The Divinity of Dictatorship: Unpacking Theological Power and Religious Satire in George Orwell’s '1984'

This blog is assigned by Prof. Dilip Barad on exploring theological dimensions of George Orwell's 1949 dystopian novel 'Nineteen Eighty-Four'.

Introduction

George Orwell’s '1984' is universally recognized as a chilling political dystopia, a stark warning against the creeping dangers of totalitarianism, surveillance, and language manipulation. However, a purely political reading of the novel only scratches the surface. Beneath the mechanisms of the Party and the watchful eyes of the Thought Police lies a profound and incisive critique of organized religion. In the atheistic society of Oceania, the concept of God is not truly erased; rather, it is hijacked and subsumed by the state to justify absolute, unquestioning control over the individual. This blog explores the deep structural, ritualistic, and ideological parallels between totalitarian dictatorships and religious institutions, analyzing '1984' not just as a political warning, but as a fierce theological satire.

Analysis of Theological Power and Totalitarian Control in George Orwell’s 1984

Executive Summary

The following briefing examines the intersection of religious symbolism and political authoritarianism within George Orwell’s 1984, focusing specifically on the aphorism "God is Power." In the atheistic, dystopic society of Oceania, the concept of God is not erased but rather subsumed by the Party to justify absolute control over the individual.

The analysis identifies several critical takeaways:

• The Transformation of Divinity: The Party replaces traditional theological entities with the concept of "Power," positioning its leaders as "priests of power" who demand the same level of irrational devotion and love previously reserved for deities.
• Collective Immortality: Power is defined as a collective force. By surrendering individual identity and merging with the Party, a person ostensibly achieves immortality, as the Party—unlike the individual—never dies.
• Mind Over Matter: The ultimate objective of the Party is not merely the control of physical actions but the absolute domination of the human mind, emotions, and memory.
• The Mechanics of Devotion: Totalitarianism utilizes the psychological architecture of religion—propaganda, perpetual war (as a form of sacrifice), and the worship of a central figure (Big Brother)—to ensure citizens do not merely obey but actively love their oppressors.

The Presence and Significance of "God" in Oceania

Despite Oceania being presented as an atheistic society, the word "God" appears eight times in the novel. These references are concentrated in the final third of the text (Part 3), marking the transition from Winston Smith’s physical rebellion to his psychological "re-education."

Key References to God

• The Case of Ampleforth: The character Ampleforth, a poet who rewrites literature for the Party, is imprisoned in Room 101 for a "thought crime" involving God. Unable to find a rhyme for the word "rod" while rewriting a poem by Kipling, he used the word "God." This highlights the total lack of space for religious language unless it serves the Party’s immediate mechanical needs.
• The Dual Occurrence of "God is Power": This specific phrase appears twice. First, it is spoken by O’Brien to explain the Party’s philosophy. Second, it is written by Winston Smith after his torture, signaling his total acceptance of the Party’s reality over his own.
• False Gods: The novel refers to traditional religious figures (Bal, Isis, Jehovah) as "false gods," suggesting that the Party views itself as the only "true" successor to these ancient systems of belief.

O’Brien’s Philosophy: The Theology of Power

O’Brien, acting as the intellectual mouthpiece for the Party, defines a new "theology" where political control replaces divine authority. He asserts that the Party members are the "priests of power."

The Nature of Collective Power

The Party’s definition of power rests on the negation of the individual. O'Brien explains that power is collective, and the individual only possesses power by ceasing to be an individual.

Concept	Party Interpretation
Freedom is Slavery	Inverted: Slavery to the Party is the only true freedom from the "failure" of the individual self.
Individualism	A state of doomed failure; the individual is a "cell" that must die.
Immortality	Achieved by merging with the Party, which is eternal and all-powerful.
The "Last Man"	Winston’s initial identity as a defender of the human spirit, which the Party views as an extinct species.

Control Over Reality and Mind

The Party asserts that reality exists only within the human mind, which is itself controlled by the Party. Therefore, if the Party controls the mind, it controls reality.

• Power Over Matter: O'Brien argues that the Party’s control over matter is already absolute; the final frontier is the mind.
• The 2+2=5 Equation: This serves as the ultimate test of psychological submission. To accept that 2+2=5 is to surrender the evidence of one's senses and the laws of logic to the superior "truth" of the Party.

Mechanisms of Totalitarian Conditioning

The document identifies several methods used by the Party to replicate the devotion found in religious structures and redirect it toward political ends.

Surveillance and Propaganda

• Total Surveillance: Winston Smith was under constant observation for seven years without his knowledge, illustrating that the "eyes" of the Party are as omnipresent as those of a deity.
• The Utility of Perpetual War: War is not intended to be won; it is intended to be continuous. It creates a state of permanent crisis that justifies the sacrifice of basic necessities. Like religious fasting, citizens are encouraged to endure hardship and poverty with "fervor" because "the country is at war."

Emotional Engineering

The Party seeks to control not just thoughts, but the very capacity to feel.

• Directed Love and Hate: The Party dictates who should be loved (Big Brother) and who should be hated. This conditioning is so deep that citizens eventually do not require force to obey; they "love" the leader voluntarily, much like a believer loves a god.
• The Corruption of Devotion: George Orwell suggests that the same psychological impulses that lead to religious devotion can be exploited by political leaders to create "mechanical puppets" or robots.

The "Spirit of Man" vs. Totalitarianism

Winston Smith initially rests his hope on the "Spirit of Man"—the belief that the human spirit is indomitable and will eventually rise against despotic rulers. He posits that humanity cannot be suppressed indefinitely and that the "revolutionary nature" of human beings will overturn the Party. However, the Party’s goal is to prove this spirit is a myth.

By the end of the narrative, Winston’s transformation is complete:

• Acceptance of the Alterable Past: He accepts that the past can be rewritten and that his own memories are false.
• Erasure of Memory: He consciously wipes away his knowledge of the innocence of those the Party has executed (e.g., Jones, Aaronson, and Rutherford).
• Final Submission: His writing of "God is Power" on a table in a bar signifies his realization that there is no truth outside of what the Party dictates.

Conclusion: Orwell’s Critique of Power and Religion

The analysis indicates that 1984 serves as a dual critique. It is an indictment of totalitarianism and the corrupting nature of absolute power, but it is also a critique of the structures of religion—specifically the Catholic Church, of which Orwell was a "bitter critic." The document concludes that when a political leader or party assumes the role of a "god" or an "avatar," the result is the inevitable oppression and exploitation of the individual. By equating God with Power, the Party removes the moral and ethical constraints of traditional religion, leaving only the raw, destructive exercise of authority over the mind and body of the citizen.

Analysis of George Orwell’s 1984 as a Religious Satire

Executive Summary

While George Orwell’s 1984 is traditionally analyzed as a political satire of totalitarianism, a deep reading reveals a deliberate and incisive critique of organized religion, specifically the Catholic Church. This briefing document outlines the structural, ritualistic, and ideological parallels between the fictional state of Oceania and religious institutions. Orwell’s personal history—including his transition from Anglicanism to atheism and his observations of the Church’s collaboration with fascist regimes during the Spanish Civil War—serves as the foundation for this critique. The central argument posits that the Party functions not merely as a political entity but as a religious order that replaces the worship of God with the worship of power, utilizing the psychological habits of faith to maintain absolute control.

Structural and Symbolic Parallels

The world of 1984 mirrors religious frameworks through its geopolitical divisions, social hierarchies, and symbolic icons.

