George Orwell’s “1984” is a profound exploration of the soul and the mind of human beings, subjected to the pressures of a despotic regime. This novel is a timeless classic that delves into the dangers of totalitarianism and the manipulation of history and reality.
Eric Arthur Blair, known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English novelist and critic, born in 1903, in India, and passed away in 1950, in London. His works are marked by biting social criticism, opposition to totalitarianism and outspoken support of democratic socialism. “1984” offers a stark vision of a dystopian future where critical thought is suppressed under an oppressive government which promotes lack of knowledge.
The novel is set in Airstrip One, a province of the superstate called Oceania in a world of perpetual war. Winston Smith, a diligent worker of the Ministry of Truth, the main character of the novel, works in order to rewrite historical events so they align with the Party’s current version of History. He becomes disillusioned under the watchful eye of Big Brother and begins a quest for truth and freedom, which ultimately leads to his tragic downfall.
Orwell’s “1984” reflects the anxieties of the Cold War era and the fear of a totalitarian state. This perspective not only reflects its time but also transcends it, rendering the struggle against totalitarianism relatable to every human being. So, Orwell shows us how a totalitarian government can suffocate humanity and erase society in favour of the State.
Furthermore, “1984” it’s a passionate call to all of us through which Orwell serves as a warning against abuses of power and the suppression of individual rights. The author invites us to be vigilant and not to passively accept the “truths” that are fed to us and to defend the value of our individuality and authenticity against standardisation.
In conclusion, its message is as relevant today as it was at the time of its publication, reminding us of the need to keep our humanity by standing for our own rights and questioning every piece of information we receive, especially in an era characterised by a vast amount of information and potential manipulations.
Tag: English
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Echoes of Orwell’s ‘1984’ in Today’s society?
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Never judge a book from its cover….No, never jugde at all
Last 23rd January my classmates and I met a migrant who has been living in Naples but working in torre Annunziata for long time. You have probably seen him many times walking down Piazza Ernesto Cesaro (Torre Annunziata). He stands there , outside the historical bakery “ Nunziatiello”. A kind, reserved and polite person who with gentleness shows his hand more to attract people’s attention than to beg for alms.
He is F.(we won’t reveal his full name) an immigrant from Nigeria who decided to emigrate from his native land and to come to Europe, as
most of the immigrants/migrants, looking for better living conditions. The meeting was arranged by our English teacher who had met him many years before and who like to talk with him who can speak English but can’t Italian very well in order to get more in touch with immigrants-related topics and to experience in first person what these people have to overcome in order to survive. The interview took place in Piazza Santa Teresa, Torre Annunziata. Our interviewee, was born in Nigeria and, unfortunately, his sight started to deteriorate when he was young: this poor health condition caused him incessant headaches that had to be resolved.One day he sold everything he owned and started his never-ending journey in search of a better life. F was able to afford a one-way leg to Libya and there he worked for one year in order to earn the money needed to pay for a “seat” on a human beings smuggler-owned boat directed to Italy. He left Nigeria in early 2014 only to reach Europe in late 2015. He remarked that during the first leg of his trip from Agades, Nigeria, to Libya “the suffering was so mighty”. F says that a lot of people died and they encountered thousand of dead bodies along the road. He described us that they had no food and little water daily and still thanks God for having arrived to Libya alive. In Libya gangs in the districts enforce their own laws and then he added that, in Libya, neither authorities could be count on.
