The Victims Of History By George Orwell - 1234 Words

The Victims of History the importance in critical history studies In his critically acclaimed novel, 1984, George Orwell wrote the following; â€Å"Who controls the past controls the future. And who controls the present controls the past.† When discussing the validity of studying history critically, I think this quote accurately highlights many of the key points that are discussed when it comes to studying history. Critical history analysis prompts us to consider more than just the information we are presented with, instead it seeks to uncover both sides of the full story. Taking this into consideration, the first part of Orwell’s quote can be understood as a representation of the stories that are presented to us as history. The victors of these past battles and power struggles became those who control the narrative which in turn becomes the dominant narrative and enforced narrative. While there are those who may choose to accept these societally favoured ideologies, without critical investigation we leave ourselves blind to the true atrocities that have been committed in order to secure positions of power. I will be using the opinions and facts presented in the essays written by Tricia Logan and Joan Scott as evidence to support my reasoning for the importance in critical historical studies. Tricia Logan’s essay; Memory, Erasure and National Myth, takes a look at Canadian history through a critical lens, focusing especially on the relationship between the CanadianShow MoreRelatedEssay on 1984: A Prophesy for the Future?1049 Words   |  5 Pagesto control the personal life of the citizens. The government wanted the people to have no thoughts of their own and insisted on having constant support from its citizens. The state controlled everything, your thought, your actions, and even your history. The 1940s were full of tension and changes. 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