Here is a lecture I have been listening time and time again. It’s from the audio company, which is called "The Teaching Company" and the course is called "Books that Can Change Your Life" taught by J. Rufus Fears.
Well what can I say about this particular lecture? I have watched the film starring John Hurt. I read part of the book, listened to the play narrated by David Niven and now I get a detailed analysis of the famous book "1984". The book was written by George Orwell and in a nutshell the book was aimed at communist Russia just after the Second World War.
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| Book Cover of 1984 |
This lecture is number 19 out of 32 lectures, I could not help skip some of the other lectures. They are all important books and I am sure listen to them in time, but 1984 is so controversial, so terrifying and almost predicts what could happen in the future. Well about the style of the lecture. It is always fun listening to Rufus, he never seems to talk in a one tone voice, it is almost as if he is beckoning you further with his style. Drawing you into the story of the book and what the book is about. Rufus sometimes breaks into voice acting of the characters and does voice of Winston Smith (The main character of the book) superbly.
You really get the feel of the terror and mystery of Big Brother, which is the dictatorship style of government Winston Smith is living under. You see the thing is Winston Smith does not like Big Brother, I mean when he does not life Big Brother, he literary HATES Big Brother and from there we get an epic story.
I will not go into the full details of the story 1984, you can either listen to this particular lecture or get hold of the book. I also recommend that you watch the film starring John Hurt (watch trailer), which actually did come out in 1984.
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| George Orwell |
Why did George Orwell write this book? Why did he perceive communism as evil and how does this book even relate to problems of communism? Come to think of it, how does this book change your life?
So many questions and hopefully the lecture will answer them for you. I can also try and answer a few questions myself about this book. George Orwell was unfortunate enough to take part in the Spanish civil war of the 1930's and although he came to participate of his own willing, he had to ally himself with those who wanted to push for communist ideals in Spain while fighting against those with fascist ideologies.
Well, George saw what the Russians under Stalin were like and he did not like this one bit. Over the years throughout the Second World War, he could not keep what he saw bottled up and wrote the book 1984. He foresaw what life would be like under Stalin once the war would draw to a close.
Why was this book banned?
Well Russia took the main brunt of the war against the Nazis. The British government felt that at the time such criticisms of Russia and communism was going too far and could damage relations. Yet in time Winston Church (does the name “Winston” ring a bell?) spoke out in his famous speech of "The Iron Curtain" closing down over Eastern Europe.
How can this book change your life?
To be honest, any book can change your life. Yet this book is unrelenting on how a government can turn on its citizens. We can almost imagine ourselves living under this style of government and come to think of it. parts of Big Brother can be implemented in the governments of today, think of surveillance eroding into your privacy.
The big question is, would you take a stand like Winston smith? Would you try to make a change? Or would you keep your head down. Perhaps would you bow to the government and do as they tell you to, even if you know deep down it is wrong, but be so fearful of your life that you cannot afford to displease big brother.
Take some time to listen to this lovely lecture and maybe it will inspire you to think carefully about the times we are living in, but remember......
Big Brother is WATCHING YOU!!
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