The Three Superstates and Abrahamic Faiths

The novel divides the world into three superstates: Oceania, Eurasia, and East Asia. These entities are in a state of perpetual conflict, which parallels the historical and ideological tensions between the three major Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

The Image of Big Brother as Divinity

Big Brother serves as the "primordial image of God." Within the Party's ideology, the phrase "Big Brother is Watching You" is recontextualized from a threat of surveillance to an assurance of divine providence.

• Omnipresence: The Party suggests Big Brother is always watchful to care for the citizen, much like the religious concept that God is always with the faithful to prevent them from "falling down."
• The Trinity: The pyramidal structure of the Ministries (having three angles) reflects the Christian Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

Social Hierarchy

The Party is organized into a rigid, pyramidal hierarchy reminiscent of religious orders:

• The Inner Party (2%): Function as the "Priests of Power."
• The Outer Party (13-30%): The subordinate administrative class.
• The Proles (85%): The masses, or "bhaktas," who require a deity to follow.

Ritualistic and Sacramental Parallels

The Party utilizes psychological and physical processes that mirror Catholic sacraments to ensure the "purity" of its members.

The System of Confessions

In Oceania, "political confessions" are broadcast on telescreens. Traitors confess to crimes against the state and sexual deviance in a manner strikingly similar to a sinner confessing before a priest in a church.

The Process of Redemption

Winston Smith’s journey through the Ministry of Love (MiniLuv) follows a specific sacramental trajectory:

• Penance and Penitence: The recognition of sin against the Party.
• Mortification: The infliction of physical pain to break the body.
• Purification: The "hellish fire" of Room 101, designed to purge the mind and memory.
• Restoration: The final state where the individual is "saved" and restored to a state of purity, exemplified by Winston’s eventual love for Big Brother.

The Ministry of Love as Dantean Inferno

The physical structure of the Ministry of Love evokes Dante’s Purgatorio and Inferno.

• The Architecture of Hell: The building is a multi-story, pyramidal structure where souls are located based on their "sins."
• Luciferian Figures: O’Brien is framed as a "Lucifer" or "Mephistopheles" figure—the right hand of the supreme power who facilitates the purification/destruction of the soul.

Ideological Control and Behavior

The Party regulates the private lives of its members using moral codes derived from religious tradition.

Category	Religious/Catholic Parallel	Party Application in 1984
Celibacy	Priestly or monastic devotion.	Encouraged for those who dedicate their lives entirely to the Party/Organization.
Marriage	A sacrament for procreation.	Allowed only to produce more "bhaktas" (followers) for the Party; family bonds are discouraged.
Sexuality	Regulated by religious law.	Viewed strictly as a tool for population growth, stripped of pleasure or personal connection.
Devotion	"Brahmacharya" or religious service.	Each moment of life must be for the "Organization" rather than the family unit.

Biographical Evidence for Orwell’s Critique

The interpretation of 1984 as religious satire is supported by Orwell’s documented personal views and earlier literary works.

Personal Atheism and Early Disdain

• Childhood Influences: Despite being raised in the Anglican faith, Orwell expressed a deep-seated hatred for God and Jesus by age 14. In his essay "Such, Such Were the Joys," he noted that while he believed the accounts of God were true, he found the institution of religion miserable.
• Educational Impact: Orwell suggested that making religion part of a school syllabus causes students to hate it, as it becomes a subject they can fail in.

The Spanish Civil War

Orwell’s transition to a vehement critic of the Church solidified during the Spanish Civil War. He observed the Catholic Church collaborating with fascist governments in Italy and Spain to oppose socialism and democratic ideologies. Consequently, he began to view the Church as an "authoritarian regime" and an enemy to Democratic Socialism.

Research into the "Enemy"

According to scholar John Rodden, Orwell was a subscriber to the Catholic Press. He explicitly stated that he read their material to "see what the enemy is up to," indicating that he studied religious rhetoric specifically to critique it.

Precedents in Animal Farm

Orwell’s critique of religion is also present in Animal Farm through the character of Moses the Raven, who speaks of "Sugar Candy Mountain." This is a direct reference to the Christian concept of a celestial city or heaven (reminiscent of Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress), used as a "dangling carrot" to keep the animals submissive.

The Critique of "Power Worship"

The most incisive aspect of Orwell's critique is the danger of "Power Worship." Orwell argued that religious training creates a habit of submission.

• The Habit of Bowing: Once a person becomes accustomed to "going down" or bowing to an idol/deity, they can easily be conditioned to worship any human being or entity that holds power.
• Replacing the Idol: The Party replaces the religious idol with the political leader. If the populace has a habit of being "bhaktas" (devotees), the transition from worshiping God to worshiping a dictator is seamless.
• Anti-Democratic Nature: Orwell suggests that religious practices can be fundamentally anti-democratic because they prioritize the strength of the "spine" to bend rather than to stand.

Conclusion

George Orwell’s '1984' serves as a devastating dual critique. It is not merely an indictment of political totalitarianism, but a profound exposure of the corrupting nature of absolute power masquerading as divine authority. By equating God with Power, the Party strips away the moral constraints of traditional faith, weaponizing the psychological habits of religious submission to enslave the human mind. Whether the idol is a religious figure or a political dictator like Big Brother, Orwell's ultimate warning remains clear: any institution that demands the total surrender of individual thought and the blind worship of power is an enemy to human freedom.

References

• Orwell, George. 1984. Secker & Warburg, 1949.
• Orwell, George. Animal Farm. Secker & Warburg, 1945.
• Bunyan, John. The Pilgrim's Progress. Nathaniel Ponder, 1678.
• Rodden, John. George Orwell: The Politics of Literary Reputation.
• Department of English, MKBU. "God is Power | 1984." YouTube, https://youtu.be/Zh41QghkCUA
• Department of English, MKBU. "Critique of Religion | 1984." YouTube, https://youtu.be/cj29I_MU3cA

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Insights & Learning Outcomes: My Week at the MKBU National Workshop on Academic Writing (2026)

As I navigate my second semester of the M.A. in English Literature at MKBU, balancing my daily coursework with my long-term strategy for the upcoming academic milestones, the week-long National Workshop on Academic Writing arrived at a crucial moment. Organized by our Department of English under the KCG initiative, it bridged the gap between subjective literary reading and objective academic research. Below is a day-by-day reflection of my learning outcomes, mapped directly to the sessions of our esteemed expert speakers.

Day 1: Setting the Paradigm (January 27, 2026)

Topic: The Inaugural Ceremony and the Changing Landscape of Research

Speakers:
Prof. Dilip Barad Dr. K.M. Joshi Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor Prof. B.B. Ramanuj

Learning Outcome: The opening ceremony provided a necessary, sobering look at the macro-level of global academia. I attained a clear understanding of India's current standing in global thesis production and R&D investment, highlighting the urgent need for rigorous, high-quality research output from our universities. The session brilliantly contextualized the core challenge of modern academia: finding the necessary synergy between our "natural intelligence" (human cognitive effort, cultural awareness, and ethical judgment) and the rapidly rising influence of "artificial intelligence." It set a mandate for us to evolve from passive consumers of knowledge into active, tech-savvy contributors who leverage digital tools without losing our critical faculties.

Topic: Academic Writing and Prompt Engineering (Sessions 1 & 2)

Speaker: Prof. (Dr.) Paresh Joshi

Learning Outcome: Prof. Joshi fundamentally shifted my perspective by drawing on De Quincey's famous distinction between the creative "literature of power" (the emotionally driven texts we study as literature students) and the evidence-based "literature of knowledge" (the detached, objective writing required for research). Crucially, I learned the intricate mechanics of prompt engineering for scholarly work. I now understand how to architect precise, context-rich prompts by defining the persona, task, and output format for the AI. This allows me to delegate redundant tasks—such as formatting bibliographies to strict MLA guidelines, checking complex syntax, or analyzing structural flow—to generative AI, reserving my primary cognitive energy for original, theoretical synthesis.

