12.6k views
2 votes
Who believes that one's duty to the Party was to produce children for the state in the book '1984'?

User Gogotox
by
8.2k points

1 Answer

5 votes

Final answer:

In George Orwell's '1984,' producing children is considered a duty to the state by the Party, reflecting an ideology similar to historical examples of state propaganda, such as in Stalinist Russia. The goal is to instill loyalty and obedience in children to ensure the Party's enduring authority.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the book 1984 by George Orwell, the Party believes in a utilitarian approach to procreation, where producing children is seen as a person's duty to the state. This ideology aligns with the Party's inculcation of utmost loyalty and subordination of personal interests to state directives. The Party's standpoint can be compared to historical examples of state control over family life, such as the propaganda in Stalinist Russia, which taught children and adults alike that personal sacrifices, such as producing offspring, were for the greater good of the socialist motherland, and framed child-rearing within the context of patriotic duty. This notion is evidenced by propaganda posters and social narratives that promote family values, where children are portrayed as future builders of the utopian state, and adults are encouraged to raise their children in a manner that enforces obedience to the state above all.

Children, therefore, become instrumental in the perpetuation of state ideals, being raised to fulfill roles of productivity and loyalty to the Party. The Party's emphasis on childbearing as a service to the state is part of a broader strategy of control, shaping future generations to maintain the status quo of absolute authority.

User Eyal Eizenberg
by
7.6k points