In the dystopian nation of Oceania, continual war is necessary to use up the surplus of production and keep the population in a perpetual state of hysteria. Winston reads in Goldstein's book that the Party is concerned with keeping the standard of living low and the masses occupied. Creating products that would improve the standard of living would eventually upset the hierarchy as the middle and lower class would not feel obligated to obey the upper class. With a massive population continually working, warfare becomes necessary to destroy the surplus. The proles are simply left to work long hours and occasionally become victims of random bombings, while the Party maintains an atmosphere of war to ensure hysteria among its members. Knowledge is neutralized by the principle of "doublethink" and emotions are controlled through weekly hate exercises. Essentially, the Party uses war to not only enslave the population economically, but also to psychologically control its citizens.
Does anybody know the etymology of the phrase "sweet dreams"? I tried googling but did not find anything satisfying. Is this a relatively new phrase of the modern world or has this been in use for some time? I think it's the latter one. Answer The OED has the interjection as "a farewell to someone going to bed" from the 20th century: 1908 Sears Roebuck Catal. 198/1 Tenor Solos..Good Bye, Sweet Dreams, Good Bye. But it goes back until at least the 19th and possibly 18th centuries. John Wolcot, writing under the pseudonym of Peter Pindar, used it in his poem "Orson and Ellen; A Legendary Tale" published in 1801: Also from 1801 in The infernal Quixote (Page 287) by Charles Lucas: In the March 1776 of The Universal Magazine was published "The Serenade. A Pastoral Tale. From the German of Gesner" , where the shepherd Daphnis watches over his beloved as she sleeps and sings: The same tale appears in 1776's as Idyl XI, " Daphnis ...
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