Topic: Academic Writing in English for Advanced Learners (Sessions 1 & 2)

Speaker: Prof. Kalyan Chattopadhyay

Learning Outcome: This afternoon session initiated my understanding of the deep stylistic gaps between standard Indian academic writing and the formal expectations of international publishers like Routledge or Taylor & Francis. I learned the foundational importance of moving away from conversational, descriptive, or overly flowery prose. The session trained me to prioritize extreme objectivity, lexical density, and precision. I learned to replace weak verb phrases with strong nominalizations, recognizing that globally recognized research requires a universally understood, highly formalized academic register that leaves no room for linguistic ambiguity.

Day 2: The Mechanics of International Publishing (January 28, 2026)

Topic: Academic Writing in English for Advanced Learners (Sessions 3 & 4)

Speaker: Prof. Kalyan Chattopadhyay

Learning Outcome: Continuing from the previous day, my most significant technical takeaway was mastering the art of "hedging" through epistemic modality. I learned to utilize cautious, non-absolute modal verbs and phrasing (e.g., "the evidence suggests," "it is highly probable that," instead of "this definitively proves"). This stylistic choice is vital because it accurately reflects the humble, ongoing, and peer-reviewed nature of true academic inquiry. Furthermore, he helped me dismantle the cultural modesty that often holds scholars back from asserting intellectual ownership. I learned how and when to confidently use the authorial "I" in abstracts and introductions to clearly claim my own methodological choices and research interventions.

Topic: Publishing in Indexed Journals (Sessions 1 & 2)

Speaker: Dr. Clement Ndoricimpa

Learning Outcome: Dr. Ndoricimpa demystified the often-daunting world of high-impact databases like Scopus and Web of Science. The greatest asset I gained here was John Swales' "CARS" (Create a Research Space) model, specifically the "Three Moves" framework for writing foolproof introductions. I now know how to strategically build the opening of a paper by: (1) establishing a broad research territory to ground the reader in the current discourse, (2) identifying a highly specific research gap or silence in the existing literature, and (3) forcefully occupying that niche by outlining my own study's precise objectives and methodological approach.

Day 3: Navigating the Ethics of Industry 5.0 (January 29, 2026)

Topic: Detecting AI Hallucination and Using AI with Integrity (Sessions 1 & 2)

Speaker: Prof. (Dr.) Nigam Dave

Learning Outcome: As we integrate generative technology into our daily workflow, the ethical boundaries become incredibly complex. I gained a profound understanding of Industry 5.0 as a Human-Cyber-Physical System (HCPS), where human morality must govern algorithmic output. The session highlighted the dangerous phenomenon of "AI Hallucinations"—instances where large language models, acting as stochastic parrots, confidently fabricate fictitious qualitative data, non-existent authors, or fake journal articles because they lack true semantic understanding. As a humanities scholar whose work relies on theoretical interpretation, I realized just how vulnerable literary studies are to these fabrications. I learned vital strategies to critically audit AI, cross-reference generated citations, and mitigate algorithmic biases.

Topic: Publishing in Indexed Journals (Sessions 3 & 4)

Speaker: Dr. Clement Ndoricimpa

Learning Outcome: Returning to the mechanics of publishing, this session deepened my understanding of how to seamlessly weave a literature review into a research narrative. Instead of merely listing chronological annotations, I learned how to effectively map existing literature thematically to visibly prove where my future studies will intervene in the broader academic conversation. Additionally, the session underscored the absolute necessity of using citation management tools like Mendeley. Mastering this software will allow me to effortlessly organize hundreds of references and safeguard against accidental plagiarism.

Day 4: Mindset and Competitive Excellence (January 30, 2026)

Topic: From Classroom to an Academic Career (Sessions 1 to 4)

Speaker: Dr. Kalyani Vallath

Learning Outcome: This full-day deep dive marked a structural shift toward competitive academic survival. Dr. Vallath brilliantly dismantled the paralyzing "fixed mindset" that so often hinders postgraduate students. By introducing Vygotsky’s "Zone of Proximal Development," she advocated for "free writing" exercises to overcome the fear of perfectionism when tackling complex theoretical texts like those of Foucault or Derrida. Furthermore, she provided a brilliant framework for mapping the vast history of British literature, literary theory, and cultural studies into an easily navigable chronological timeline, ensuring that I can contextualize literary movements against their socio-political backdrops.

Day 5: Synthesis and Strategic Preparation (January 31, 2026)

Topic: From Classroom to an Academic Career (Sessions 5 to 8)

Speaker: Dr. Kalyani Vallath

Learning Outcome: Continuing her intensive focus on career building, Dr. Vallath offered highly practical frameworks for tackling competitive milestones. She proved that cracking these exams requires a shift away from rote memorization toward intelligent inference, logical deduction, and the systematic elimination of distractors in multiple-choice formats. Understanding the epistemological shifts from the Romantic period through Modernism and Postmodernism allows for educated reasoning even when faced with unfamiliar texts. Her sessions helped me synthesize the week’s lessons into an actionable, daily methodology.

Conclusion: Bridging the Gap

The MKBU National Workshop on Academic Writing was far more than a series of lectures; it was a comprehensive intellectual transformation. Over these five days, the challenging terrain of contemporary academia was demystified. My mandate moving forward is clear: I must strictly adhere to international publication standards and maintain unyielding ethical integrity against digital hallucinations.

With my sights set on the NET exam in December 2026 or January 2027, this workshop has completely validated my preparation strategy. The insights gained will be instrumental as I dedicate two hours daily to focused preparation alongside my regular study schedule, scaling up to 6-8 hours daily during university vacations. The gap between being a student of literature and becoming a producer of academic knowledge feels significantly smaller today.

The Architecture of the Invisible: Epistemic Violence, Digital Labour, and Indigenous Representation in Aranya Sahay’s Humans in the Loop (2024)

This blog is assigned by Prof. Dilip Barad based on the worksheet he prepared for the movie screening. 

Introduction: The Myth of the Autonomous Machine
The prevailing global narrative surrounding Artificial Intelligence is one of sterile, disembodied magic. We are repeatedly sold the myth of the "autonomous machine"—a self-sustaining, algorithmic brain functioning flawlessly in the ethereal cloud, entirely devoid of human messiness. However, the stark, material reality is that the entire architecture of global AI is built upon the exhausted shoulders of thousands of invisible human hands. As part of an ongoing exploration into contemporary film and digital culture, guided by the analytical frameworks provided in Prof. Dilip Barad’s Film Studies worksheet, this blog post attempts a deep dive into Aranya Sahay’s devastatingly brilliant 2024 film, Humans in the Loop.

The film serves as a necessary corrective to the Silicon Valley mythos. It follows the life of Nehma, an Adivasi woman from the rural landscapes of Jharkhand, who finds herself thrust into the monotonous, precarious, and grossly underpaid world of AI data-labelling. Through her lived experience, Sahay masterfully exposes the harsh realities of the digital economy, highlighting the violent clash between rigid algorithmic logic and rich indigenous knowledge. This blog will systematically unpack the film through various critical lenses—ranging from Marxist Film Theory to Epistemology and Structuralism—to reveal how the cinematic apparatus renders the invisible visible.

Pre-Viewing Task: The Socio-Technical Landscape

Before one can adequately analyze the cinematic techniques Sahay employs, it is crucial to establish the socio-economic frameworks that govern Nehma’s claustrophobic world. The film is fundamentally a critique of modern techno-capitalism and its reliance on invisible labor forces.

