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Literary analysis of 1984 by george orwell pdf
Literary analysis of 1984 by george orwell pdf
Literary analysis of 1984 by george orwell pdf
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Justice, as defined from dictionary.com, is “the quality of being just; righteousness, equitableness, or moral rightness.” When it comes to Justice as defined in 1984, however, the noun can be viewed as “the maintenance or administration of what is just by law, as by judicial or other proceedings.” These two definitions differ immensely in the society that the novel depicts, which allows the reader to understand each character’s view of justice as having the ability to contradict another’s. These two varying ideas are crucial to the story not only to help distinguish right from wrong, but it also allows the reader to understand exactly what each character’s quest for justice actually entails. The protagonist of the story, Winston Smith, is …show more content…
When it comes to Winston’s understanding of justice there are two specific points that should be paid to mind. First of all, Winston believes that for there to be justice, freedom must first be given to the people. In the text Winston thinks to himself, “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command,” yet down in his heart he knew that their statements were false (103). Winston knew that the claims of the party, as widely accepted as they were, simply held no solid ground. “Truisms are true… fall towards the Earth’s center” using common knowledge Winston was able to prove why exactly the Party’s statements cannot be trusted, and he did so in a clear way in which even the proles could understand, with their primitive lifestyle (103). Secondly, the need for privacy, for a removal of 24/7 surveillance overshadows most other necessities in the novel. Therefore, the reader can safely assume that these actions would be one of Winston’s prerequisites in order for justice to prevail against the darkness. Throughout the novel everyone is constantly …show more content…
The book 1984 was a political statement by George Orwell. It did not declare that the society depicted would become a reality in the future. Orwell wrote this novel in order to give a warning to mankind. A warning that would become the world as we know it if mankind did not become aware of the attacks on their individual freedom and did not defend their right to individual thought. The many tragedies that Winston faces are insignificant to the meaning that they give to the reader. Winston being the last free-willed man in Europe, is an attempt by Orwell to explain a deeper message to the reader. Although there can be many possible interpretations, one such thought is if mankind strays too far from what matters, the ability to express oneself freely, there may be no turning back. This is enforced by the knowledge that life is no fairy tale, and good shall not always triumph over evil. At the end of the story this one idea may very well be the reason that George Orwell wrote 1984. The idea that he could warn mankind from his deepest fear through the story of Winston’s search
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 ...
...ptions to choose. Winston world is controlled by the party. By limiting his options to what he sees and what he does not see, the party is successful in controlling Winston’s free will in a direction that favors their ideals. Free will does not disappear in the ignorant nor does it disappear in the closed minded, therefore one cannot say that Winston has not lost free will simply because information is controlled and he suppresses idea contrary to the party. It would not be erroneous to say that if the circumstances were different, if Winston lived in a democratic society where the majority truly rules instead of a party and information truly flows freely, Winston would act different because the environment would be different; there is more information and thus more paths for his free will to take. But in the world of George Orwell’s distopia this is not the case.
From the beginning of the novel, it was inevitable that Big brother would eventually win, and Winston would be caught by the thought police. He could never have an immediate affect on the Party. His long and pointless struggle achieved no result in the end, and finally was brainwashed and lost any freedom of thought he once had.