The last leg of its trip, crossing the Mediterranean in winter (Libya and Sicily are almost 500km apart), was the most frightening. The interviewee remembers that they were “about 24” and went out at sea on Christmas Eve and the sea was really rough. Suddenly, the boat started to take on water and everybody started crying .He started praying God He was finally rescued by an NGO and he was told by a crew member that 4 boats were spotted leaving Libya that night but, unhappily, they were not able to find the others. Once he arrived to Italy, he was relocated in a refugee camp outside Naples. In Naples he did not know were to go and what to do in order to earn some money. After some time, he started looking for a job and he managed to earn something, under the table of course. F reported that, often, the payer would promise a payment of 50€ a day but, in the end, after the work was done, would give him only 20€. His sight problem grew worse every day. Anyway his opinion about immigrant is that My point being is that there is a lack of policies and State interventions. Immigrants are left alone to survive, and, if they are lucky they end up begging in order to eat at the end of the day. Disappointingly, these beggars are often judged and defined as “useless to society”, F told us to remark this aspect: “Before judging somebody, try to know (him/her), ask him a question: Why are you suffering?”. Probably, after the pandemic, our society lost its ability to be empathetic and we are only capable to look after our own garden, not realising that there a lot of people without a garden at all. Looking to what he overcame, and what others migrants had to go through, we should make a step back while being safe at our houses, surrounded by our loved ones, and we should comprehend at its fullest this statement: “Be the change you wish to see in the world”: this Gandhi’s quote has never been so true!We should start with ourselves.
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Summer’s Tips
Nothing special for this summer?
Need help to organize your vacation? Follow my tip. I’m sure you’ll prreciate it.
Book a holiday in Edimburgh in August!
Edinburgh is the Capital of Scotland and it is very funny, specially in August. For three weeks in August, the city of Edinburgh welcomes an explosion of creative energy from around the globe. Artists and performers (buskers as well) take to hundreds of stages all over the city to present shows for every taste. Moreover you can enjoy concerts, festivals, shows, plays; the food is good (there is the “shortbread”, tipical Scottish biscuits). This great eventi s called “The Fringe Festival”The Fringe Festival has a policy of open-acces and includes in its programm anyone with a story to tell a venue willing to host them.
They are more innvoative, offering a range of cultural events from theatre , comedy dance, circus and more.
The Fringe events happen on the streets, in pubs, in galleries anywhere and evrywhere giving the city an atmhosphrere of constant and continuos performance.
Every street in town becomes a live stage or concert hall.
In fact, the Fringe has created by far the biggest and most dynamic international arts market in the world.
A few years ago, mental health was the most prominent theme wheraeas more recently the emphasis has been more about transgender and racial equity.By the way , you can visit an amazing castle on the top of a rock with an amazing view and an original cannon with the traditional Military tatoo parade performed by British Armed Forces, Commonwealth and international military bands, and artistic performance teams on the Esplanade of Edinburgh Castle in the capital of Scotland. Audiences get into the spirit and stamp and cheer to the sounds of the military pipes and drums; believe me it’s a real magic atmoshepre.
The Tattoo is an iconic Edinburgh institution and normally a sellout year after year after year, with music, dance, precision display, and the poignant refrain of Pipers against the stunning backdrop of Edinburgh Castle.
Have I conviced you? Ready to leave? Book a unique stay in this fascinating place, you won’t regret it.
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Met Gala
One of the most important and exclusive social events in the world is the annual fashion event conceived in 1948 by publicist Eleanor
Lambert for Vogue Magazine. It was formally called the Costume Institute Gala or the Costume Institute Benefit but it is best known as Met Gala. It is a VIP fundraising event born to encourage donations from New York’s high society. Every year it is celebrated with a theme party and took place on 2nd of May. This year the theme was: Gilded Glamour and it refers to the American historical period that goes from the 80s to the 90s of the 19th century, just when the New York elite wanted to defend their own integrity as upperclass society against the new rich people. What is liked mostly of this event is the famous parade of stars from cinema, music and sports stars in fabulous clothes on the red carpet of the Metropolitan Museum that hosts the event. Sometimes clothes are horrible or quirky but the stars are so confident in their choice that they look proud to show it to the crowd of curious people come for this special kermesse.
Why do I think that this Gala is worth being mentioned?In my opinion because it reflects what we want to express through our clothes, showing our best side as well as our worst.
Perhaps it’s also because the theme is so often slippery and sly. This is a time for extravagance and daring and the beauty lies in staying at home in your ratty T shirt and say : “WHAT ON EARTH IS THAT?!” Or, occasionally, “YES!” The best thrill of all: the joy of a witty, bold, winning look that I would never showed off but I’d like to…. once in my life.
