...if 1984 had never been written?

Think about it.

No, not "Big Brother", it would go by some other name. The very fact that the book was written shows that at least some poeple can come up with that concept on their own, and then they tell, and possibly convince, someone else, who goes and tells someone else, etc.

We wouldn't have such colorful turms as "Big Brother is Watching You!" or other great movies like Brazil, but the concept would still be there.

How many people actually read 1984. Think about it.

Originally posted by curme
How many people actually read 1984. Think about it.

And that is the question.

i never read 1984. Even if the book was never written it would still be called something along the lines of big brother. I couldn't see it called big mother or little sister

Originally posted by infinite
I couldn't see it called big mother or little sister

I could see calling it Big mutha!
I HAVE read 1984, and am currently re-reading it.
I urge all that have not read it to do so.
Would i still be 'paranoid'?
Im not sure 'paranoid' is the right term, but i would be concerned to say the least. It doesnt take a book to let you know something is askew. Look around you.
The privacy issues alone should worry anyone that values freedom. 1984 does a good job of expressing the concerns that us freedom lovers have.
If you think its far fetched or not happening, wake up.

the world is in a worse state now than what was written in 1984, it has gone way beyond that

but like a few people have said already, if 1984 was not written, someone else would have written something else and we would call it another name.

Originally posted by curme
How many people actually read 1984. Think about it.

Hum... a hell-a-lot of people, FYI.

Originally posted by Esoterica
...if 1984 had never been written?

Think about it.

Yes, because I have NEVER read 1984, but I can see the world I live in and I am smart enough to see the path that it is going in is leading towards an elimination of all freedoms.

Don't try to blame insight on a single book.

I've never seen Big Brother. What is it like?

I have read it! And I've seen the movie!
I've opened a new topic (Permanent war??) about this book in wich I tried to emphasize the similarities between the conflicts in that novel and the present world situation.
About the Big Brother concept, I guess it's easy for a westerner to talk about. Well, I'm from Romania, an ex-communist country. And I can tell you that the thought police was (still is???) something real.
And by the way, have you read "Animal Farm"

I'm a big fan of 1984 (and Animal Farm as well) and I agree that we wouldn't have the name "Big Brother" to associate with oppressive, invasive government; but the idea would still be there. George Orwell's book is in part based on the old Soviet Union, among other things. He got his ideas from somewhere, which proves we'd still have the ideas.

the world is in a worse state now than what was written in 1984, it has gone way beyond that

As far as I know I don't have to worry about not watching my telescreen at certain times, and as of yet me disagreeing with the government hasn't gotten me tortured or executed, nor do I have to always be on the lookout for thought police or people ready to turn me in... If you couldn't figure it out, I don't think our world is worse than what is depicted in 1984, but please explain.

Orwell coined the phrase "Big Brother", but that's just our common euphemism for a concept that has existed.., well, probably forever.

I love that word, 'euphemism', and what it represents... Everything! I want to see a thread for euphemisms for junk. No, I mean hands! Yeah hands!

Yours truly,
Sandwich Clamps

[Edited on 19-4-2004 by Sandwich Clamps]

[Edited on 19-4-2004 by DeltaChaos]

[Edited on 19-4-2004 by NO! I said Sandwich Clamps]

[Edited on 19-4-2004 by DeltaChaos]

[Edited on 19-4-2004 by That's it, I'm coming down there...]

[Edited on 19-4-2004 by DeltaChaos]

"1984" was not the only dystopic novel out at that time, so I don't think people's ideas about absolute governmental control would be much different without that one book. Other great examples of similar themes include Huxley's "Brave New World," Bradbury's "Ferenheit 451," Atwood's "Handmaid's Tale," Morrow's "City of Truth," Dick's "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep," etc., etc. Even Plato pondered the ills of Utopian society in "The Republic," and lets not forget Thomas More's "Utopia," the modern source from which the idea of a perfect society is outlined.

The dystopic genre is teeming with great books, and while Orwell's is the most famous (and one of the earliest), it is by no means the only source of the general idea of "Big Brother."