Numero Uno

So...I have no idea how I completely forgot about having to start up these blog things until just about 7 days before I have to present. I actually have a rough draft of my first journal entry written out. Which begs the question: if I was so weirdly preoccupied with it when we first got this assignment, how could I have forgotten so thoroughly? Ah, the complexities of the human mind. Thank god I only need 5 separate dates!

My topic is comparing Huxley's Brave New World, Orwell's 1984, and the cultural context these two were written in. I find this subject incredibly interesting because I really love the WWII-ish era. Also, not to sound like a Hitler lover (because I'm not), but I find the guy really very interesting. Was he a crazy power-hungry mass-murderer and also probably a very very bad man? You betcha. Was he also an incredibly complex man with some crazy ideals, a less-than-ideal life, and some leadership talent? I think so. I'm not going to focus too much on Hitler, but I thought, this being my blog and all, I would share the odd fascination I have with him. It's relevant, right?

But now, to the subject matter. My focus in my IOP presentation is on the similarities between the fictional societies in the two dystopian novels, 1984 and Brave New World, both with each other and with the societies they were meant to warn against. Go Spain, Germany and Russia! Germany is always trying to one-up everyone on the evil scale. No really, Germany, just take the victory. After what you did with the holocaust, not even Russia is trying to compete with you anymore.

So far, to be completely and purely honest, I have not done much in the way of substantial work on this assignment. Call it the IB test fever. I have begun reading Brave New World, (I read 1984 as my dystopian novel) and I have started to compile a mental list of the similarities between 1984 and Brave New World and the real-life societies they were based off of.

This is what I have so far:
1. BNW and 1984 both have almost super-human leaders that the public worships. (Hello, Germany.)
2. Both books emphasize the importance of stamping out any individuality in the society. (Spain and Russia both, I believe. Mostly Russia.)
3. Both books start the training of society members in their youth. (The Hitler Youth Movement)
4. PROPAGANDA. (G-town, you've done it again.)
5. The people in both societies are under constant scrutiny from their peers. If their peers see something awry, it does not become forgotten. (More research on this particular characteristic.)
6. Both societies have the members feel as though they are always being watched. This ensures law abiding citizens. Or else. (Everybody did this one!)
7. Both societies have clearly defined upper-classes, or leading classes. (Everybody, again. Nice job, team.)

Those are the similarities I have mapped out so far. The key piece I'm missing is thorough research on all of the real-life countries. I have Germany done pretty well, but the others need some work. I am debating about contrasting the works. While it would provide some more analysis it might also take away from the general message I'm going for: Huxley and Orwell thought this type of society was BAD. The similarities between the two books show that they were writing for the same purpose.

I'm not sure what else I will do to make the presentation more exciting. All I have so far is lecturing. What good is that? I, as a history geek, would find this sort of presentation fascinating. I have a sneaking suspicion, however, that not everyone thinks the exact same way as I do. Go figure.

For now, I will keep reading and fine tuning my IOP. Progress, here I come!