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THE HUMAN RIGHTS DAY
Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December. This day was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948, the same day and year when a milestone document in the history of human rights was adopted: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.This document is like a global road map for freedom and equality – protecting the rights of every individual, everywhere. Its adoption recognises human rights to be the foundation for freedom, justice and peace. It is the most translated document around the globe available in over 500 languages.
Despite the efforts to protect human rights, the hostility toward human rights and those who defend them continues to rise. It is the case of Patrick George Zacky: a 29- year- old human rights activist who wrote about his experiences as a Coptic Christian in Egypt and then has gone on trial on the charge of spreading false news.
Mr Zaki had been studying for a master’s degree in Gender and Women’s Studies at the University of Bologna when he decided to return to Egypt for a short family visit.
He was arrested in February 2020 at Cairo airport upon his return from Italy, where he had been studying.
His lawyers said he was condemned just for expressing his opinion. They also alleged that he was subjected to torture, including electric shocks while being questioned about his activism and the EIPR, which is one of Egypt’s leading human rights organisations. The Egyptian government has denied that security forces torture or mistreat detainees in Tora prison in Cairo.
Detention without trial and the impossibility to defend himself is one of the most unjust violations of fundamental human rights after nearly two years he was released from prison. The court decision to release him is based on the fact that he has not yet been acquitted of the charges for which he has been held prisoner up to now. He is now on the loose, but still on trial, with the next hearing set for February 1st.
The University of Bologna together with the Italian Government, associations and international movements have been fighting since day one, since that remote 7 February 2020, to see Patrick Zaki’s rights respected and to reaffirm our support for fundamental human rights, freedom of speech and teaching, and the incomparable value of critical thinking.
The key values that lie at the core of the idea of human rights are human dignity and equality. Human rights can be understood as defining those basic standards which are necessary for a life of dignity.
Human rights exist for us all. So how can we make use of them? It is clear that their mere existence is not enough to put an end to human rights violations, since we all know that these are committed every day, in every part of the globe.
The key values that lie at the core of the idea of human rights are human dignity and equality. Human rights can be understood as defining those basic standards which are necessary for a life of dignity
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VE-Day and its legacy
On this day, on the 8th of May 1945, the War in Europe was officially over after the signing of the unconditional surrender by the provisional German Government. This day marks the end of fascist regimes in Europe after 6 years of atrocious fighting.
More than 80 years ago, a man, who was appointed the Prime Minister of the UK with “nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears an d sweat”, refused to submit his Country to Hitler’s requests, he knew that the future of the world was at stake. He was carrying on his back the responsibility to choose how life would be in Europe in the following years: a life either characterized by fascist regimes or by democratic societies.
Luckily for us, he chose “to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might”, and was well aware that “if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age”. This man, who I’m referring to, is the legend, the myth, Winston Churchill: a man that was able “to ride out the storm of war, and to outlive the menace of tyranny” and was able to achieve for us a free world.
After the end of World War 2 that date has been officially and internationally, proclaimed as “Victory in Europe Day” and has been observed, particularly, in the United Kingdom since 1945, without missing a single anniversary, even during the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020 regular commemorations were held.
So you would probably be wondering: how that date, and the decision made by this man in the past, could have affected my everyday life?
In fact, it’s thanks to this day that we live our everyday life as we have known since we were born. If we can think, speak, live, and more in general express ourselves freely, we owe this possibility to all those men who put a “higher good” in front of their very life.
Currently, we live in a society which guarantees freedom and equality to all the people who lives in it, having said that, is it for real like that? In fact, no.
I’ll make an example, are we free to say everything we want whenever we want? True. Accordingly to what I just exposed; can I say something totally normal from my point of view even if it may sound offensive to somebody else? False. That’s my point, isn’t this technically a limitation of my freedom of expression? Definitely not. So, here comes the paradox of our society, when does my freedom to express begin, and, when does it end?
