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1984

Many futuristic texts depict grim and bleak worlds; however the author often tantalizes the readers with a taste of hope, only to systematically destroy it . Hope is defined as that that is wanted or desired is attainable, without hope there is no reason to live. Throughout the novel ‘1984’ by George Orwell there is an undercurrent of hope, of the possibility that things can improve in the future. However, by the end the text is completely bereft of hope. In Ridley Scott’s ‘Blade Runner’ we see a dystopia devoid of hope, where the only possibility of bettering your life is to move “off-world” and leave behind the now effete Earth behind.
At first glance it would seem that Orwell’s ‘1984’ is completely without of hope. Everything is monitored, there is no freedom and the thought police are rampant and ruthless on though criminals. In such a seemingly decadent society it would seem impossible for hope to exist. However, throughout the text there are a few subtle symbols of hope; the most obvious of these is the “Golden Country” that Winston dreams of. It is described by Orwell as a “rabbit bitten pasture with a molehill here and there, with a slow moving stream nearby,” this is clearly a stark juxtaposition of the dirty, industrial society that exists in the “real world”. This utopia exists only in Winston’s subconscious, yet it reveals a lot about Winston. This “Golden Country” is what Winston is searching for, it illustrates that even though it would be nearly impossible to overthrow the party, the hope of this happening still lives on in his sub conscious. However, this dream is tainted by the presence of O’Brien, which makes us think that maybe this utopia is unattainable, and ultimately just a dream.
There are two main people in the text ‘1984’ that symbolize or contain hope for the future. These are Emmanuel Goldstein and the Prole woman Winston sees out of the window of the antique store. Emmanuel Goldstein is a ghostlike figure, and by the end of the book...