Sam Johnson Mrs. Franz English 10 P.6 7 March 2016 Sophomore Research Paper (Rough Draft) In the novel 1984 by George Orwell, a character known as Winston lives in a complete Totalitarianism community in London. A Totalitarianism community is one that a ruler, or group of rulers, controls all aspects of people 's personal and public lives. In 1984, Winston struggles to follow and obey the government’s orders and is constantly afraid that the ministry of truth (like a police department) will come and bust down his door in the middle of the night. Until one day they do. They take him away to a special place and when he comes back he is a different person. Ironically, while Orwell wrote the book, he lived in a time when a totalitarianism George Orwell published 1984 “during the reign of Russian leader Joseph Stalin...who was proving to be a cruel and violent dictator” (Stanley 245). Joseph Stalin can be easily distinguished as the Big Brother in 1984, “Big Brother seemed to tower up, an invincible, fearless protector, standing like a rock against the hordes of Asia...the hostile figure melted into the face of Big Brother, black-haired, black-moustachio 'd, full of power and mysterious calm, and so vast that it almost filled up the screen” (Orwell 16). Big Brother, in this case, is the ruler of the party, the leader of the totalitarian community Winston lives in. It is unbelievably similar to Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union which George Orwell was witnessing the horrors of everyday. Another similar aspect of the Soviet Union and the Party in 1984, was Independence or the feeling of being free because it didn 't exist. In the Soviet Union, absolutely “No one, of course, at this time thought of independence. The nationalists demanded respect for the economic interests of the nation, and above all promotion of the national culture and language” (Kenez 231). This is an important part of the Soviet Union’s history. The future looked so dark, so morbid, that people saw no future. This fact was accepted as life in the Union, as it was accepted in 1984. One of the most famous quotes in 1984 refers to All competing pleasures will be destroyed. But always—do not forget this, Winston—always there will be the intoxication of power, constantly increasing and constantly growing subtler. Always, at every moment, there will be the thrill of victory, the sensation of trampling on an enemy who is helpless. If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face … forever” (Orwell
George Orwell’s haunting dystopian novel 1984 delves into the closely monitored lives of the citizens of Oceania as the Party tries to take control of society. In totalitarianism, propaganda and terrorism are ways of subjugation with a main goal: total obedience. He aimed to create a “what if” novel, what would happen if totalitarian regimes, such as the Nazis and Soviets, were to take over the world. If totalitarianism were to happen, the leader would be the brain of the whole system. Orwell emphasizes the theme of individualism versus collective identity through Winston, the protagonist, and his defiance to the Party and Big Brother, with a frightening tone, surreal imagery and a third person limited point of view.
Imagine living in a world where one’s whole life had been planned out for them by the Government; a life in which there were no surprises simply because everyday consisted of the same thing. 1984 written by George Orwell can be an archetype for this kind of world. Living in a totalitarian society, Winston Smith is a low ranked member of the ruling party in London. Winston is constantly watched by the party and had little to no privacy whatsoever. Everywhere he goes, Winston sees face of the party’s leader, called Big Brother. Winston goes through the same motions everyday, secretly hating the party and hoping that there are people around him that aren’t ignorant, but feel the same way as him. If people are ignorant and blindly follow what the
George Orwell’s key objective throughout his novel, 1984, was to convey to his readers the imminent threat of the severe danger that totalitarianism could mean for the world. Orwell takes great measures to display the horrifying effects that come along with complete and dominant control that actually comes along with totalitarian government. In Orwell’s novel, personal liberties and individual freedoms that are protected and granted to many Americans today, are taken away and ripped from the citizen’s lives. The government takes away freedom and rights from the people so that the ruling class (which makes up the government), while reign with complete supremacy and possess all power.
For many readers, the ending of George Orwell’s 1984 is a kick to the gut. Throughout the novel George Orwell teases the audience with the idea that there was going to be some sort of happy ending, and that Winston as an individual could live his life without control of the Party. In the end, he becomes brainwashed just like every other member of society. However, as readers we should have been able to pick up that the real end came in the beginning. When Winston began writing in that journal it was the beginning of the end for him and although he claims he won the victory over himself, the only real victor, in reality, is the Party. Orwell uses the book, and specifically the last chapter, to give a warning of what it would be like to live in a totalitarian society under complete control of the government.
The novel 1984, written by George Orwell in 1949, details the life of a one Winston Smith and his constant, life long battle to defeat Big Brother. This dystopian vision of the future serves as a reminder to the reader that anything can happen, but it is up to humanity to shape what kind of future is wanted in the end. Although Orwell’s novel is rather convincing to the people of this time, it serves only as a warning to one of many outcomes that the world could face. This book was Orwell’s idea of how life could have ended up; had people not realized that there is always a way to change what we do not like in life. Through the author’s many literary techniques, he was able to weave in meaning and importance to simple everyday objects
Perfection is inevitable, words that speak truth in many ways. In George Orwell’s famous novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, Winston Smith, the main character, lives in a totalitarian regime set in London in the year he thinks is 1984. Winston works for the controlling government, but is a member of the country’s lowest caste. Within Orwell’s novel, it supports that in reality, a utopian society cannot work, because of how dictating the totalitarian government is within the novel establishing the dystopian civilization.