Most of the time, we forget that our society is made by a majority of people who express the same idea in the same way, and, a minority of people that may express a totally different idea or the same idea of the majority in different ways. We all have our own lives, marked by our emotions and sensations, and, most importantly, we all are sensible or insensible regarding something. Cleared this aspect, we must always remember that everyone of us counts as one and everybody is free to say anything they want, provided that he won’t interfere with the right of somebody else
Nowadays we are facing the hardest time for our western society: we are bound to make a decision that will certainly have an impact on our future. Just as 80 years ago, we shall allow everybody to express themselves freely without any prevarication or any suppression of any means. We can do it in one possible way: we must “let’s go forward together with our united strength”, remembering that we are all citizens of the same world and that we should straight up defend the existence of minorities with laws and with social campaign guaranteeing the right of expression for everyone.
On the other hand, if we do not understand the ever simple concept that we are all human beings, everybody different and perfect with its imperfection from one another, we will be forced, in order to defend minorities to censor some words, some common expressions and, eventually, our society will be no different from the repressive societies of the past.
I hope that we will be able to overcome this critical issue and, in the end, I hope that we will find the right balance between mutual freedom and, if our society will “last for a thousand years, men will still say: this was their finest hour.” -
Night at the Oscars
The Oscar is the oldest and most prestigious film award in the world.Traditionally, the Academy Awards took place around February. This year, however, due to the Covid pandemic, the awards ceremony has been postponed and will be held on April 26 at 2:00 AM and more than 200 countries will be connected.
But ….let’s start from the origins.
The first Oscar was given in 1929 to a German Shepherd called Rin-Tin-Tin because it was the star of 27 movies. Well yes to a dog, it was amazing. But The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences changed the rules allowing only humans to receive the award. He was then reassigned and given to Emil Jannings, a German actress.
The name “Oscar” has always been a mystery. It was originally called “Academy Award of Merit”, then changed to Oscar but nobody knows why. One story is that the actress Bette Davis said it looked like her husband, Harmon Oscar Nelson.
The famous statuette is made of gold-plated bronze on a black metal base, it is 34.3 cm tall, and weighs 3.856 kg. It depicts a knight rendered in Art Deco style holding a crusader’s sword standing on a reel of film with five spokes.
There are many curiosities about this award. It has been stolen, sold or lost. Vivien Leigh and Olympia Dukakis lost them to theft, Harold Russell instead sold him to pay for his wife’s medical treatment.
However, there is a rumour that Russell used the money for a vacation. Furthermore, not everyone was happy to receive him, like Marlon Brando, the best actor of the godfather who, however, sent an actress to protest against the mistreatment of Native Americans. George C. Scott also refused the award, describing the offensive and barbaric ceremony.
Katherine Hepburn won the award 4 times, Meryl Streep 3 times. Edith Beat surpasses both with 8 awards on the bulletin board. As film houses, on the other hand, we find Walt-Disney with 26 Oscars. Titanic, Ben Hur and The Lord of Rings won 11 awards, while John Ford took the stage 4 times. Finally, we have sound engineer Kevin O’Connell with 20 nominations.
In all these years, however, the thanks of the actors could bore the audience, but fortunately, on several occasions, several performers made the ceremony a little spicier, like the actor Jack Palance in 1992, 72, who did push-ups on one hand. Or Cuba Gooding Jr. who gave a special thank you speech, taking the stage of the theatre referring to God, Tom Cruise and other tops of the cinema. Then we have Robin Williams doing funny self-deprecation instead. Finally, there is Sophia Loren who instead had prepared a speech but got caught up in emotion and therefore found the words at the moment.
Where the 2021 Oscars will take place?
The ceremony will take place as usual inside the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, although, obviously, in a peculiar way to comply with the health regulations in force to face the pandemic. A secondary one is added to the main location: the Union Station of L.A.
Where can you see the 2021 Oscars ceremony?
The Oscars ceremony will be broadcast live on Sky, on the dedicated Sky Cinema Oscar channel, channel 303.
How the 2021 Oscars will unfold?
