Dictatorship In George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four

A person’s individuality is integral towards dividing them from the conformists; renouncing that identity would only ensure consummate control upon the individual - a malleable onerous the government would cordially lap up. They are genteel to the dictator's ideology, and become uniform with the rest of the tyrant’s enslaved society - difficult to discern and ultimately, abject. In the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, Winston Smith - the novel’s main protagonist - is deprived of free will while under Big Brother’s ruling. George Orwell - the book’s author - intentionally subdues Winston within Big Brother’s dystopian society in order to illustrate the farcical of dictatorship. By condemning characters into a totalitarian government without the aptitude

During George Orwell’s time, he had spent a considerable amount serving in Spain, where he witnessed the Spanish Revolution due to “the military coup of July 1936” (“The Orwell Wars” 54). Orwell had seen the corruption, but it allowed him the revelation that rebellions were necessary for change. Similarly, Orwell’s view is reflected back in Nineteen Eighty-Four as Winston notes how “if there was hope, it must lie in the proles” (69; pt.1, ch.7). Currently, Winston lives in a society where their despot, Big Brother, dictates every move; Winston is unable to act without the pressure of offending Big Brother. Although, Winston knows the only way to overthrow Big Brother, is to enlist the aid of the proles - since they are the only group of people capable of transgressing beyond the laws. Winston puts faith into the proles because what he ultimately wants, is change - for the people and government. He is tired of being restrained and forced to obliged to Big Brother. As Orwell continues to write about Winston’s attempts at a revolution, he depicts how it will only work if people are willing to rebel. When humanity is contingent on a revolt to achieve freedom, that is when change towards the government will be reached. Even John David Frodsham explains how "Orwell writes out of a passion for freedom" (139). To highlight Orwell's novel, he alludes humanity’s capability of change

As Orwell returned to Britain from Spain, he attempted to publish the factual events that occurred instead of the lies that were circulating ("The Orwell Wars" 54). However, he was distraught at Britain "[accepting] without question . . . wholly inaccurate versions of events" ("The Orwell Wars" 54). Orwell was vitriolic at the editor of NS for refusing to publish his article, and "never forgave those who denied him a platform . . . to set the story straight" ("The Orwell Wars" 54). Comparatively, in the novel, the concept of “doublethink,” forces citizens “to know and not to know” (Orwell 35; 1. 3). Despite them knowing the truth, they will manipulate themselves to believe the lies, and then force themselves to forget the truth. Orwell intentionally creates doublethink to express how citizens are unable to think for themselves. Every thought that they “think,” should match with what the Party wants them to “think” is right. Therefore, making the Party always correct. Through the environment Nineteen Eighty-Four citizens are subjected into, Orwell reveals the frustration humans experience towards being unable to openly think and speak. Even though humans are competent of figuring out the truth, they are hindered by the government that controls them, and compel to contradict themselves