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Totalitarianism in the world today
Totalitarian states
Totalitarianism in the world today
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1984, a book by George Orwell, offers an alternate reality for what the future could have been. The concept of a totalitarian society is but a far off, if not long dead, ideal. In the past totalitarianism was not just an ideal but an actual living, breathing menace to people of the late 1940s. Totalitarian governments would go to horrific lengths in order to sustain and increase their power. In the novels 1984, by George Orwell, and Anthem, by Ayn Rand, propaganda, class distinction, and naivety are explored in fictional societies. Orwell’s and Rand’s stories are based on dystopias and the individuals of those societies who dare to stand out. George Orwell uses Winston Smith, the timidly rebellious protagonist; The Party, the ruling government; and Big Brother, the face of The Party; and Ayn Rand utilizes Martyrdom, the sacrificing of oneself; Naming, a process using words and numbers as a means of identification; and Collectivism, everyone is the same and refers to themselves as we, to illustrate how dangerous a naïve working class, spin and propaganda, and an unacknowledged class distinction can be in a society. A naïve working class is dangerous because the inability or unwillingness to question authority condemns the working class to suffer the full extent of the ruling class's oppression. In 1984, Winston Smith is a minor member of the ruling Party. He hates the totalitarian control and enforced repression that are characteristic of his government. It has been the object of modern tyrannies to deny man this sense of responsibility, and gradually to eliminate all feelings. The working class of Oceania is ignorant and, as such, are blindly loyal to the government. The residences of Oceania have terrible smells. Orwell describ... ... middle of paper ... ... with their own thoughts. Works Cited Orwell, George. _!984_. Austin: Harcourt & Brace, 1977. Rand, Ayn. _Anthem_. 100th ed. New York: New American Library, 1995. Read, Herbert and Harold Bloom. "1984." Bloom's Modern Critical Views: George Orwell;. Bloom's Modern Critical Views. "23 March 2005". EBSCOhost. p25-27, 3p. EBSCOhost. "3 April 2011". http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=6982cc7c-d6f5-41a1-9965-e42d8024e481%40sessionmgr114&vid=1&hid=106&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=lfh&AN=16493082. Bloom, Harold. "Introduction." Bloom's Modern Critical Interpretations: 1984. Bloom's Modern Critical Interpretations. "28 March 2005". EBSCOhost. 1987, p1-7, 7p. EBSCOhost. "3 April 2011". http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=2ed5dd42-8ef8-4b0f-b5c2-4f1ec4f9b214%40sessionmgr104&vid=1&hid=106&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=lfh&AN=16524927.
In “1984,” Orwell uses Winston to portray a single individual’s attempt to take action against a powerful government, culminating in his failure and subjugation. His individual efforts failed tremendously due to the overarching power of the Party to control every aspect of social life in Oceania. Orwell uses Winston’s deeply seated hatred of the Party to portray his views on power and social change. Winston’s actions show that even in the direst of situations ...
Through different experiences, beliefs, values and ideas, individuals can evolve identity through human nature, in society and critical life experiences. Human nature is elucidated dystopically in the works of George Orwell’s novel, 1984, and James McTeigue’s visual, V for Vendetta, which represent divergent societies, bound by totalitarian oppression and degrading human constructs. Published in 1948 by George Orwell, 1984 is a novel set in a future society, scarred by eternal war, ubiquitous government surveillance, controlled history and tyrannical manipulation by the superstate. Winston Smith, a diligent Outer Party member, inconspicuously rebels against the English socialist, ‘Ingsoc’ Party and despot leader, ‘Big Brother’, by regaining
...en into organizations that brainwashes and encourages them to spy on their parents and report any instance of disloyalty to the Party much like Orwell’s experience in the Civil war. The fact that a portion of the populations suffered poverty while others bathed in wealth reinforces the strong hierarchal system imposed. Orwell’s attitudes surrounding sociocultural context are prominent throughout 1984 and strengthens the invited reading that power is problematic.
In George Orwell’s dystopian novel, the government blocks almost all forms of self-expression in order to assert its authority over the people. Those within the society who show signs of defiance against the set rules, even those who act unwillingly, are seen as a threat to the success of the regime are wiped from existence. In Orwell’s 1984, the government uses different forms of propaganda and brainwashing to achieve complete control of society for their own personal benefit.
Acknowledging George Orwell’s construction of an unrelenting as well as indestructible power presence in the year (and the novel) of Nineteen Eighty-Four, through which Orwell voices his fear of the predicted impact that absolute control of power has over an individual within society. With allusions to past totalitarian regimes, such as Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, of which Orwell constructs a futuristic fictitious totalitarian (dystopian) state focused on the depletion of humanoid individuality through the capture and control of not only the subjects actions but there conscience too. With reference to the quote provided as well as further references from the novel and various critics, emphasise that the deterioration of human individuality
In many real and fictionalized totalitarian societies, children live apart from their families. I believe that dictatorial leaders enforced this living arrangement because they don’t want parents to influence their children, to make sure people are loyal to the society, and to maintain everyone equal. They do this so that they have total control over their society.