The novel, 1984, by George Orwell, depicts a dystopian society where no freedom exists; not even the freedom of thought. The scene takes place in Oceania, a society in which the ruling power called “the Party” strictly controls everything people do: from the way they speak, to how they move, to their very own thoughts. Winston Smith, the main character of 1984, struggles through the day to day life of having to blend into the brainwashed citizens of Oceania, where monitors called telescreens record and analyze every little movement. Anyone not showing signs of loyalty and homogeneity become vaporized, or in other words, cease to exist and become deleted from history. Tired of his constricted life, Winston decides
1984 also show how it is to be and outsider in a communistic state, which is kind of how Orwell was himself. He often spent time living the life of one in poverty all because he hated the way the better off people were treated like they were special all because they had more change in their pocket. Orwell wanted to be an outsider, quitting multiple jobs all because he did not agree with their policies. He portrayed all of this in the novel 1984, With Winston being an outsider, Winston is also against the abuse of the totalitarian government and the way they
The year 1984 has since passed but George Orwell's almost apocalyptic vision of the future could still very well happen in the near future. 1984 presents a society that has obscured all signs of individuality, love, opportunity, and critical thought. George Orwell's appointed the mood in a "Negative Utopia" which illustrates the despair of the future of society. He contrasts this mood with a popular philosophy of the Buddhist religion in that humanity has the ability to create peace and love. These contrasting views set up the premise for the life of Winston, who is the protagonist character caught in a society devoted to conformity. Winston Smith is a thin, frail, thoughtful, and intellectual, mid-age man who hates the totalitarian control and enforced power of his government. Orwell's warning message in his book is to display that if people cannot change the way things are going, our society will lose all human qualities. They will become soulless machines and not have a clue as to their new world they created for themselves. Winston is different from the rest of his society which is a civilization that does not approve of individuality of your true self. Being different in this world only means rebellion and that’s exactly what Winston sets out to do. He believes that although he must conform on the outside, that no one can take his individual thought away. Winston's individuality is the only hope for human nature for he questions the most basic principles of the regime, a thoughtcrime. One idea Winston questions about his society is the concept of freedom and why it doesn’t match its actual definition. "How could you have a slogan like 'freedom is slavery' when the concept of freedom has been abolished?" Winston goes on about ...
George Orwell creates a dark, depressing and pessimistic world where the government has full control over the masses in the novel 1984. The protagonist, Winston, is low-level Party member who has grown to resent the society that he lives in. Orwell portrays him as a individual that begins to lose his sanity due to the constrictions of society. There are only two possible outcomes, either he becomes more effectively assimilated or he brings about the change he desires. Winston starts a journey towards his own self-destruction. His first defiant act is the diary where he writes “DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER.” But he goes further by having an affair with Julia, another party member, renting a room over Mr. Carrington’s antique shop where Winston conducts this affair with Julia, and by following O’Brien who claims to have connections with the Brotherhood, the anti-Party movement led my Emmanuel Goldstein. Winston and Julia are both eventually arrested by the Thought Police when Mr. Carrington turns out to be a undercover officer. They both eventually betray each other when O’Brien conducts torture upon them at the Ministry of Love. Orwell conveys the limitations of the individual when it comes to doing something monumental like overthrowing the established hierarchy which is seen through the futility of Winston Smith’s actions that end with his failure instead of the end of Big Brother. Winston’s goal of liberating himself turns out to be hopeless when the people he trusted end up betraying him and how he was arbitrarily manipulated. It can be perceived that Winston was in fact concerned more about his own sanity and physical well-being because he gives into Big Brother after he is tortured and becomes content to live in the society he hated so much. Winston witnesses the weakness within the prole community because of their inability to understand the Party’s workings but he himself embodies weakness by sabotaging himself by associating with all the wrong people and by simply falling into the arms of Big Brother. Orwell created a world where there is no use but to assimilate from Winston’s perspective making his struggle utterly hopeless.
