If one harbours anywhere in one's mind a nationalistic loyalty or hatred, certain facts, although in a sense known to be true, are inadmissible.
George OrwellRead
But you could not have pure love or pure lust nowadays. No emotion was pure, because everything was mixed up with fear and hatred. Their embrace had been a battle, the climax a victory. It was a blow struck against the Party. It was a political act.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that in a repressive society, genuine emotions like love are tainted by fear and political influences.
George Orwell's quote highlights the complexities of human emotions in a totalitarian regime, where pure feelings such as love and lust are unable to exist without being intertwined with fear and hatred. In this context, the act of love becomes a form of rebellion against oppressive forces, turning intimate relationships into statements of defiance against the Party's control over personal lives.
Themes
LoveEmotionFearPoliticsOppression
In practice
Example use cases
During a discussion about the effects of totalitarianism on personal relationships.
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As with the Christian religion, the worst advertisement for Socialism is its adherents.
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