By enforcing these simple laws and regulations, the government is able to keep a tight grip on its people, with few ever releasing themselves from its grasp. Winston Smith, on the other hand, seeks to know the truth behind the government, he is constantly questioning everything and repressing all the ideas forced upon him. Winston “seeks truth and sanity, his only resources being the long denied and repressed processes of selfhood” (Feder 398). All identity is gone in this place called Oceania, and for the sake of Big Brother and its continuous control of the people, it will never exist again. In 1984, the absence of identity strips the people of all creativity and diversity, as well as takes away any chance the society has to advance as a people or in the area of technology.
Firstly, perhaps no book has linked animals to human counterparts better than Animal Farm. Orwell's beasts serve as a representation of important characters of the World War II era and beyond. For example, Karl Marx, the inventor of the communist movement, was represented by Old Major, the most important animal on the farm until his death. Much like Old Major, Marx was a visionary who dreamed of equality. Old Major states:"Is it not crystal clear, then, comrades, that all the evils of this life of ours spring from the tyranny of human beings? Only get rid of Man, and the produce of our labour would be our own. Almost overnight we could become rich and free. What then must we do? Why, work night and day, body and soul, for the overthrow of the human race! That is my message to you, comrades: Rebellion!"(Orwell, Animal Farm, 30). In addition, he inspired the Russian Social Democratic Leader Party, led by rivals Joseph Stalin and Leon Trostky. Napoleon is represented by Joseph Stalin and much like him, he builds loyalties within the communist party ( pigs and dogs) so that he can overthrow Snowball (Trostky). Snowball displaying similar traits with Trotsky in the fact that they both fight bravely in their respective battles. Trotsky was an important component to the victory in the Russian civil war, Snowball displaying this bravery during the battle of the cowshed. The hens, geese, and sheep that are executed are a representation of the millions who opposed Stalin's, and who are killed banished as a result. The hens and geese are not known for their docile natures, and serve as perfect rebels . As well, the pigs' metamorphosis of their face and behaviour is symbolic of the transition of a government initially for the people, into ...
The year 1984 has long passed, but the novel still illustrates a possibility for the future of society. It still remains a powerful influence in all sorts of literature, music, and social theory. George Orwell envisioned a nightmarish utopia that could have very easily become a possibility in 1949 ? the year the novel was written. He managed to create such a realistic view of humanity?s future, that this story has been deemed timeless. There will always be the threat of totalitarianism, and at some moments civilization is only a step away from it. Orwell hated the thought of it, and 1984 shows that. From his work, readers who live in prevailing democratic society have a chance to consider about these very different political systems, democracy and totalitarianism.
Howe, Irving, and George Orwell. 1984 Revisited Totalitarianism in Our Century. New York: Harper & Row, 1983.
This is a remarkable book of objective description as well as of rhetoric. While he does have a bias, he is still able to recognize points on either side. Orwell had the rare courage to overcome centuries of class prejudice to live among and respect the people his peers could casually dismiss. He shows us the role that the middle class play in creating these deplorable conditions.
Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell was extremely insightful for its time. The novel, published in 1948, touched on technological, social, and political issues way before its time. The dystopian setting of 1984 mirrors what Orwell saw happening around him during the time of Nazi Germany and communist Russia, both totalitarian governments. The book’s purpose is to warn society of what could come if the two parties were not stopped. Although technological, social, and political issues continue to change, the predictions Orwell made nearly seven decades ago still stand true in both Western, and modern totalitarian societies today. Along with his accurate predictions, Orwell has made an impact lasting way beyond 1984 by influencing popular culture
Works Cited for: Orwell, George. 1984. The 'Standard' of the ' London: Penguin Books, 2008. Print. The.
Everywhere we look, there is good and bad; without one, we can't fully appreciate the other. Black balances out white, good balances out bad, etc. This is seen throughout the world in people, places, and even governments. When looking at negative governments, totalitarianism is commonly thought of. Totalitarianism is the concept where the state has total authority over a society and holds control of all aspects of life. This type of government is introduced to us through Hannah Arendt's work. Arendt was born and educated in Germany, and was a very influential writer as many of her works discussed topics of government, moral values, modern society, and many other themes. From her work The Origins of
George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four was written with the intent of warning the world on the dangers of totalitarian regimes, and to show just how far a government of such a type would go to keep its subjects in check. While the story does portray the government in an extreme fashion, it does do well to show what and how the government could go on to oppress people to such a degree. I personally think the book has worked… to an extent, because obviously, we aren’t completely living in the reality that was portrayed in Nineteen Eighty-Four, and people are mostly aware of how a government could oppress the people. However, some aspects of Nineteen Eighty-Four have been seen in today’s society, such as constant surveillance via cameras, a seemingly endless war with no definite enemy, and the masses being distracted by petty things so they’re blind to actual problems.