Throughout the novel, Winston’s sole belief was to be apart from the rest of the Party’s ideals. However, his humanity fails him as he exclaims to O’Brien, “Do it to Julia!... Not me! Julia! I don’t care what you do to her. Tear her face off, strip her to the bones. Not me! Not me!” (286). This is the moment where O’Brien breaks Winston. Winston becomes a prisoner in his own mind by not having the freedom that he expressed earlier in the novel by knowing “that two plus two make four” (81). His freedom is so far from his mind, that he does not know the meaning of the word anymore. Winston also has a tendency to “[push a] picture out of his mind…a false memory” as he calls it which “did not matter so long as one knew them for what they were” (296). He, in fact, no longer knows what a real memory is. The Party’s manipulation of Winston finally succeeds manipulating Winston by limiting the way he perceives memories. Although, Winston thinks “everything [is] all right, the struggle [is] finished, and he wins the victory over himself” only knowing that “he [loves] Big Brother” (298). The simplicity in this ending makes it seem that Winston is at peace; the man versus self-struggle is over. He does not have to constantly think or move in secret. In a way, this gives him a sort of ‘freedom’ that he could not have with his own
Winston works for 1 of the 4 government agency’s, The Ministry of Truth. In his job he re-writes old news articles so they show that The Party has always been and will be in control. By re-writing everything in print, The Party effectively changes history. The only proof of actual history is in the minds of the people who were there. Winston realizes that there is something wrong with this, yet he doesn’t know what. The re-writing of history is all he has ever known. It is most likely Winston’s job that leads him to rebel against The Party.
Some of Winston’s acts of rebellion included questioning authority figures and asking about history and not blindly believing whatever the Party told him. After contemplating actions against the Party leading to his torture, Winston realizes that to stay alive in the Party, “Stupidity was as necessary as intelligence, and as difficult to attain,” illustrating how if citizens are intelligent, curious, and question too much, they will be punished by the Party (Orwell 279). Although numerous, the proles could never rebel as long as they were not smart enough and not educated by the party. Their lack of intelligence may have been the only factor holding them back. Fabricating information is also easier when a society only knows as much as a government wants them to know. If the people's knowledge is not within the government's control, then from other sources, they will realize that the information and news they're hearing are lies. People don't react well to being lied to and they might call the government out on their lies, which can lead to rebellion. Along with intelligence, people gain confidence from education and knowledge. Winston lacks this confidence and is absorbed in his self-doubt, which may have led to his capture. By limiting their knowledge, the Party makes it impossible for citizens to rebel. Moreover, the
George Orwell wrote 1984 about 35 years before the actual year of 1984. He created a scene in which something different from the norm was not accepted in society, the “Thought Police”, and the Party. Every move and word said by a human being the government tried to see or listen too. However, Winston and Julia, a couple in love, try to find ways around the surveillance. Winston eventually learns that not only is it not safe to go against the party but not right. He learns not to ever rebel against the system, otherwise he will be severely punished. Even the people he thought he could trust could turn out to be a Party member or even on the “Thought Police” force.
Orwell's 1984, Winston is aware that his rebellious thoughts and actions will ultimately bring upon his
Orwell's sets the mood of the book as one of hopelessness for the future of humans. He contrasts this mood with a popular philosophy: belief in the progress of humanity and the ability of people to institute peace and justice in the world. These contrasting views set up the premise for the life of Winston Smith, who is one man caught in a society devoted to conformity. Orwell's warning to this is that if people cannot change the way things are going, our society will lose their human qualities. They will become soulless machines and not have a clue as to their new world they created. This is the world in which Winston Smith is caught in. He is different from the others and in a civilization which does not approve of individuality, Winston is targeted by the government from the beginning. Being different in this populace only means rebellion and that exactly is what Winston sets out to do. Winston believes that although he must conform on the outside, that no one can take his individual thought away. Winston's individuality is the only hope for human nature for he questions the most basic principles of the regime, a thoughcrime. One doctrine Winston questions is the concept of freedom-
... gives in to Big Brother, and begins to praise and love him, “He loved Big Brother”. Orwells ending is very different than most novels, the ending leaves the readers questioning them selves, hoping that there is more to it, that there is hope for Winston, But no. Orwell finishes the novel with a dark and hopeless ending, to try to make it more realistic and relatable. 1984 is a dystopian novel, because Orwell wanted the readers to relate between the world of 1984 and real world, he wanted to try to make the message clearer to the readers, by making the readers think of the ending, and how relatable is it to the current world.
The concept of justice is an important subject in George Orwell’s 1984. Justice is defined according to Plato as “the interest of the stronger”. Justice plays a big role in 1984’s society. Justice is understood differently by the protagonists of the text than how it is represented by the societies in which they live.