Winston's Power In 1984

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George Orwell, the author of 1984, uses his protagonist, Winston, to explore the inner conflicts we face as human beings when confronted with the injustice of an all-powerful government and illustrates the need to develop personal responsibility for our own lives and actions. Winston Smith is a man who doubts the honesty of the ever present oppressive government that rules Oceania, one of three superpowers in the world of 1984. Big Brother is the name given to the government in the book. The government has developed its own language and is constantly at war with the other two superpowers Eastasia and Eurasia. Big Brother watches its citizens at all times. In this society thinking for yourself has become punishable by death. As Winston's rebellion …show more content…

As his story develops, the quietly insubordinate Winston begins to challenge the extent of the Party’s power. He unfortunately discovers that The Party’s ability to monitor and control its citizens doesn’t compare to his paranoid notions of its influence. As the story develops we begin to see through Winston’s eyes how The Party uses a number of techniques to control its citizens, each of which is an important theme in the novel. The Party watches Winston through telescreens at all times, no matter where he goes. Everywhere he looks he can see the face of the Party’s leader. The Party controls everything in Oceania, even the people’s history and language. They are forcing the use of an invented language called Newspeak in an attempt to prevent political rebellion by eliminating all words that are considered related to it. Even thinking rebellious thoughts is illegal. Rebellious thoughts are viewed as thoughtcrime and considered to be the worst of all crimes. An act of self-expression, like simply writing in a diary, is an unpardonable crime. Winston is overcome with fear when he realizes that he has written “DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER”. This is clear evidence that he believes in the inescapable presence of

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