1. The Architecture of "Ghost Work"

The global tech industry, headquartered in the affluent spaces of the Global North, relies heavily on a shadow workforce predominantly located in the Global South. This phenomenon, often termed "ghost work," forms the backbone of machine learning. Behind the seemingly seamless magic of generative AI, facial recognition software, and automated content moderation are thousands of human workers spending grueling hours clicking, tagging, bounding, and labeling data. Humans in the Loop places this ghost work at the absolute center of its narrative. By moving the camera away from the sleek tech campuses of California and placing it firmly in rural Jharkhand, the film demystifies AI, exposing it not as a miracle of coding, but as the product of cheap, outsourced manual data entry.

2. Marxist Alienation in the Digital Age

Applying Marxist Film Theory to Nehma’s situation reveals her as the ultimate alienated worker of the 21st century. Karl Marx argued that under capitalism, workers are alienated in four distinct ways: from the products of their labor, from the act of production, from their own human nature, and from other workers. Nehma perfectly embodies this multi-tiered alienation. She spends her days training an Artificial Intelligence system that will likely never benefit her, her family, or her community. She does not own the means of production (the algorithms), nor does she own the data she refines. She is reduced to a biological cog in a massive digital machine, selling her cognitive and visual labor for literal pennies while tech monopolies reap billions in profit.

3. The Illusion of the Autonomous Machine

The invisibility of Nehma's labor is not an accident; it is a design feature of modern capitalism. Tech conglomerates deliberately hide this labor force to maintain the illusion that machines are learning autonomously. If consumers realized that "artificial intelligence" is actually powered by underpaid women in developing nations manually clicking on images of traffic lights and trees, the futuristic allure of the product would shatter. Sahay’s film is a radical act of unmasking; it brings the digital proletariat out of the shadows and forces the audience to confront the hidden human cost of our everyday digital convenience.

Active Watching Task: Cinematic Form and Apparatus Theory

Aranya Sahay does not merely present a socio-political lecture; he utilizes the full arsenal of the cinematic apparatus to make the audience feel Nehma's exploitation. A close reading of the film's form reveals how deeply Sahay understands the medium.

1. Mise-en-scène and Visual Juxtaposition

The film brilliantly constructs a visual dichotomy between two distinct worlds. On one side, we are presented with the lush, organic, textured, and deeply historical landscape of Jharkhand. The cinematography here is sweeping, capturing the rich earth tones and the expansive sky. On the other side, we have the cold, sterile, rigid, and intensely blue glow of the digital interface. Sahay frequently uses tight, restrictive framing when Nehma is working. The camera physically traps her within the boundaries of her workspace, visually representing how the digital economy confines her existence. The glowing rectangular screen becomes a prison cell within her own home.

2. Sound Design as Alienation

The auditory experience of Humans in the Loop is an absolute triumph of sound design, acting as a direct mirror to Nehma’s internal alienation. In her moments of brief respite, the audience is treated to the rich, ambient, layered sounds of her natural environment—wind through the leaves, distant village chatter, the organic hum of life. However, the moment she opens her laptop, this soundscape is violently interrupted. The soundtrack becomes dominated by the repetitive, mechanical, hollow clicks of her mouse and the synthetic, low-frequency hum of the machine. The relentless clicking serves as an auditory metronome ticking away her life force, emphasizing the excruciating tedium of her labor.

3. Apparatus Theory and the Viewer's Complicity

Applying Apparatus Theory—which examines how the cinematic mechanism itself shapes the ideological impact on the viewer—we see that Sahay is playing a highly sophisticated game. The pacing of the film is deliberately slow, methodical, and repetitive. By keeping the camera closely tethered to Nehma’s point of view over her shoulder, the film forces the audience to engage in the act of data-labeling alongside her. We watch a screen, watching a woman, watching a screen. This creates a profound sense of complicity. By forcing us to endure the slow pacing and watch her label image after mundane image, the film aggressively strips away the sleek, futuristic glamour of Artificial Intelligence and turns the cinematic apparatus back on the audience, demanding that we acknowledge our role in the consumption of this ghost work.

Post-Viewing Task 1: Epistemological Violence

Beyond the physical and economic exploitation of labor, Humans in the Loop tackles a profound intellectual theme: AI bias and the clash of deeply incompatible knowledge systems.

1. Algorithmic Bias and Cultural Artifacts

Algorithms are often falsely presented as neutral, objective mathematics. However, the film meticulously demonstrates that algorithms are cultural artifacts. They are predominantly designed by programmers in the West and are trained to recognize and categorize the world through a distinctly Western, capitalist, and often patriarchal lens. When these systems require "training," they demand that the complex, fluid human realities of the Global South be forced into the rigid, pre-determined categories established by the Global North.

> SYSTEM QUERY: IS THIS A ROAD?
> INPUT REQUIRED: [YES] OR [NO]
> ERROR: CULTURAL CONTEXT NOT FOUND.
> AWAITING HUMAN LABEL...

2. Structuralism vs. Indigenous Epistemology

This dynamic can be analyzed powerfully through a Structuralist lens. Structuralism posits that human culture is best understood in terms of its relationship to a broader, overarching system or structure. The AI interface in the film represents the ultimate, unyielding structure—a world defined entirely by fixed data points and binary choices. In stark contrast, Nehma possesses a deep, lived indigenous epistemology. Her Adivasi worldview understands nature, society, and existence in interconnected, non-binary, and spiritually resonant terms. Her knowledge system does not fit neatly into the algorithm's dropdown menus.

3. Digital Colonization and Erasure

The conflict between these two systems results in what can only be described as epistemic violence. For instance, when the AI asks her to categorize an image of a sacred grove of trees, the algorithm only offers utilitarian labels like "Timber Resource," "Park," or "Obstacle." It entirely lacks the vocabulary for "Sacred Space" or "Living Ancestor." As Prof. Dilip Barad rightly points out in his own writings on AI bias, this lack of nuance is not merely a technological glitch; it is a form of digital colonization. The AI actively erases indigenous perspectives by refusing to acknowledge categories of existence outside of its programmed worldview. When Nehma hesitates to label an image, it is not because she is uneducated—it is because the AI lacks the fundamental capacity to comprehend the depth and sacredness of her reality. The machine forces her to flatten her own culture to earn a wage.

Post-Viewing Task 2: Politics of Representation

It is also essential to address how Humans in the Loop navigates the politics of cultural representation. Historically, mainstream Indian cinema has had a disastrous track record regarding the representation of Adivasi communities. They are frequently relegated to the margins of the narrative, depicted either through a lens of extreme, exoticized primitivism or as helpless victims requiring rescue by a saviour from the dominant caste/class.

Sahay aggressively subverts this legacy. Nehma is not a passive subject of history; she is the absolute center of a hyper-modern, globalized narrative. She is an active agent who is, quite literally, shaping the future of global technology with every click of her mouse. While she is undoubtedly exploited by the system, the film grants her immense dignity, agency, and interiority. Her quiet moments of rebellion—such as intentionally mislabeling images that offend her cultural sensibilities—are portrayed as acts of profound resistance against a monolithic digital empire. Furthermore, by centering an Adivasi woman in a narrative about Artificial Intelligence, Sahay breaks the persistent stereotype that technology and the future belong exclusively to urban, upper-class characters, demanding that we recognize the indigenous presence at the very foundation of our digital future.

Conclusion: The Echoes of the Void

Aranya Sahay’s Humans in the Loop is not merely a film; it is a vital, urgent, and necessary sociological document. It shatters the pristine illusions surrounding Artificial Intelligence by forcefully returning our gaze to the exploited, exhausted human hands that build it brick by digital brick.

