Comparative Essay: Dystopian Novels

The dystopian novels of the 1900’s have left a significant mark on literature and imaginations of readers worldwide.   Our world in the future is a vast mystery that has been portrayed in various ways over the past centuries – from futuristic technology to powerful dictatorships; we’ve all seen one example or another.   Both George Orwell’s, 1984, and Aldous Huxley’s, Brave New World, are key pieces of literature, ranked high on the list of dystopian novels, that portray societies who have been emptied of a sense of history and are overwhelmed with propaganda (Varricchio).   Though their messages are similar – the “excellence of the individual [is] the loss of their individuality,” their concepts are completely unique (Patridge).   Orwell depicts a society ruled by the powerful, mind-controlling “Party” who overloads its people with propaganda.   In contrast, Huxley’s society is pre-conditioned to be content with their social roles and follow the rules of society obediently, and though equally ignorant as Orwell’s society, they are blissfully uninformed about the history of their culture.   As Orwell and Huxley dive into the future of totalitarian regime and mass human reproduction, they give the reader dramatic, vivid descriptions of the future from a third-person perspective – effectively bring the story to life in our imaginations.   Both Orwell and Huxley focus the attention around a main character, the protagonist, facing internal rebellion against their society and coincidentally, both characters face similar conflicts – threat from their government, a passionate, yet unattainable love affair, and ultimately, their final stand against conformity.

In 1984, Winston, lives in a cold, barren world where a telescreen monitors his every movement at every moment of the day.   He is aware of the contradictions in his society and conscious of the rules he should obey and though he does it in submission – he understands that it is something he must do to survive.   He...