A Comparison Between The Dysto
In 1949, George Orwell wrote 1984, a stunning novel envisioning haunting images of the future. Fifty years later, The Matrix, a movie directed by the Wachowski brothers, debuted on the big screen featuring mind-blowing special effects and complex kung-fu choreography. There are many obvious similarities between these two works of fiction. For example, both 1984 and The Matrix are dystopian visions of the future, which is to say, both deal with the maintenance of an imperfect society. The word dystopia is the antonym of utopia, which itself means a perfect society; therefore, a dystopia is theoretically a society of total misery and wretchedness. Despite the many similar "distopic" ...
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source of alcoholic beverage is, in 1984, a "sickly, oily smell[ing]" Victory Gin, and in The Matrix, an anonymous liquid used for degreasing engines (Orwell 8). The clothing and furniture is equally unappealing, being old, ragged, and looking as if it was salvaged from a junk yard. Moreover, not only do the protagonists have to eat unsatisfactory food, they are also unfulfilled sexually. At one point, Winston recalls his encounter with the prole prostitute, thinking about how he needed to use her services despite her elderly age because he needed an "outlet for instincts which could not be altogether suppressed"(Orwell 57). In The Matrix, the short-lived "Mouse" had to resort to going into the Construct, or a kind of virtual reality, and interacting with the virtual woman in the red dress in order to fulfill himself sexually.
The setting gives off a cold unhomely feel to any dweller, contributing further to the dystopic imagery. The apartment which Winston Smith, the protagonist ...
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the director/author is able to remind the reader that the protagonist is only human, not perfect.
Certainly there are many similarities in these two fictitious works; however, upon closer analysis, there are more differences than similarities. First of all, in 1984, the enemy to the public is their own government, and consequently, themselves. In contrast, the enemy in The Matrix is artificial intelligence. And although artificial intelligence is man-made, there is still a distinction between friend and foe because all the enemies are machines or programs whereas in 1984, it is hard for the protagonist to tell whether anyone is part of the Thought Police or not. And it is because ...
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"A Comparison Between The Dysto." Essayworld.com. September 27, 2004. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/A-Comparison-Between-The-Dysto/14991.
"A Comparison Between The Dysto." Essayworld.com. September 27, 2004. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/A-Comparison-Between-The-Dysto/14991.
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