Through its deliberate pacing, stark visual contrasts, and deeply empathetic portrayal of its protagonist, the film challenges our most deeply held assumptions about progress, the nature of labor, and the hierarchy of knowledge. It forces us to ask uncomfortable questions about the technologies we consume so unthinkingly. Are we building a future that understands the vast, beautiful complexity of the human experience, or are we building a machine that forces us all into narrow, easily digestible binary codes? Nehma’s story leaves us with a lingering, haunting realization: in our relentless, uncritical rush to build artificial intelligence, we are actively participating in the erasure of human nuance.

Works Cited

Barad, Dilip. (2026). WORKSHEET FILM SCREENING ARANYA SAHAY'S HUMANS IN THE LOOP. 10.13140/RG.2.2.11775.06568. 

McDonald, Kevin. Film Theory: The Basics. 2nd ed., Routledge, 2023.

Number Analytics. "Film Theory Essentials: Key Concepts and Frameworks." Number Analytics, 2023, https://www.numberanalytics.com/blog/film-theory-essentials.

Sahay, Aranya, director. Humans in the Loop. India, 2024.

Sui, Z., and S. Wang. "Dogme 25: Media Primitivism and New Auteurism in the Age of Artificial Intelligence." Frontiers in Communication, vol. 10, no. 1659731, 2025, https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2025.1659731.

"Humans in the Loop: Aranya Sahay on Technology, AI, and Our Digital Lives." The Indian Express, 2024, https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/humans-in-the-loop-aranya-sahay-technology-ai-digital-10391699/.

Vighi, Fabio. Critical Theory and Film: Rethinking Ideology Through Film Noir. Bloomsbury Academic India, 2019.

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Exploring W.H. Auden: Power, War, and Poetry

This blog is written as a task assigned by the head of the Department of English (MKBU), Prof. Dilip Barad. Here is the link to the professor's blog for background reading: Click here.

Part 1: Understanding Difficult Couplets

While reading "Epitaph on a Tyrant," I found the final two lines particularly striking. Following the worksheet instructions, I asked an AI assistant (ChatGPT) to help me unpack this difficult couplet:

"When he laughed, respectable senators burst with laughter,
And when he cried the little children died in the streets."

My Insight & AI Explanation: This chilling couplet perfectly captures the absolute, terrifying power of a dictator. The first line highlights the sycophancy and moral cowardice of political institutions; the "respectable senators" laugh not because the tyrant is funny, but out of fear and a desperate need to appease him. The second line shifts abruptly to the horrific real-world consequences of his moods. His "tears" (personal grievances or petty angers) translate directly into brutal, arbitrary violence against the most innocent. Historically, this reflects the 1930s rise of totalitarian figures, whose personal whims possessed the unchecked power to slaughter millions.

Part 2: Analyzing Themes and Messages

1. What is the main theme of Epitaph on a Tyrant?

The main theme is the terrifying absolute power of totalitarian dictators. It highlights how their pursuit of "perfection" relies on manipulating human weakness, demanding sycophancy, and inflicting brutal violence.

2. What is the central theme of September 1, 1939?

The central theme of "September 1, 1939" is overwhelming dread and disillusionment at WWII's outbreak. It reflects a global climate of fear, totalitarianism, and collapsing peaceful democratic ideals.

3. What message does Auden convey in In Memory of W.B. Yeats?

In "In Memory of W.B. Yeats," Auden conveys that while poets die with human flaws, their art endures. Poetry survives as a healing, unifying human voice across future generations.

Part 3: Writing a Contemporary Poem

Reflecting on the political and social climate of today—where power is often wielded through digital surveillance, algorithms, and media manipulation—I wrote this contemporary version of Auden's poem, capturing the current zeitgeist.

Epitaph on a Modern Leader

Efficiency, he claimed, was his ultimate goal,
And the algorithms he wrote were simple to digest;
He knew our digital fears beating in every chest,
And was deeply invested in firewalls and screens;
When he smiled, the pundits nodded and played their role,
And when he frowned, the drones leveled the distant ravines.

Part 4: The Echoes of a Low Dishonest Decade

An Analysis of "September 1, 1939" Using ChatGPT

Following the instructions in Worksheet 2, after studying Prof. Barad's blog, I used ChatGPT to prompt specific questions about Auden’s "September 1, 1939." The AI generated fascinating insights regarding the imagery, structure, and historical weight of the poem, which I have synthesized into the following analysis.

Sitting in a "dive" on Fifty-second Street, Auden penned this poem as the world stood on the precipice of World War II. It serves as a profound meditation on the outbreak of global conflict, reflecting his deep disillusionment with the political and social climate of the 1930s. The primary themes revolve around fear, isolation, the cyclical nature of human violence, and the desperate need for human connection, famously encapsulated in the plea: "We must love one another or die."

Auden’s masterful use of language grounds the poem's lofty political themes in harsh, modern realities. Through my exploration with ChatGPT, I gained a deeper appreciation for how Auden contrasts the intimate, dimly lit bar with the macrocosm of a world plunging into darkness. The AI highlighted his striking description of New York's "blind skyscrapers," which use their sheer height to project "the strength of Collective Man." This imagery critiques capitalist hubris and the illusion of isolationism, suggesting that these towering structures are completely oblivious to the impending European doom. Structurally, the poem’s tightly controlled, eleven-line stanzas with an irregular meter create a conversational intimacy mixed with underlying anxiety, mirroring the speaker's turbulent state of mind.

The historical context is inescapable. Written on the exact day Hitler invaded Poland, the poem captures the death of what Auden bitterly dubs a "low dishonest decade." He traces the roots of totalitarian aggression back through history, referencing "Linz" (Hitler's hometown) and the cultural psychopathology of a nation that produced such a dictator. He recognizes the universal human flaw of selfishness—"Those to whom evil is done / Do evil in return"—making this new war feel tragic, yet deeply inevitable.

Using ChatGPT allowed me to see beyond the immediate historical references and tap into the poem's psychological depth. The AI pointed out how Auden moves seamlessly from global political critique to an examination of individual responsibility. We are all, as the poem suggests, "children afraid of the night / Who have never been happy or good." This insight helped me realize that Auden is not just blaming dictators; he is diagnosing a universal condition of human ego and isolation.

Classroom Worksheet 

Conclusion

By using ChatGPT to analyze Auden's poem "September 1, 1939," I have gained a deeper understanding of the poem's themes, language, and historical context. I have also developed my skills in literary analysis and interpretation, which will serve me well in my future studies of literature.

References

Auden, W. H. “Epitaph on a Tyrant.” Poets.org, 1940, poets.org/poem/epitaph-tyrant. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.

---. “In Memory of W. B. Yeats.” Poets.org, 1939, poets.org/poem/memory-w-b-yeats. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.

---. “September 1, 1939.” Poets.org, 1939, poets.org/poem/september-1-1939. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.

Barad, Dilip. “Epitaph on a Tyrant | W H Auden | 2021 05 05 | Sem 2 Hybrid Classes.” YouTube, uploaded by DoE-MKBU, 5 May 2012, youtu.be/ZnqPB0mjoq8. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.

---. “In Memory of W.B. Yeats | W.H. Auden | Sem 2: Hybrid Classes | 2021 05 07.” YouTube, uploaded by DoE-MKBU, 7 May 2021, youtu.be/L-85uCBN0SI. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.

---. “September 1 1939 | W H Auden | Sem 2 Hybrid Classes 2021 05 06.” YouTube, uploaded by DoE-MKBU, 6 May 2021, youtu.be/VmGlS-ZT8MU. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.

