Written in 1948, George Orwell’s “1984” shows the negligent actions of a government within a dystopian novel. Orwell depicts a dictatorship society where the government uses mind games, and even an altered past, to misguide the country’s citizens. Due to a lack of individualism, people act in accordance to the commands of the government and the concept of family ceases to exist. Throughout the novel, the citizens’ minds are psychologically altered in order to maintain a solid, totalitarian society. In order to gain this quantity and quality of control, the politicians in “1984” control the citizen’s thinking and destroy their freedom by creating fear with propaganda, laws and continual surveillance. Propaganda in “1984” is an unforgivable method of misguiding the attitudes of a person to believe an alternate reality. Chances of propaganda being the best method of control utilized by authorities are ranked the most effective. With this notion, politicians are capable of manipulating the residents of Oceania’s minds. The main character, Winston Smith, himself alters the news, history books, personas and other various documents in accordance to the party’s desires and demands. A memory hole takes the inconvenient and falsified documents, photographs and other records down a small chute where it will be incinerated in attempt to give the impression that something never happened. Regardless, there are two types of propaganda utilized to create alarm- doublethink and doublespeak. Doublethink changes truth and doublespeak creates fear in the world of “1984.” The party’s slogan, “WAR IS PEACE. FREEDOM IS SLAVERY. IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.” (6), is one way they convince others that the party is there for the benefit of the people, and what t... ... middle of paper ... ...nced the party is flawless, and without Big Brother their lives would be worse off, but in actuality they are in danger every single waking and sleeping moment. In conclusion, the government utilizes the use of propaganda, laws and surveillance to gain ultimate control over a misguided country. Historical records are constantly fitted to the Outer Party’s desire, laws greatly restrict individualism, and surveillance reinforces this fear by constantly monitoring what a person says or does- even a simple twitch could lead to vaporization. It’s a novel like this that allows us to see how the government can take advantage of the powers they possess. It builds appreciation to live in a democratic country and have the freedom unrecognizable by the citizens in “1984.” Works Cited Orwell, George, and Erich Fromm. 1984: A Novel. New York, NY: Signet Classic, 1961. Print.
In 1984, people 's thinking are controlled by lies, invented stories and false information. The stories of the past are all altered and the information is constantly changing every day without leaving any sign of change. The party uses propaganda as a deadly weapon to control its citizen’s mind. One type of the propaganda which is common in 1984 is called “doublethink”. As the book describes it as, “the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them.” (270). Propaganda ensures people of their society and makes them to think that they have a better life in contrast to other zones. One of the famous propaganda used are the three slogans, “WAR IS PEACE. FREEDOM IS SLAVERY. IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.” (4). This is an example of glittering generalities technique where an emotionally appealing phrase with powerful words is use to evoke emotions. As an example, the song “doublespeak” from Thrice that also deals with the concept of doublethink, describes a genocidal society where killing innocent people who are rebelling for their rights is common and in order for them to remain sane, they would rather hold their silence. The strongest part of the song is where it says, “I keep my toes on the party line/There is nothing wrong dear, don’t think twice”. It is trying to say that no one considers rebellion since the Party is already governing in the best
Kaitlin Gleydura Mrs. Julian English IV-5 March 11, 2016 Deception in 1984 George Orwell’s novel, 1984, is a dystopian literary text that illuminates the tenets of totalitarian and authoritarian governance in most areas where the leaders seek total loyalty and near hero worship. It was published in 1949, but has since remained relevant because its details promoted authoritarian political constructs and the political leadership concepts that evolved in the globe over time. Set in Oceania province in Airstrip One, formerly known as Great Britain, the book displays an omnipresent government that institutes constant state surveillance on the people that it suspects to be a threat to its regime and agitators of rebellion. It infringes on human rights to the extent that it criminalizes even the thought processes of the associates and the people it governs. Any purported ideology pointing to the political emancipation of the people and attempting to make them rebel is criminalized.
The Party and its leader Big Brother play the role of authority in 1984. The Party is always watching the citizens of the Republic of Oceania. This is exemplified in the fact that the government has telescreens through which they can watch you wherever you are set up almost everywhere. Even in the countryside where there are no telescreens, the Party can monitor its citizens through hidden microphones disguised as flowers. The Thought Police are capable of spying on your thoughts at anytime, and can arrest or even kill you on a whim. Not only does the Thought Police find and hunt down felons, but it also scares others into being good citizens. The Party strives to eliminate more and more words from people’s vocabularies. Thus, the Party can destroy any possibilities of revolutions and conspiracies against itself. Its ultimate goal is to reduce the language to only one word, eliminating thought of any kind. The Party makes people believe that it is good and right in its actions through the Ministry of Truth and through the slogans printed on the Ministry of Truth:...
The novel 1984, by George Orwell, made me paranoid. It made me suspicious of our government's power and intentions. I became aware of the potential manipulation which the government could impose upon us. I came to see that the people I believe to be wholly dedicated to the well-being of society, the people I rely so heavily on to provide protection and security have the power to betray us at any given time. I realised that in my naivety I had gravely overlooked the powerful grip government has over society, and what it can do with that power.
... to the one the Party establishes in 1984. The government keeps essential information away from the public, and technology is abused in multifarious ways to attain power over people. Our freedom in this country is slowly depleting, and we cannot lose that. Even if we eventually lose our freedom, we must be able to hold on to free will, because with that, we are able to still think logically and act appropriately according to conditions. We are lucky to have people fighting against the rise of a 1984 society; it makes our society step back from its flaws. However, it seems that with every covert government action taken and every law passed demeaning our fundamental rights, we are only fighting a battle that we already lost. We can only fight for so long to avoid such a confined society, but the transformation is inevitable. Eventually, two plus two will equal five.
