Two Minutes Hate
Encyclopedia
In George Orwell
's novel
Nineteen Eighty-Four
, the Two Minutes Hate is a daily period in which Party members of the society of Oceania must watch a film depicting the Party's enemies (notably Emmanuel Goldstein
and his followers) and express their hatred for them.
and the current enemy superstate. Apparently, it is not uncommon for those caught up in the hate to physically assault the telescreen
, as Julia
does during the scene.
The film becomes more surreal as it progresses, with Goldstein's face morphing
into a sheep as enemy soldiers advance on the viewers, before one such soldier charges at the screen
, submachine gun
blazing. He morphs, finally, into the face of Big Brother at the end of the two minutes. At the end, the mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted viewers chant "BB" over and over again, ritualistically.
Within the book, the purpose of the hate is said to satisfy the citizens' subdued feelings of angst
and hatred from leading such a censored lifestyle.
In one such Two Minutes Hate, the audience is introduced to Inner Party
member and key character O'Brien. Within the novel, hate week
is an extrapolation of the two minute period into an annual week-long festival.
the German campaign of hatred against the English, and imagined a Prussian family sitting around the kitchen table having its "morning hate".
In addition, short daily artillery
bombardments made by either side during the First World War, and aimed at disrupting enemy routines, were known as "hates":
George Orwell
Eric Arthur Blair , better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist...
's novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
Nineteen Eighty-Four
Nineteen Eighty-Four
Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell is a dystopian novel about Oceania, a society ruled by the oligarchical dictatorship of the Party...
, the Two Minutes Hate is a daily period in which Party members of the society of Oceania must watch a film depicting the Party's enemies (notably Emmanuel Goldstein
Emmanuel Goldstein
Emmanuel Goldstein is a character in George Orwell's classic dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. He is the number one enemy of the people according to Big Brother and the Party, who heads a mysterious and possibly fictitious anti-party organization called The Brotherhood...
and his followers) and express their hatred for them.
Details in Nineteen Eighty-Four
The film and its accompanying auditory and visual cues (which include a grinding noise that Orwell describes as "of some monstrous machine running without oil") are a form of brainwashing to Party members, attempting to whip them into a frenzy of hatred and loathing for Emmanuel GoldsteinEmmanuel Goldstein
Emmanuel Goldstein is a character in George Orwell's classic dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. He is the number one enemy of the people according to Big Brother and the Party, who heads a mysterious and possibly fictitious anti-party organization called The Brotherhood...
and the current enemy superstate. Apparently, it is not uncommon for those caught up in the hate to physically assault the telescreen
Telescreen
Telescreens are most prominently featured in George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, although notably they have an earlier appearance in the 1936 Charlie Chaplin film Modern Times...
, as Julia
Julia (1984)
Julia is a fictional character in George Orwell's dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. Her last name is never given in the novel but she is called Dixon in the 1954 BBC TV production....
does during the scene.
The film becomes more surreal as it progresses, with Goldstein's face morphing
Morphing
Morphing is a special effect in motion pictures and animations that changes one image into another through a seamless transition. Most often it is used to depict one person turning into another through technological means or as part of a fantasy or surreal sequence. Traditionally such a depiction...
into a sheep as enemy soldiers advance on the viewers, before one such soldier charges at the screen
Fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
, submachine gun
Submachine gun
A submachine gun is an automatic carbine, designed to fire pistol cartridges. It combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol. The submachine gun was invented during World War I , but the apex of its use was during World War II when millions of the weapon type were...
blazing. He morphs, finally, into the face of Big Brother at the end of the two minutes. At the end, the mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted viewers chant "BB" over and over again, ritualistically.
Within the book, the purpose of the hate is said to satisfy the citizens' subdued feelings of angst
Angst
Angst is an English, German, Danish, Norwegian and Dutch word for fear or anxiety . It is used in English to describe an intense feeling of apprehension, anxiety or inner turmoil...
and hatred from leading such a censored lifestyle.
In one such Two Minutes Hate, the audience is introduced to Inner Party
Inner Party
The Inner Party represents the oligarchical political class in Oceania, and has its membership restricted to 6 million individuals . Inner Party members enjoy a quality of life that is much better than that of the Outer Party members and the proles...
member and key character O'Brien. Within the novel, hate week
Hate week
Hate Week is an event in George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, designed to increase the hatred for the current enemy of the Party, as much as possible, whichever of the two opposing superstates that may be.-Plot summary:...
is an extrapolation of the two minute period into an annual week-long festival.
Origins of the term
Orwell did not invent the term "two minutes hate"; it was already in use in the First World War. At that time, British writers satirisedSatire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
the German campaign of hatred against the English, and imagined a Prussian family sitting around the kitchen table having its "morning hate".
In addition, short daily artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
bombardments made by either side during the First World War, and aimed at disrupting enemy routines, were known as "hates":
See also
- Classical conditioningClassical conditioningClassical conditioning is a form of conditioning that was first demonstrated by Ivan Pavlov...
- PropagandaPropagandaPropaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
- Struggle sessionStruggle SessionA struggle session was a form of public humiliation used by the Communist Party of China to enforce a reign of terror in the Mao Zedong era to shape public opinion and to humiliate, persecute, and/or execute political rivals, so-called class enemies...
- Enemy of the peopleEnemy of the peopleThe term enemy of the people is a fluid designation of political or class opponents of the group using the term. The term implies that the "enemies" in question are acting against society as a whole. It is similar to the notion of "enemy of the state". The term originated in Roman times as ,...
- Pep RallyPep rallyPep rallies are events that occur primarily in the United States and Canada. A pep rally is a gathering of people, typically students of middle school, high school and college age, before a sports event. The purpose of such a gathering is to encourage school spirit and to support members of the...