As humans, we are fascinated by our past. The past affects society in so many ways that most don't even notice, and humans accept this conclusion. Whether it is the language spoken or the city a person lives in, everything around us has a story or meaning behind it. As a society, we have chosen to embrace and learn from our past. While this is one way of handling history, both George Orwell and Margaret Atwood make a statement about the role and power of the past in their respective novels, 1984 and The Blind Assassin. George Orwell's novel 1984 describes a dystopian world where “Big Brother” and the government control everything its citizens do, say and even think. One of the main aspects of Orwell's society is the complete control and erasure of history. In Orwell's novel, the government takes precautions to ensure that their nation's history is hidden or completely rewritten. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood, on the other hand, tells the story of an elderly woman named Iris as she writes a novel about her entire life spent with her granddaughter Sabrina. Atwood emphasizes, perhaps even exaggeratedly, the past. Orwell and Atwood both create plots that depict the two extremes of ignoring the past and living with it completely, in an attempt to demonstrate the importance of finding a balance between the two. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In 1984, Orwell tries to diminish the past by eliminating the “old language” and replacing it with an entirely different language called “Newspeak.” Newspeak is an overly simplified language and completely detached from any history. True language has history and roots. Oldspeak, or English, has Germanic and Latin roots. When people share a common language, they share a common history and this unites them. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood is a perfect example of people being able to connect through language and literature. The Nameless Man and Woman connect with each other as the Nameless Man tells his stories to his lover, the Nameless Woman, about the exciting adventures of X and Princess Dumbledore. Atwood focuses on the importance of language and the history behind it. Furthermore, Orwell removes all literary connections to the past. Syme speaks to Winston about Newspeak describing it: "By 2050, probably sooner – all true Oldspeak knowledge will have disappeared. All the literature of the past will have been destroyed. Chaucer, Shakespeare, Milton, Byron – they will only exist in Newspeak versions they have not simply transformed into something different, but have actually transformed into something contradictory to what they were in the past.” (Orwell 56). they allow people to connect. By eliminating the ancient language and literary figures, Orwellian society loses all sense of community and history, and this is exactly what Orwell wants his readers to see and understand has no story that the guide doesn't work. Atwood places considerable emphasis on literary references in his book. He certainly doesn't shy away from mentioning people like Ovid, Lord Tennyson, and even Victor Hugo. Although their general education is quite limited, Iris and Laura learn Latin, French and read book after book. Iris once said: “I would choose the books that interest me: A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens; the stories of Macaulay; The Conquest of Mexico and The Conquest of Peru, illustrated. I also read poetry, and Miss..