Monday, March 23, 2015

Truman Show v. 1984

In both the Truman Show and 1984, both of the main characters live very parallel lives. Truman and Winston both live in a world that is control in almost every way.

In the Truman Show, Truman is free to live his "life" however he wants to. Free to say and think what ever he wants to. He can have friends and family, and can go where ever he would like to. Winston lives an opposite life. He is restricted in almost every way. He works the job Big Brother tells him to, lives where he is told to, is advised against having friends or relationships. Winston, has to even be careful with what he thinks about. The thought police can supposedly even read your thoughts.

The biggest issues in both the Truman Show and 1984, is the ever looming presence of "big brother". In 1984, Winston is constantly being watched and monitored by the TV's and thought police. Even when he thinks he is entirely alone in an old room, or the forest, he is still very careful of what he says or does out of fear that he is being watched constantly. Truman has a similar way of being watched, but he just doesn't know it. He is left to find out on his own that he is being watched, not only Kristoff, but by hundreds of millions of people. Everything Truman does is real, but everyone, and everything around him is controlled very carefully. The people he thinks are real, but they are actually actors. Both characters  are constantly being watched, but the only real difference is that one knows he is, and one doesn't.

1 comment:

  1. In my blog, I had a similar idea that both of these characters have no privacy whatsoever. The government in both stories is dangerously powerful and you do a good job of describing the struggles that we see throughout Winston and Truman's lives.

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