Sunday, October 2, 2011

#8 1984

"The telescreen - perhaps to celebrate the victory, perhaps to drown the memory of the lost chocolate- crashed into 'Oceana, t'is for thee.' You were suppose to stand to attention (25)."

-This is possibly a reference to one of America's most patriotic songs, My Country 'Tis of Thee, which was written by Samuel Francis Smith in 1831. The song was America's National Anthem until 1931, when the Star-Spangled Banner became the official anthem for the U.S.  Orwell changed the title to 'Oceana T'is for Thee' instead of 'Oceana T'is of Thee', possibly because Oceana is a subservient society where the people are slaves to the country, so they are for the country. In the present ways of the U.S. the people are part of the society and are at liberty to live however they choose so they are of the country. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Country,_'Tis_of_Thee

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