as COVID-19 impacts on the world at large, it has triggered a plethora of new inventions as we operate under new conditions in an increasingly technocratic society. In today’s New Normal or era of interrupted realities 1984 offers many insights. The oppressed are yet again the masses yet while the minority crushes the majority in 1984, the current virus conquers the world without prejudice. With our reality resembling science fiction, we are alienated from one another in real time yet approach each other virtually. Technology our guiding star, we have gained increased sets of transferrable skills and become technologically savvier by the minute yet may become all the more socially awkward – perhaps even inept. This paper makes a sweeping comparison between pandemic overreliance on technology and the future society envisioned in 1984; Orwell’s fable now stepping away from the page, seeping into or current context and becoming our reality as we (didn’t) know it.
Presenters
Jytte HolmqvistConsultancy Lecturer, School of Media, Communication, and Creative Industries, HBU University of Central Lancashire, Aberdeenshire, United Kingdom
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Pandemic, Totalitarianism, Orwell, Technocratic Societies, Interrupted Realities, Communication, Virtual
