"Who controls the past controls the future" - The Party An analysis on this statement from George Orwell's Book 1984. THE FATE OF THE FUTURE.

Essay by rfridhandlerHigh School, 11th gradeA, December 2006

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In the book 1984 George Orwell writes of the future, describing it as an anti-utopia. The anti-utopia is a cold gray world with little eddies of dust, dirt and torn paper in the wind and a state of constant surveillance that defines its inhabitants. The prophetical book is not to be taken literally in its title. 1984 has come and gone but Orwell's ideas are timeless; the book is merely a comment on the direction Orwell perceived society to be headed. Orwell reminds us of the importance of freedom and history by showing the reader what a world without these factors would be.

The importance of history can be learned in this novel. In a world where the past is a fictional story and an accurate story is far from the reach of an average citizen, there is no plausible way that a person could be sure of what had previously happened more than 24 hours ago.

Information about the past is not accessible, which will in turn cause the future to suffer.

"Who controls the past controls the future" - The Party

In the world of 1984, history is in the hands of the party. The party's goal is to seem infallible by manipulating history in its favor, and to use this face of superiority to instill fear in its people. At first this does not seem to create a great deal of danger, but with further exploration one quickly sees the implications that having the ability falsify history can have on a society. History has a direct impact on the future.

"I understand HOW: I do not understand WHY" - (Winston, p.83)

History seizes to be verifiable when records are destroyed and tampered with. The repercussions of destroying the past demolish the prospect of a progressing society. The...