---. “W.H. Auden’s Poems.” Dilip Barad | Teacher Blog, 22 May 2021, blog.dilipbarad.com/2021/05/wh-auden-poems.html. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.

Waiting for Wisdom: A Dharmic Reading of Beckett’s Waiting for Godot

Prof. Dilip Barad has tasked this blog with the task of examining Samuel Beckett's 'Waiting for Godot' from the perspective of the Indian Knowledge System, with a particular emphasis on the Bhagavad Gita.

Introduction

In the bleak landscape of the Theatre of the Absurd, Vladimir and Estragon stand as iconic figures of paralysis. For decades, Western criticism has viewed their plight through the lens of existentialism—two men abandoned in a godless universe, waiting for a meaning that never arrives. But what happens if we shift our gaze from the Western canon to the ancient wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita?

This blog attempts to bridge the gap between Samuel Beckett’s 20th-century void and the timeless philosophy of Kurukshetra. By reading Waiting for Godot through the concepts of Karma, Maya, and Kala, we discover that the tragedy of Didi and Gogo is not just that Godot doesn't come, but that they have forgotten how to act.

Section A: Conceptual Warm-Up

1. The Crisis of Inaction: Vishada vs. Ennui

In the opening chapter of the Gita, Arjuna suffers from Vishada (deep despondency). He casts aside his bow, paralyzed by the moral weight of the impending battle. Similarly, Vladimir and Estragon experience a crippling existential crisis. They consider parting ways, they consider hanging themselves, but ultimately, "They do not move."

However, the difference lies in the nature of their paralysis. Arjuna’s crisis is a spiritual turning point; his despondency leads him to question the nature of duty (Dharma) and seek enlightenment. Didi and Gogo’s crisis is one of Tamas (inertia). Their paralysis does not lead to inquiry; it leads to decay. They are trapped in a state of Ennui, fearful of action because they lack the spiritual clarity to define their purpose.

2. The Failure of Karma Yoga

Lord Krishna teaches Nishkama Karma—action performed without attachment to the fruit (Phala). This is the path to liberation. Beckett’s characters represent the exact inverse of this spiritual law. They are obsessed with the "fruit" (Godot’s arrival and the salvation he promises) but refuse to perform any meaningful "action" (Karma) to achieve it.

Their "waiting" is not a spiritual vigil; it is a stagnant non-action. Because they are attached to a result that never comes, their inaction becomes a source of suffering (Dukkha). They illustrate the Gita’s warning that inaction is not freedom; it is a bondage to one's own fears.

3. Cyclical Time (Kala)

The Gita presents time (Kala) as a cyclical, eternal wheel. In Waiting for Godot, we see a bleak parody of this cosmic cycle.

• The Repetitive Days: Act II is nearly identical to Act I. The tree has sprouted a few leaves, but the essential suffering remains unchanged. This mirrors the cycle of Samsara (birth and death) without the possibility of Moksha (liberation).
• The Loop: Vladimir’s song about the dog ("And dug a tomb and buried him...") is a recursive loop that has no beginning and no end. They are trapped in a time loop of their own making because they refuse to act within the present moment.

Section B: Guided Close Reading

Prompt: "Godot is not a character but an expectation."

1. Re-evaluating the Title

If Godot is an expectation rather than a person, the title Waiting for Godot shifts from a plot summary to a philosophical diagnosis. It implies that the characters are trapped in the act of projecting their hopes onto the future. They are "waiting for a result," violating the core tenet of the Gita: "You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions." By focusing entirely on the entitlement (Godot) rather than the duty (living), they render their existence meaningless.

2. Godot as Maya (Illusion)

Comparing Godot to the IKS concept of Maya (Illusion) reveals the tragic irony of the play. In Vedantic philosophy, Maya is the cosmic illusion that veils reality. Godot acts as Maya for Vladimir and Estragon; the promise of his arrival keeps them from engaging with the reality of their present moment.

They do not fix their boots effectively, they do not part ways to find better lives, and they do not help Lucky and Pozzo meaningfully—all because they are mesmerized by the illusion that Godot will solve their problems. Just as Maya distracts the soul from the Self (Atman), Godot distracts the tramps from their own agency.

Section C: Comparative Thinking (IKS + Absurdism)

Here, we map the bleak landscape of the Absurd against the framework of the Gita:

Concept in Gita	Explanation	Parallel in Godot
Karma (Action)	Performing one's duty is essential for existence; inaction is impossible.	The Paralysis: The tramps' inability to leave or act ("We're waiting for Godot") represents a violation of the law of Karma.
Nishkama Karma	Action performed without desire for the reward.	The Antithesis: The tramps are entirely driven by the desire for the reward (Godot's salvation).
Maya (Illusion)	The veil that hides the true nature of reality.	Godot: The entity that may not exist but dictates their entire reality. The "appointment" is the illusion.
Kala (Time)	Cyclical, destructive, and eternal.	The Static Sunset: Time is a loop that degrades them physically but offers no spiritual progress.
Moksha (Liberation)	Release from the cycle of rebirth/suffering.	Suicide: The only "release" they contemplate is hanging themselves, but even this fails.

Section D: Creative-Critical Task

Prompt: "Beckett shows what happens when human beings wait for meaning instead of creating it."

Reflection through the Lens of Swadharma

Beckett’s void is terrifying because it lacks Dharma. In the Bhagavad Gita, meaning is not something one waits for; it is something one enacts through Swadharma (one's own prescribed duty). Krishna tells Arjuna that it is better to perform one's own duty imperfectly than to master the duty of another.

Vladimir and Estragon have no Swadharma. They are stripped of social roles, context, and history. Because they have no duty to perform, they have no vehicle to create meaning. They act as beggars waiting for a king to bestow value upon them. From an IKS perspective, their suffering stems from Ajnana (ignorance) of their own agency. They believe meaning is extrinsic (coming from Godot), whereas the Gita teaches that meaning is intrinsic (coming from right action).

Section E: Critical Reflection (Metacognition)

How does using Indian Knowledge Systems change your reading of a Western modernist text?

Using IKS transforms Waiting for Godot from a play about "nothingness" into a play about "spiritual negligence." Through a Western existentialist lens, the universe is inherently meaningless, and the characters are victims of a cruel silence.

However, through the lens of the Gita, the universe is governed by Rita (cosmic order), and the characters are culpable for their own suffering because they choose Tamas (inertia) over Karma (action). IKS provides a diagnostic tool: it explains why they are suffering (attachment to fruits, lack of duty) rather than just accepting the suffering as a default state of existence. It makes the Absurd seem less like a universal truth and more like a spiritual warning: that waiting without working is the ultimate tragedy.

Conclusion

Reading Waiting for Godot through the lens of the Bhagavad Gita offers a startling revelation: the Absurd is not merely a condition of the universe, but a consequence of spiritual negligence. Vladimir and Estragon are not tragic heroes fighting a cruel fate; they are souls trapped in Tamas (inertia), paralyzed by their attachment to a future fruit that never ripens.

Where Western existentialism sees their waiting as a brave endurance of the meaningless, IKS reveals it to be a failure of Dharma. The Gita teaches that "one who performs their duty without attachment ... attains the Supreme." The tramps fail not because Godot doesn't come, but because they never truly start living. They are waiting for a Savior, while the Gita insists that the only savior is the Self acting in accordance with the Divine Law. Ultimately, to wait for Godot is to deny the Karma of the present moment.

References 

Barad, Dilip. "Understanding 'Waiting for Godot' Through the Bhagavad Gita." IKS in English Classroom Worksheet, Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University, 2026. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.25436.04480.

Beckett, Samuel. Waiting for Godot: A Tragicomedy in Two Acts. Faber and Faber, 1956.

