Published in 1949, '1984' is a cautionary tale by George Orwell that explores the dangers of totalitarianism. The novel is set in a dystopian future where the world is divided into three super-states, with the protagonist Winston Smith living in Oceania, ruled by the mysterious and omnipotent leader Big Brother. Winston works at the Ministry of Truth, where he rewrites historical records to conform to the Party's ever-changing narrative. He begins an illicit love affair with Julia and starts to rebel against the Party, but they are eventually caught and subjected to brutal torture and indoctrination. The novel highlights themes of government surveillance, manipulation of language and history, and the suppression of individual freedom and independent thought.
The Book of Laughter and Forgetting is a novel that defies traditional genre classification, incorporating elements of fairy tale, literary criticism, political tract, musicology, and autobiography. Published in 1979, it was Kundera's first major international success. The book is set in postwar Czechoslovakia and explores the lives of several characters as they navigate the complexities of memory, history, and personal relationships under the shadow of totalitarianism. It delves into themes such as the struggle of memory against forgetting, the nature of laughter, and the interplay between public and private lives. Kundera's unique narrative style, which includes philosophical asides and surreal elements, challenges readers to reconsider their assumptions about history, love, and human identity[2][4][5].
Written after his defection from Stalinist Poland in 1951, 'The Captive Mind' is a philosophical and political essay that explores the allure of Stalinism to intellectuals and the mechanisms of totalitarian control. Miłosz uses metaphorical portraits of four Polish writers (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta) to illustrate the universal human phenomena and attitudes towards totalitarianism. The book critiques the philosophical systems of Marxism and Hegelian historical determinism, highlighting the internal longing for harmony and happiness that can lead individuals to submit to such regimes. It also discusses the personal and psychological costs of living under totalitarian rule, including the transformation of 'free minds' into instruments of the state[1][2][4].
*This episode originally ran on August 6, 2024 on Honestly with Bari Weiss*
Vice President Kamala Harris appeared to be cruising after she became the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
But in her anointment to the top of the ticket, there was a strange and silent rewriting of history by the press and party loyalists with the support of a lot of tech companies, who together were changing our collective understanding of the present and of the very recent past. Eli Lake argues this has happened before. Not in America. . . but in the Soviet Union, and also in the works of brilliant writers like Milan Kundera and George Orwell.
While that might sound like hyperbole, listen and decide for yourself. Because whether you agree or disagree with Eli’s conclusions, you will learn so much from listening to this episode.
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