Unlike the Golden Globes, for this Oscar ceremony no connections via Zoom. The 2021 Academy Awards will take place live, although only the directors, actors and film professionals nominated in one of the categories will be present. Yes to the usual display of elegant clothes, but with a series of necessary sanitary measures to ensure the event is carried out in complete safety.
The actors don’t get money for the award, but for every nominee at the oscar are already winners as they receive a coveted bags of goodie worth US$215,000. But winning an Oscar can transform an actor’s career.
It cements credibility, and the prestige that comes with it opens a door of opportunities not only to the best actors/actresses but to the directors, the screenwriters, the producers, the costume designers and the make-up artists in the business.
This year among the candidates there is also the singer from Romagna Laura Pausini with the song” Io si (Seen) “, which is part of the film” Life in front of you “with Sophia Loren”.
Do it well Laura and “ no matter what happens, It’ll be a success.
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April fool’s day (April fish)
April Fools’ Day is celebrated on the first day of April each year.
It’s the custom to play a trick or a joke on someone on this day for example telling friends that their shoelaces are untied or sending them on so-called fools’ errands. If the person falls for the joke, then they are called an ‘April Fool.
Its true origins are unknown and effectively unknowable. Many people believe that April fool’s day originated in France in the 1500s because they used the Julian calendar and celebrated the New Year with a celebration that concluded on April 1st.
Today, April fool’s Day is recognized throughout the Western world, where it is common for newspapers to publish false stories on the day and for people to play hoaxes on each other,
In France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy and French-speaking areas of Canada and Switzerland, the 1st April tradition is known as the ‘April Fish’. The fooled person is , perhaps in reference to a young fish and hence to one that is easily caught; it is common for children to pin a paper fish to the backs of unsuspecting friends.
In the UK, jokes and tricks can be played up until noon on 1 April. After midday, it’s considered bad luck to play a trick. Anyone who forgets this and tries a joke in the afternoon becomes an ‘April Fool’ themselves. In Ireland, a popular prank is to send someone on a ‘fool’s errand’. The victim is sent to deliver a letter, supposedly asking for help. When the person receives the letter, they open it, read it and tell the poor messenger that they will have to take the letter to another person. This continues and the victim ends up taking the message to several different people until someone feels sorry for them and shows them what the letter says: ‘Send the fool to someone else.’
Some newspapers, TV channels and well-known companies publish false news stories to fool people on 1st April.
In 1959, the BBCTV show Panorama report a Swiss spaghetti Harvest, and showed a Switzerland family harvesting spaghetti!
In 1962 the Sweden channel Sveriges Television was in black and white, so it told people they could convert their reception to colour by putting a nylon stocking.
On April Fool’s Day 1998, the American hamburger chain Burger King announced that it had created a left-handed hamburger. The advert for the ‘new product’ explained that all the ingredients had been rotated 180 degrees so that it was more comfortable for left-handed people to pick up and eat. The following day, Burger King admitted that this advertisement had been a hoax, but said that thousands of customers had gone to restaurants across the USA asking for a left-handed burger.
April Fool’s Day fans say it encourages fun and laughter, and one study found that it reduces stress and therefore could be good for your heart. Other people point out that it can have negative consequences, like confusion, worry or wasting time and resources.
I love April Fool’s Day. It can be really good fun. I love playing tricks on people and I don’t mind if people play tricks on me. It’s one day of the year you can be really silly and have a laugh and it’s OK. You have to be quite sensible for the other 364 days of the year, so I look forward to 1 April.
One of the most important things to remember is to have fun in safety, without making dangerous jokes.
In the era of ‘fake news,’ it’s often hard on a normal day of the year to work out when we’re being tricked into believing something that isn’t true, but on April Fool’s Day, you need to be even more alert. No one knows exactly how the tradition started, but there are plenty of people who enjoy this light-hearted day and are happy to keep the tradition alive.
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The mysterious world of the left-handed
Do you know that about 10 per cent of the population is left-handed or it’s better to say “lefties”?