The Bhagavad Gita. Translated by Eknath Easwaran, Nilgiri Press, 2007.

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The Sheep, the Goat, and Existential Hope in Waiting for Godot

Shadows in the Fog: Tracing the Trauma of the Tyrones in a Modern World

This blog is assigned by Ms. Megha Trivedi on a comprehensive analysis of Eugene O'Neill's 'Long Day's Journey into Night' with contemporary lenses. 

I. Introduction: The Haunted House of American Drama

To understand the fractured soul of the American family, one must eventually knock on the door of the Monte Cristo Cottage in New London, Connecticut. It is here, in the fictionalized living room of James Tyrone, that Eugene O'Neill staged his magnum opus, Long Day’s Journey into Night. This is not merely a play; it is an exorcism. Written in 1941, deep in the twilight of O'Neill's life, the manuscript was so painful that he locked it in a vault, demanding it remain unpublished until twenty-five years after his death. He could not bear for the world to see the naked, trembling ghosts of his parents and brother while his generation still walked the earth.

When it was finally released in 1956, three years after his death, it shattered the theatrical world, earning O'Neill a posthumous Pulitzer Prize and redefining the genre of tragedy. Unlike the tragedies of ancient Greece, which dealt with fallen kings and angry gods, O'Neill’s tragedy dealt with something far more terrifying: the breakfast table. It explored the slow, grinding attrition of a family that loves each other too much to leave, but hurts each other too deeply to heal.

The Unity of Time and The Fog

The play adheres violently to the Aristotelian unity of time. The entire narrative arc is compressed into a single day—August 1912—beginning at 8:30 AM in the bright, deceptive sunshine of morning and spiraling inexorably into the dark, whiskey-soaked abyss of midnight. This structure is crucial. It creates a pressure-cooker environment where there is no escape. The characters cannot leave the stage; they cannot leave the house; they cannot leave their past.

Surrounding this house is the play’s most vital character: the Fog. Throughout the day, the fog rolls in from the harbor, thickening as the hours pass. For Mary Tyrone, the morphine-addicted matriarch, the fog is a comfort—a "white curtain" that hides her from the judging eyes of the world and allows her to regress into her girlhood dreams. For the men—James, Jamie, and Edmund—the fog is a blinding, suffocating force that traps them in their own failure. It symbolizes the family’s inability to see the truth, or perhaps, their refusal to acknowledge the reality standing right in front of them.

The Dramatis Personae: A Quartet of Doom

The Tyrone family is a masterpiece of psychological complexity, each representing a different facet of human suffering:

• James Tyrone: The patriarch, a matinee idol who sold his soul for commercial success. He is haunted by the specter of the "poorhouse," a trauma from his impoverished Irish childhood that has turned him into a miser. He possesses the land, the money, and the house, but he cannot buy peace.
• Mary Tyrone: The emotional center of the play. A woman who lost her faith and her way, drifting into the numbness of morphine to escape the guilt of a dead child (Eugene) and the loneliness of a life spent in cheap hotels. She is a ghost haunting her own life.
• Jamie Tyrone: The elder son, a cynical reflection of his father. At 33, he is a wasted talent, masking his self-loathing with alcohol and brothels. He loves his younger brother, yet subconsciously wants to destroy him to validate his own failure.
• Edmund Tyrone: The younger son and O'Neill’s stand-in. A poet and dreamer who is diagnosed with tuberculosis (consumption) during the play. He is the mirror that forces the family to look at itself.

II. Analytical Response to Core Questions

Q1) Communication Gaps: The Noise of Silence

How are communication gaps within the Tyrone family similar to or different from those in a modern family shown in a film, web series, TV serial, or real-life situation? Explain with examples.

In Long Day’s Journey into Night, the tragedy is not that the family members do not speak to each other; it is that they speak incessantly without ever truly communicating. This dynamic is best described by the psychological concept of the "Double Bind"—a situation where a person receives contradictory messages, ensuring that no matter how they respond, they are wrong.

The Tyrone Dynamic: Denial and Deflection

The communication gap in the Tyrone household is maintained through a complex system of denial. The "gap" is the vast, unspoken space occupied by Mary’s addiction and Edmund’s illness. The family dances around these topics with exhausting verbal agility.

Consider the breakfast scene. The men watch Mary with hawk-like intensity, looking for signs of withdrawal or relapse. When Mary asks why they are staring, they immediately deflect: "We aren't staring! You look beautiful! You've gained weight!" They use language to mask reality, gaslighting Mary into believing everything is fine, while simultaneously signaling their distrust. This creates a "High-Context" communication failure, where every sentence is loaded with thirty years of unspoken resentment. When they do break the silence, it is usually to blame. James blames Mary’s addiction on her weak will; Mary blames her addiction on James’s cheapness. They communicate to wound, not to heal.

Modern Comparison: Kapoor & Sons (Film) and Succession (Series)

To understand this in a contemporary framework, we can examine the dysfunctional dynamics in the film Kapoor & Sons (2016) and the HBO series Succession. These narratives mirror the Tyrones' struggle but filter it through the lens of modern modernity.

Similarity: The "Open Secret" and The Dinner Table Battlefield
In Kapoor & Sons, the Kapoor family operates on the exact same frequency of "open secrets" as the Tyrones. Just as the Tyrones pretend Mary is not going upstairs to shoot morphine, the Kapoors pretend that the parents’ marriage is stable and that the elder son, Rahul, is the perfect child. In both narratives, the "communication gap" is a structural necessity; if they were to speak the truth, the family unit would dissolve.

Both works utilize the dining table as the arena of conflict. In O'Neill’s play, the lunch scene is excruciating because of the silence and the clinking of cutlery against the backdrop of suspicion. In Kapoor & Sons, the climactic dinner scene explodes when the plumbing leaks—a metaphor for the secrets they can no longer contain. The similarity lies in the "Performance of Family": both the Tyrones and the Kapoors are performing the role of a happy family for themselves, terrified of what will happen when the curtain falls.

Difference: Strategic vs. Reactive Silence
However, a key difference emerges when we look at a show like Succession. In the Tyrone family, the communication breakdown is emotional and reactive; they hurt each other because they are in pain. Jamie attacks Edmund ("I wanted you to fail") and immediately recoils in shame. In a modern corporate-family narrative like Succession, communication gaps are weaponized strategically. The Roys withhold information to gain power, whereas the Tyrones withhold information to preserve a delusion.

The Technological Chasm
Furthermore, modern real-life scenarios introduce a variable O'Neill never contended with: Technology. The Tyrones are physically trapped in a single room, forcing them to confront the "gap." In a modern family, a member uncomfortable with a mother’s addiction or a father’s anger would retreat into a smartphone. The "gap" today is often filled with digital noise—scrolling, texting, streaming—creating a "Low-Context" environment where family members are physically present but emotionally entirely elsewhere. The Tyrones drowned their silence in whiskey; modern families drown theirs in Wi-Fi.

Q2) Addiction and Emotional Neglect

Addiction and emotional neglect play a major role in the Tyrone family. How are these issues represented in a modern family narrative, and what changes (if any) do you notice in society’s response to them?

Eugene O'Neill was decades ahead of his time in his depiction of addiction. While the society of 1912 viewed addiction as a moral failing—a lack of character or willpower—O'Neill portrayed it as a disease of the soul, inextricably linked to emotional neglect and trauma.