In 1984 many government issues take place, for instance propaganda, secret police, brainwashing, and a wide manner of other devices to oppress their populations. The idea is to illustrate the dangers of totalitarian government whether it be Communist, Fascist, or otherwise. Totalitarianism is an imposing form of government which the political authority exercises control over all aspects of life such as their sex life, and health in general. “If you can feel that staying human is worth while, even when it can't have any result whatever, you've beaten them” (George Orwell, 1984). Also psychological manipulation and mind control are a big controversy in 1984. Psychological manipulation is a social influence that moves towards the behavior of others through deceptive, or even abusive tactics. “And so it was with every class of recorded fact, great or small. Everything faded away into a shadow-world in which, finally, even the date of the year had become uncertain” (book 1, chapter 4). The author, Orwell wants the readers to think that the government monitors and controls everything that the humans do, and that basically everything that people do are against the law.
1984 was first published in 1949 by George Orwell, during which was a crucial time in world history leading up to the Cold War. Orwell, having lived in Spain and Russia communst run countries while growing up, wrote the political novel to warn the Western world of the dangers of a totalitarian government. Although the book can be considered a social commentary on many subjects, I chose the following three to focus on: Power, Media Manipulation and Language.
These examples display the inevitable fact that all over the world subtle but significant events are taking place that appear to signify a shifting toward a totalitarian government, much like the one present in 1984. This is extremely disturbing because most people will agree that the life lived by the characters in 1984, is not one of any value. Though they are “protected” from several of the problems that many of the free world citizens and officials face, they have no control over their thoughts or actions. This leads to unbearable uniformity. It is chilling to know that though George Orwell’s book was written as fiction, portions of it are becoming factual.
War Is Peace. Freedom Is Slavery. Ignorance Is Strength. The party slogan of Ingsoc illustrates the sense of contradiction which characterizes the novel 1984. That the book was taken by many as a condemnation of socialism would have troubled Orwell greatly, had he lived to see the aftermath of his work. 1984 was a warning against totalitarianism and state sponsored brutality driven by excess technology. Socialist idealism in 1984 had turned to a total loss of individual freedom in exchange for false security and obedience to a totalitarian government, a dysutopia. 1984 was more than a simple warning to the socialists of Orwell's time. There are many complex philosophical issues buried deep within Orwell's satire and fiction. It was an essay on personal freedom, identity, language and thought, technology, religion, and the social class system. 1984 is more than a work of fiction. It is a prediction and a warning, clothed in the guise of science fiction, not so much about what could happen as it is about the implications of what has already happened. Rather than simply discoursing his views on the social and political issues of his day, Orwell chose to narrate them into a work of fiction which is timeless in interpretation. This is the reason that 1984 remains a relevant work of social and philosophical commentary more than fifty years after its completion.
“WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.” Part 1,Chapter 1,pg. 6. These three principles were repeatedly emphasized throughout the book and helped lay the foundation of the dystopian society George Orwell imagined in his novel 1984. Fear, manipulation, and control were all encompassed throughout this dystopian society set in the distant future. The freedom to express ones thoughts was no longer acceptable and would not be tolerated under any circumstances. Humankind was rapidly transforming into a corrupt and evil state of mind.
Every part of life is regimented and controlled, but the only crime is ‘thought crime’: independent thinking and individualism. Big Brother is the figurehead of the Inner Party, and throughout the book, it is heavily implied that he may not really exist. The people are divided into Inner Party members, who control the government, Outer Party members, who make up the middle class, and Proletarians, or Proles, who make up the uneducated lower class. He utilizes strong but vague descriptions of the world around Winston to hint at the state of the world without directly saying it. He describes a bright cold day, which seems to perfectly depict the world's bleak state in a sort of indirect way (Orwell, 1948).
Imagine this, you are in a dark cold world where you are being watched 24/7. You begin thinking about the lunch you had an hour ago. The look on your face morphs into a slightly disgusted and disappointed frown as you remember the sandwich that had wilted lettuce and bread that was drenched in mayonnaise. That look costs you your life. The authority feels threatened by the scowl that took control of your face. You are immediately contained and thrown into jail. Although this may seem extreme, the plot of 1984 is an allegory that provides a forewarning to rapidly developing society. The totalitarian regime in George Orwell’s novel, 1984, dehumanizes the citizens of Oceania and strips them of all individuality. The suppressive governing body
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.
Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2004. Orwell, George. A. A. 1984. The. New York, NY: Signet Classics, 1977. Print.
The novel 1984 by George Orwell presents the readers an image of a totalitarian society that explores a world of control, power, and corruption. The main idea of government control presents itself in the novel by protecting and listening to the people of Oceania. However, Orwell suggests giving too much power to the government is a mistake because eventually the decisions they make will not be about the people anymore but rather themselves. In 1984, the power and corruption the party has is overwhelming for the people. There are no ways around the beliefs of the Party, the party attempts to control and eventually destroy any mental or physical resistance against their beliefs. The agenda for the party is to obtain mind control over its people and force them to adore their leader. The methods the Party uses to achieve its goal are: the use of constant propaganda and surveillance, the rewriting of history, and Room 101.