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cientists believe it may be genetic. Being left-handed has not always been accepted and has sometimes been considered a flaw. In the Middle Age, people thought that left-handed people were witches.Until recent decades, the left hand was considered the “hand of the devil”, because in contrast to the right, the hand that blesses. For this reason, left-handers have been considered for centuries as “reverses”, to be corrected and sometimes lefties were victims of prejudice.
An organization called Left-Handers International created the day for left-handers( it’s August 13th) to celebrate the uniqueness of left-handed people, encouraging the positive aspect and also raising awareness of the difficulty they experience in a world created for right-handers. One of the main goals of the day dedicated left-handers is to see the positives of being on the other side.
The right side of the brain commands the left side associated with subjects such as art or music. This makes left-handers more creative.
The demonstration of left-handed genius comes from people like Beethoven, Einstein, Mozart, Charlie Chaplin who were all left-handed Many people think it is real, others believe it is a myth.
For left-handed people, it is difficult to live in a right-handed world. There are a lot of tools and utensils for left-handed people like scissors, corkscrews, peelers, can opener but they are more expensive and this is not fair.
An activity that you can do with right-handers to make them understand the difficulties of being left-handed is to create a “Left-Handed Zone” in which right-handers perform normal actions but with their left hand. Please try this fun experiment and let me know!
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“Dantedì or Dante day, that is the question”
Using English words in the Italian language seems to be becoming more and more popular these days up to be part of the Italian dictionary. It appears that Italian has a strong inclination towards Anglicism to such an extent that Italian words often tend to be substituted by English ones, even when it may not really be necessary.
Here are just a few examples of cases in which the English terms are preferred to the Italian ones: computer, make-up, glamour, relax, love, sex, shock, fashion, style, weekend, team and many others.
This use of an ever-increasing number of foreign words raises many questions and people wonder why Italians don’t create equivalent words in their own language, instead of importing foreign terms.
But Italians don’t really seem to like these translations, and the debate is still open. On one side, there are those who support the introduction of foreign words, especially English words, into the Italian language, considering them as a way to show off a more international and sophisticated culture. On the other side, many linguists believe that the overuse of these words could represent a threat to the purity of the language.
Accademia della Crusca (Academy of the crusca /of the Bran), the oldest language academy in the world, established in 1583 in Florence (home of the Italian culture) are debating on how English words are despoiling the beauties of Italian. On the occasion of the National Dante Day, or Dantedì established to celebrate Dante Alighieri’s 700th death anniversary (dante alighieri , the greatest poet of Italian and world literature) the controversy of the academicians, Puritans of the Italian language, journalists haven’t appeased. They are mortified by the way English words are despoiling the beauties of Italian and are planning a fightback.
The academy’s President, Claudio Marazzini, has called a summit and is promising to set up a quick-response unit to “go after politicians, bureaucrats and journalists who bring English words into our language”.
But what sort of words are worrying them? The communications expert Annamaria Testa, enumerated hundreds, including austerity, chewing gum, download, outsourcing, public relations, politically correct, taskforce, welfare, caregiver, jobs act, bay-sitting, smart working (the latter used and soon contested by the Italian Premier Mario Draghi.
Scholars of Italian linguistics and philology see themselves as linguistic sifters (separating good Italian from bad) and they want to dispatch Italians who use hybrid versions of English words to a particularly fiery circle of hell: “footing” for jogging, “baby parking” for creche, “sexy shop” for sex shop, “mister” for football manager, “box” for garage.
“It’s too late to do something about ‘car sharing’,” admits Marazzini, “but we need to find Italian words in a hurry for ‘quantitative easing.”
The Academy motto is: “Il più bel fior ne cogli: “She gathers the fairest flower”, a famous line by the Italian poet Petrarch and it means that the purest part of the Italian language is examined and offered. Respecting one of the most beautiful languages in the world: the Italian language is necessary to defend people’s identity and history but it’s no longer possible to avoid the language of Shakespeare and Dickens in the land of Dante and Petrarch. In a multicultural society, a community needs to resort to foreign words as an alternative for easy communication.