The Cycle of Enabling in the Tyrone Household

In the play, the addiction is not merely Mary’s problem; it is the family’s ecosystem. The Tyrone men are classic "enablers." James provides the money that buys the morphine. Jamie and Edmund pretend not to notice Mary’s erratic behavior because they are terrified of the confrontation. This creates a "Codependent" loop. Mary uses drugs to escape the loneliness caused by James’s constant traveling and stinginess; James drinks to escape the guilt of causing Mary’s addiction; the sons drink to escape the misery of the house.

The root cause, however, is emotional neglect. Mary constantly laments her "lost home." She has never had a proper home because James, driven by his fear of poverty, dragged the family through cheap hotels and dressing rooms. This rootlessness left Mary isolated, and when she suffered the trauma of a difficult birth (Edmund) and the death of a child (Eugene), she was given morphine instead of love or therapy. The "cure" became the curse.

Modern Representation: Beautiful Boy and Euphoria

When we compare this to modern narratives like the film Beautiful Boy (2018) or the series Euphoria, we see a distinct shift in how society frames the addict, yet a heartbreaking similarity in how the family suffers.

From Sin to Sickness: The Societal Shift
In Long Day’s Journey into Night, James Tyrone screams at Mary, "If you had any willpower!" He views her addiction as a sin to be hidden from the neighbors. This was the "Moral Model" of addiction. In contrast, Beautiful Boy depicts the "Medical Model." The father, David Sheff, does not hide his son’s crystal meth addiction; he actively seeks brain scans, reads scientific literature, and sends him to top-tier rehabilitation centers. Society has shifted from shaming the addict to trying to "hack" the cure.

The Persistence of Helplessness
Despite this shift in knowledge, the emotional landscape remains identical. The scene in Beautiful Boy where the father sits in a diner, realizing he cannot save his son despite all his money and love, mirrors the scene where James Tyrone sits drinking in the dark, realizing his wealth cannot cure Mary. The tragedy of the "Relapse" is timeless. Whether it is Mary descending the stairs with her wedding gown or a modern teenager relapsing after rehab, the devastation to the family trust is the same.

The New Neglect
Furthermore, modern narratives highlight a new form of emotional neglect. In O'Neill’s time, neglect was born of necessity and poverty trauma. In modern shows like Euphoria, neglect is often depicted as a byproduct of hyper-capitalism and narcissism. Parents are physically present but psychologically absent, pursuing careers or their own lives, leaving children to find solace in substances. The "Spare Room" where Mary shoots morphine has been replaced by the "Locked Bedroom" of the modern teenager, but the isolation is exactly the same.

Q3) Generational Conflicts: The Depression Mentality vs. Modern Nihilism

Examine generational conflicts in the Tyrone family and compare it with parent–child conflict in a contemporary family.

The war between James Tyrone and his sons is a clash of civilizations. It is the friction between a generation that built the world from nothing and a generation that finds that world uninhabitable.

The Tyrone Conflict: Scarcity vs. Privilege

James Tyrone is the embodiment of the Immigrant Dream. Abandoned by his father at age 10, he worked in a machine shop to survive. This trauma rewired his brain: he equates money with survival. Even though he is now wealthy, he cannot stop "economizing." He unscrews lightbulbs to save pennies, buys second-hand cars, and most tragically, hired a cheap "quack" doctor to treat Mary, which led to her addiction.

Jamie and Edmund, conversely, represent the "Lost Generation." They have grown up with the privilege James provided, yet they despise him for it. They view his thriftiness not as a survival mechanism, but as tyranny. James looks at Edmund and sees a lazy ingrate who "doesn't know the value of a dollar." Edmund looks at James and sees a man who values dollars more than human life. It is the clash between Trauma-Informed Pragmatism and Intellectual Idealism.

Contemporary Comparison: Boomers vs. Gen Z/Millennials

This dynamic is startlingly relevant to the "Ok Boomer" conflicts of the 2020s. The arguments in the Tyrone living room could easily be transposed to a modern Thanksgiving dinner.

Economic Trauma vs. Economic Anxiety
James Tyrone represents the modern "Boomer" figure who worked hard, bought property cheaply, and cannot understand why the younger generation struggles. When James yells about the electric bill, it parallels modern arguments about "avocado toast" or "lattes." The older generation views financial struggle as a lack of discipline.

Edmund, facing a fatal diagnosis of tuberculosis, represents the modern youth facing climate change or economic instability. Edmund’s nihilism—his reading of Nietzsche and Schopenhauer—is a defense mechanism against a world that feels doomed. This mirrors the "Doom Spending" or "Quiet Quitting" of modern generations who feel the traditional path (Work Hard = Success) is broken. Edmund isn't lazy; he is disillusioned.

Intergenerational Trauma
The most profound insight, however, is the concept of Intergenerational Trauma. We now understand that James behaves this way because he was traumatized as a child. His "stinginess" is a scar. In the play, the sons only see the villain. In a modern family, equipped with the language of therapy and psychology, there is a better chance of understanding. A modern Edmund might realize, "Dad isn't cheap because he hates me; he is cheap because he is terrified of being poor again." O'Neill grants the audience this insight, but tragically, the characters only find it when they are too drunk to act on it.

III. Conclusion: The Long Journey Home

Long Day’s Journey into Night is not merely a play about a dysfunctional family in 1912; it is a mirror reflecting the eternal struggle of the human condition. It suggests that the family is the first country we ever inhabit, and for many of us, it is a war zone.

Through the lens of Communication Gaps, we see that the Tyrones' "mutual accusations" and avoidance create a fog that no amount of talking can clear. They teach us that silence is dangerous, but the wrong words can be deadly. The comparison with Kapoor & Sons reveals that even in modern times, families still hide behind "open secrets" to maintain a facade of normalcy, only to have the truth burst forth when the pressure becomes unbearable.

In examining Addiction and Neglect, we find that while society has shifted from a moral model to a medical one, the "emotional trauma" of loving an addict remains unchanged. The Tyrones' inability to confront their "diseased body" mirrors the struggles of countless modern families who find themselves helpless against the tide of opioids or mental illness.

Finally, the Generational Conflict highlights the timeless war between a parent's trauma and a child's confusion. James Tyrone’s stinginess is not just greed; it is a scar from the past. By viewing this through the modern lens of "intergenerational trauma," we can see the Tyrones not as villains, but as victims of their own history.

O'Neill leaves us with no easy answers. The play ends in silence, with Mary lost in her drug-induced past, clutching her wedding dress—a symbol of the innocence that can never be recovered. But in analyzing their pain, we perhaps learn how to better navigate our own. We learn that to survive the "fog," we must do what the Tyrones could not: we must forgive the past, and we must learn to speak the truth before the night sets in.

References 

Bloom, Harold, ed. Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey into Night. Infobase Publishing, 2009.

Bogard, Travis. Contour in Time: The Plays of Eugene O'Neill. Oxford University Press, 1988.

Carpenter, Frederic I. Eugene O'Neill. Twayne Publishers, 1979.

Manheim, Michael. The Cambridge Companion to Eugene O'Neill. Cambridge University Press, 1998.

Sheaffer, Louis. O'Neill: Son and Artist. Little, Brown and Company, 1973.

Berlin, Normand. "The Tyrones' Long Journey." Modern Drama, vol. 39, no. 3, 1996.

Eisen, Kurt. The Inner Strength of Opposites. University of Georgia Press, 1994.

Mate, Gabor. In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction. North Atlantic Books, 2010.

Wolynn, Mark. It Didn't Start with You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle. Viking, 2016.

O'Neill, Eugene. Long Day's Journey into Night. Yale University Press, 2002.

Gelb, Arthur. O'Neill: Life with Monte Cristo. Applause Books, 2000.

Batra, Shakun (Director). Kapoor & Sons. Dharma Productions, 2016.

Turkle, Sherry. Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other. Basic Books, 2011.

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