Does History Affect The Present In 1984 By George Orwell

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In George Orwell's 1984 the government holds complete control over citizens thoughts. Our protagonist, Winston, has an inside view into Big Brothers workings through his job, inspiring him to lead a self-rebellion that is ultimately discovered and punished by Big Brother. In this novel Orwell poses the question "How does manipulating history effect the present?" Through both the history the government creates and erases Orwell shows that he who controls the present controls the past. The creation of history within the novel shows the reader one way the government is able to manipulate the past. For example, Winston says "Oceania was at war with Eurasia; therefore, Oceania had always been at war with Eurasia," despite knowing that Oceania had …show more content…

Orwell writes, "As soon as all the corrections had been assembled and collated that number would be reprinted. The original copy destroyed, and the correct copy places on the files in its stead." (42) This illustrates how the party is able to so easily get rid of any history that does not align with their agenda. Winston's job at the Ministry of Truth is to erase anything that contradicts what the Party wants people to believe, for example a photo of 3 men that would prove them innocent to accusations being placed on them by the Party. By placing these proofs in the memory holes every last shred of them is destroyed. If everything proving them wrong is eradicated, and false truths to prove them correct are created, they acquire an invincible control over the present. The author further explains this theme in writing, "Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, ever statue and street and building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And that process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Party is always right. I know, of course, that the past was falsified, but it would never be possible for me to prove it, even when I did the falsification myself." (155) The author clearly reveals Winston's acceptance of the Party's lies of the pasts as truth of the present in this quote. All aspects of the past are at the Party's disposal to perpetuate their

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