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.
Totalitarianism is one of the main themes in 1984. In WWII Europe, Oceania became the ruling power with the so called “Party” ruling everybody and have the “Big Brother” at its head. Some examples of totalitarianism is how they make people workout, they put tele-screens everywhere to monitor the peoples actions, also they refuse to allow any sexual intercourse outside of marriage. “Winston kept his back turned to the tele-screen. It was safer, though, as he well knew, even a back can be revealing” (Book 1, Chapter 1). This quote represents how fearful Winston is that he ...
Attempting to challenge something that is stronger and more powerful than any rebellious individual is nearly impossible. Remaining silent about one’s opinions may not seem like the best way to live, but in some cases, it could be the only way to survive. In 1984 by George Orwell, the Party is the powerful totalitarian government that constantly violates the rights of its citizens. Winston decides to challenge the Party, which leads to problems that could have been easily avoided. The only way that Winston could have preserved his dignity was by keeping his rebellious thoughts a secret.
Winston’s life is replete with pain and misery, even with the experience of a brief time of happiness and love; there is always something that pulls his down to “reality”. Orwell makes clear that there is no happy ending; totalitarianism does not permit such an ending; for Winston must be crushed. Else, if Winston were to create and live in the paradise, Orwell would not have successfully showed the true nature of totalitarian government.
Whether they wish to admit it or not, anyone who holds any position of power and authority enjoys the control that comes with being in that position. In most cases, they are willing to essentially sell their soul to the devil to keep the position. George Orwell offers his perspective on the means by which authority seeks to retain their control in his novel 1984. Sometime during the twentieth century, the story unfolds in London with the oligarchy, the Party, in control of Oceania. Orwell depicts the paralleled views of inhabitants on present society. Winston Smith, a man with a longing for change to occur and hope that the concept of free thinking will return to his home even if he is not alive to see it. Unknown to him is that the Party has had him under surveillance for over seven years. They have placed a mysterious figure in his path to deceive him in order to spark a gradual turn. Unfortunately for Winston, he will soon be completely removed from history. In 1984, George Orwell uses characters, such as Winston, Julia, O’Brien and Mr. Charrington, to expand on his theme that a party in power must have complete control of its subjects to keep its supremacy.
In the novel 1984, George Orwell predicts the world’s future, when human rights, such as freedom of speech, do not exist anymore. Everyone has to obey the government. The government controls its citizens’ lives. No one speaks up against the government yet because they do not even have a chance to make up a thought about it. The government dominates the citizens’ thoughts by using technologies and the thought polices to make sure no one will have any thoughts, that is against the government. George Orwell wrote:“Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows,” (Orwell.2.7.69) the government tries to control Winston knowledge and change it to fit into the purpose of the Party. To Winston, O’Brien said: “Whatever the Party holds to be truth is truth. It is impossible to see reality except by looking through the eyes of the Party.” (Orwell.3.2.205). As a citizen, no one get to look at or tal...
Because of the people in our current society, life on Earth will never be like the one in 1984 by George Orwell, and the reader can see that through the experiences Winston went through compared to our real life. Winston experienced the control of the government how they regulated how people thought and acted, they predicted every single move someone made. Although there may be some persuasion in our society, we are all independent people who will have a different impact on the world. Our society does have rules and regulations, and we are watched in some public areas for safety but it is nowhere near the extremity of Big Brother. One can say that our society in the United States is nothing like the one in 1984
Works of dystopian fiction have served to display the dark side of human nature, the most common themes of this dark genre is oppression, poverty, and squalor. Though in most pieces of text written in this genre the protagonist often views the oppression as something wrong, and often find themselves trying to bring to light the true horrors of their way of life. In George Orwell’s novel 1984, the bureaucracy that controls society known as The Party, dehumanizes their citizens by constantly monitoring their actions, way of life, very thoughts, and manipulating their own history so that the government is seen as always right. Winston Smith, the protagonist of the novel has always found something wrong with their society, and often secretly resisted the common way of thinking. Winston illuminates the danger of totalitarianism and how it has the ability destroy mankind's most human qualities.
Liberty and truth are the fundamental aspects of human rights. When we lack these freedoms, we lose a large part of our humanity. In George Orwell’s 1984, Winston represents truth in a deceptive world. Big Brother is the omnipotent and all-powerful leader in Oceania. Everything the government dictates is unquestionably true, regardless of prior knowledge. Even thinking of ideas that go against Big Brother’s regime, or thoughtcrime, is punishable by death. Winston serves as the dystopian hero, longing for freedom and change. Orwell uses Winston to emphasize the importance of individual freedoms, as they give us the ability to fulfillingly lead our respective lives.