Loyal to the Group of Seventeen

Jerry Friedman · 13 Jun 2002, 22:45 · from urth-v0206.mbox · original

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From: Jerry Friedman <jerry_friedman at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: (urth) Loyal to the Group of Seventeen
Date: Thu, 13 Jun 2002 15:45:47 -0700 (PDT)
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--- bobking at gate.net wrote:
> I see a connection with Newspeak here, but more in the sense that Wolfe
> is rejecting Orwell's pessimism (if I'm interpreting him correctly)
> about the human mind's ability to overcome totalitarianism.
>=20
> In _1984_ Newspeak and the rest of Oceania's thought control obliterate
> all reality and history except for what the Party wants to present. The
> muddled and imprecise expression fostered by Newspeak ma
>=20
> In TBOTNS, it seems that the Ascians have tried to do the same thing to
> an even greater extreme. Not only are only a certain selection of words
> allowed, as in Newspeak, but Ascians can only speak (and
>=20
> But for Wolfe, humanity is able to overcome these hobbles. Even using
> only the approved phrases, Loyal to the Group of 17 can tell the story
> he wants to tell and try to win the contest. Totalitarianis
>=20
> I much prefer Wolfe's more optimistic vision to the one Orwell proposed
> (although Orwell's idea seemingly had a lot going for it in the 1940s).
> And I think history has proven Wolfe right -- the commun
>=20
> -- Bob
...

You may be right about Wolfe's intentions, but on the other hand,
for all we know LttGo17 might have met a fate like Winston Smith's
had he not been lucky enough to get captured.

Jerry Friedman

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--=20

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