Topic > Psychological and Physical Suffering in "1984" and "Stasiland"

While some of the damage suffered by totalitarian governments appears to be only temporary, most forms of damage prove more permanent and long-lasting. As explored in both the characters of Orwell's dystopian novel 1984 and Funder's journalistic tale Stasiland, psychological suffering has greater long-term effects than physical suffering. Non-permanent damage in all texts is presented as temporary relief, short-lived and useless in the scheme of things. Factors determine the extent to which one suffers at the hands of the state, such as the severity of one's relationships with others, one's faith and loyalty to the government, and how even the most loyal may face the dire consequences. of their actions. to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Although both physical and psychological suffering are shown in both texts, it is shown that physical damage is the most difficult to overcome. Although Miriam suffers from scars on her hands from wall climbing and brutal treatment in prison, psychological torture such as sleep deprivation has had a greater impact on her, as "sleep deprivation also causes a number of dysfunctions neurological, which becomes more and more extreme the longer it continues,” and it is evident that the effects of his emotional torture in prison survived. Similarly, Winston was physically tortured in prison, although it was the use of fear (threatening him with the mice) to trigger the conversion of his morals and beliefs to "become loyal" to Big Brother. His former partner Julia, although she suffered scars on her face due to the mice, has lost Winston's love and trust because of his betrayal and not because of torture, it is proven that psychological damage has a greater impact on individuals than the physical damage they face. Non-permanent harm, or the relief of harm caused by the state, is presented in both texts as temporary and short-lived. From the beginning of the text Winston suffers from a varicose ulcer. Winston's varicose ulcer is an expression of his constantly repressed humanity: repressed emotions, actions, and sexuality. Orwell continues to refer to the ulcer throughout the work: "his veins had swelled from the strain of coughing and the varicose ulcer had begun to itch", but the ulcer is not mentioned during his wayward escapade with his lover Julia. This is only a temporary relief, as state control returns and Winston's suffering continues, something having been "killed in (his) breast from which he could not recover", as he had attempted to do with the ulcer. Similarly, Julia in Stasiland has decided to physically escape her painful memories by moving to San Francisco, but it is suggested that her damage is irrecoverable. The fact that she works in a feminist bookstore suggests that she is still holding on to the event she suffered and still longs for meaning. of justice She is grateful that “they honor their victims here” and in a way she feels “much more at home than in my country”. Despite the sense of closure, Funder suggests that Julia has been so severely traumatized and her trust so deeply betrayed that she will struggle to heal the psychological wounds. This confirms her comment to Funder: "I think I'm definitely psychologically damaged! She laughs, but she means it." doomed culminations or have an underlying sense that their damage is impossible to overcome. Even those most loyal to the state have been shown to suffer permanently at their hands, as explored in both texts. While it is said that many ex.