Volume 5, Number 6 · October 28, 1965
The South After Slavery
By Stanley M. Elkins
The Era of Reconstruction, 1865-1877
by Kenneth M. Stampp
Knopf, 229 pp., $4.95
One of the more exquisite nightmares in Orwell's 1984 is the bureau where newspapers, books, magazines, and written records of all kinds are continually revised so that the raw materials of history will in no way conflict with the latest pronouncements of Big Brother. Winston, the leading character, has the job of rewriting back issues of the London Times to bring them into line with the current 'truth.' Orwell's target was of course Stalin's Russia, where Big Brother himself quite literally reshaped the past to suit his own needs. There, a one-time colleague, Trotsky, could virtually disappear from the story of the Revolution and become an 'unperson' for an entire generation of young Russians.
Review, 1810 words
To read the full text of this piece, please choose one of the following options:
|
If you are already a subscriber to the Review's electronic edition, please sign in: |
To subscribe to the electronic edition, please press the button below. |
To purchase access to this article for $3, please press the button below. |