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Rafaella Schivartche
IB History HL
August 00
With what methods and for what reasons do societies attempt to shape their citizen's thoughts and actions?
Cheap University Papers on 1984
It doesn't change from generation to generation. It's the same thing over and over again. The same pattern repeated, the same mistakes, the same decisions. The years go by, events happen in the world and still human beings are incapable of not being influenced. Nowadays, it is impossible for one to remain untouched by the 4th power of the world, the media. It is more and more common for individuals, especially those who are still in the process of learning and acquiring information for their future to abide to this control. Societies in general, any place, any time, differ in methods and reasons but the outcome is similar. Television, radio, politics, and education, are methods used in "free" societies whereas torture, fear, oppression, and religion are used in "religious guided" societies to have influence and power on it's citizens for the simple task of absolute control of millions of minds.
They invade people's houses, spread like viruses, and are as powerful as thunder. The influence over people is amazing to the point that leads them to believe in anything they see or hear. Television, a product made for entertainment is now one of the main sources of influence. From it come shows, soap operas, commercials, products, and political campaigns. The Internet, also a way of connecting the world can be highly influential even in international terms. In "free" societies around the world, people are being induced to believe in lies or a rumor and most of the times do not know it.
For example, in the novel 184, written by George Orwell, he writes about totalitarianism and depicts many ways in which the media can be totally captivating. All throughout London in his imaginary world of 184, are huge posters of the Eurasian army, pictures of Big Brother, and slogans that read War is Peace, and Freedom is Slavery. All over São Paulo, in the year of 00 are posters of politicians, with their faulty promises and propaganda with false advertisements. All these lead a person to believe in what is seen. In the novel, there is also a key method of shaping the citizens of Oceania's minds, the language of Newspeak. This language was created to enable any unnecessary thought, which would lead to clashing ideals with the government. One of the most provocative words is doublethink, which by the end of the novel could even make the reader believe that + = 5. If one reads Freedom is Slavery over and over again one will eventually come to believe in it, and it is exactly what doublethink is. Even though one knows that freedom and slavery are antonyms, since it is said that they equal each other, then it must be true. If one reads that the president, if elected will end poverty, one will also hope and believe that it will be done.
Apart from the media, education and family values can also be considered a greatly significant method when shaping citizen's minds. The short story, Children's Story, by James Clavell, is an excellent fictitious example of how a child's mind is vulnerable. Nowadays children are presented with a huge load of information, and are worried about subjects such as war and famine that could have only been dealt with when they reached adolescence. Most of the times children do not understand the importance of these subjects and just know what happening because of the repetition of the media. In Children's Story, Clavell shows how a teacher is capable of changing children's fragile opinions. In the story the children know how to pledge, but do not understand why, to who, and what it means. They pledge because it is part of the daily routine before school or to earn nickels at home. The story is a metaphor for what happens in real societies to real citizens, which have the same doubts as the children, why, to who?
What children learn in school is what they "should" carry for the rest of their lives. What they learn at home is also important and will definitely be part of their lives. What parent's tell their children or decide to omit them is also crucial for the mental formation of the child. Johnny in Children's Story did not know why his dad has gone away, the teacher explains that "he [his father] had some strange thoughts, and he wanted other grown-ups to believe them" (Pg.1). But Johnny is confused because in his perception, his dad "never thought nothing bad" (Pg.1). How to explain to a child his father had different thoughts from the government and was sent to prison to live in awful conditions for a long period of time? This child will already be enabled from any personal opinion, freedom of speech, nothing. Therefore, education plays a huge role in children's lives and is able to convert children's thoughts to true statements "Praying to God or anything or anyone for something is a waste of time"(Pg. 17). "I always wondered why He didn't listen, and all the time He wasn't there, he thought." (Pg.18).
But why tell a person exactly what should be done, what should be believed, invade their personal space and opinion? The only possible reason is to control, to maintain power over a society. The main power who is responsible for doing this to society must consider the people Barbie's and Ken's who can be played with, undressed, moved into a specific position. The greed for power has dehumanized societies and led them to impose certain "truths" that are "wrong" but put aside as true. For example, up until today the war in Iraq seems to be a total "façade". Through CNN's worldwide news reports the world was shown that the Blair and Bush were heroes helping free the Iraqi people. But after all the damage was done, thousands of lives killed, many people began to see through the news reports and doubt whether their intentions were not to free the people, but control one of the largest sources of petroleum of the world.
As everything in life, there are extreme measures of a same topic. In countries like Iraq, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, life is run by religion. Citizen's end up being totally converted into the main belief. Even though in "free" societies people are being told what to do, they still can have their voice and disagree, but in this case, these people have no voice at all. They have to follow orders and cannot lift their heads up and ask why? In 184, Winston is also trapped in this world, where the eyes of the telescreen watch his every step very carefully. He tries to mentally rebel against this controlling government but fails to do so in a discreet way. Winston is tortured and re-taught the values of his society and finally cured to become an ordinary citizen of Oceania.
The New York Times article about the Pakistani Madrasa, shows in pure black and white how people's minds are made. The students, only of the masculine sex, sit in classrooms reading the Koran, what can be considered their "constitution" for many continuous hours. Just as the journalist pointed out "My goal was simple I wanted to see from the inside just what this jihad factory was producing" (Pg. 4). This school is one of the thousands that are spread across Pakistan. All over the country, these so called schools are simply "producing" minds with bodies to help them spread their radical beliefs. The school is so strict that there are no TV's, radios, or even women who could all cause distractions or other thoughts not strictly relevant to what the students should learn. All the students agreed that the Westerners were afraid of Bin Laden and claimed that the atomic bomb came from Allah. They can swear on the name of Allah that Bin Laden has never killed any innocent person. Even when shown proof they disbelieve it by saying it is an American trick.
In this type of harsh society the citizen's fear that if they disobey they will be punished by Allah and be subjected to eternal damnation, thus they do nothing to change their situation. "Many of them were convinced that all Americans are bisexual, and that Westerners engage in sex with anything, anywhere…"(Pg. 6). Many of the westerners think it is absurd for the women to have to walk around with cloths over their faces. Different types of societies shape their citizens minds to make them follow a special creed but in the long run the reason why is the same, to have control of everything of everyone. Also, to end any opposing ideals towards the government in charge. To be like the eyes of the telescreen who know what Winston had for breakfast or what he did at work today. Not even Allah or God can save society from this, it has to be in the people to free themselves.
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