Essay Outline For George Orwell's '1984'

1281 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Symbolism and Literary Techniques in George Orwell's

1. Point of View - position of the speaker in the story
a. “O’Brien had turned himself a little in his chair so that he was facing Winston. He almost ignored Julia, seeming to take it for granted that Winston could speak for her.” (152)
b. This story is in 3rd person-limited point of view. The narration is only limited Winston because having the opinions and thoughts of other characters would leave much less for the reader to find out on their own. This is not 3rd person omniscient because with an omniscient narrator present, there would be multiple viewpoints given and change the story completely. The suspense and mystery created by having the view and insight of one character makes this story much more interesting.

2. Personification - giving human characteristics to non-living objects
a. “On each landing, opposite the lift shaft, the poster with the enormous face gazed from the wall. It was one of those pictures which are so contrived that the eyes follow you about when you move. Big Brother Is Watching You, the caption beneath it read.” (1)
b. Orwell depicts the “Big Brother” poster as one that is “always watching” and “the eyes follow you”, giving it an eerie and menacing sense to introduce the story and Big Brother. It leads the reader to feel like there is no escape for Winston under the …show more content…

Throughout the novel, the up and coming and continuously modified language of the people is called Newspeak and is being created day by day. By creating this new language, “Oldspeak”, or normal English, is intended to be replaced in order to further the government’s control over the citizens because the new language shortens the words as well as the amount of words, thus decreasing the amount citizens can think. Newspeak was divided into 3 categories; A vocabulary, B vocabulary, and C vocabulary. A vocabulary included words needed for everyday life, B vocabulary included words for political purposes, and C vocabulary included scientific and technical

Show More
Related

  • 1984 Summer Assignment

    1093 Words  | 3 Pages

    Big Brother - Big Brother is the enigmatic dictator of Oceania. In the society that Orwell describes, everyone is under complete surveillance by the authorities. The people are constantly reminded of this by the phrase "Big Brother is watching you", which is the core "truth" of the propaganda system in this state. In the novel, it is unclear if Big Brother is a man or an image crafted by the Party. In a book supposedly written by the rebel Emmanuel Goldstein, it is stated that nobody has ever seen Big Brother. His function is to act as a focusing point for love, fear, and reverence.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between 1984 And 1984

    461 Words  | 1 Pages

    Between the poem, ¨ No one died in Tiananmen Square¨ by William Lutz and the novel, 1984 by George Orwell there are multiple similarities. Subjects such as their government, their denial of history, and the use of doublethink and re-education are all parallel between the novel and the poem. For instance, both the governments have a highly strict government. Their governments are so controlling of their people that they use brute force in order to help re-educate them. For example, in 1984 the main character, Winston Smith was trying to go against their government, The Party, and because he tries to do so, he is placed in The Ministry of Love and brutally beaten by the man whom he assumed was a part of the Brotherhood, O'Brien. O'Brien claimed

    Read More

  • Orwell And 1984 Comparison Essay

    1081 Words  | 3 Pages

    North Korea, China, and even Cuba are similar to 1984. They try to control their people just the same as in 1984, and just like in Jonestown. The only people who were free in 1984 were the Proles. The community in Jonestown began as everyone wanting to be there, and then as conditions worsened the people wanted to leave. They were not allowed to, much like 1984. The people in both situations are similar, in that they are oppressed by their governments, but only the people in Jonestown are given the ability to think they are even able to

    Read More

  • The Dystopian Society In The Novel 1984, By George Orwell

    1386 Words  | 3 Pages

    Tired of his constricted life, Winston decides to take part in rebellious acts against the Party and attempts to overthrow the government that rules over him. As one could imagine, Winston’s personality does not conform to the rest of the population, because he possesses original characteristics that make him different. For example, within the first few pages of the novel, Winston wrote down the words “DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER” several times in his journal (Orwell 16). “Big Brother” stands for the leader of the Party who supposedly watches over everybody.

    Read More

  • Individuality In By George Orwell

    1009 Words  | 3 Pages

    Orwell explores the social impact of government through the means of Big Brother and how it affects social conformity. Big Brother is a character presented in the novel which exercises restriction and maximum control of the mass. Winston writes, “Down with the Big Brother” (Orwell 19). From the beginning of the novel, readers see Winston’s extreme disgust with the government.

    Read More

  • George Orwell 1984 Analysis

    1399 Words  | 3 Pages

    George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984 follows the psychological journey of main character Winston. Winston lives in a utopian society called Oceania. There, the citizens are constantly monitored by their government coined “Big Brother” or “The Party”. In Oceania, there is no form of individuality or privacy. Citizens are also coerced to believe everything and anything the government tells them, even if it contradicts reality and memory. The goal of Big Brother is to destroy individual loyalties and make its citizenry only loyal to the government. In Orwell's novel 1984, he uses Winston's psychological journey to stress the dangers of individuality in a totalitarian regime because it can result in death. Winston’s overwhelming desire to rebel

    Read More

  • The Novel 1984 by George Orwell

    1995 Words  | 4 Pages

    Since the beginning of time man has tried to build vast empires to control the globe. Manifest Destiny has been sown into our human nature creating in us the desire to conquer. In the United States, we are accustomed to a safe democratic government where everyone has a voice and freedoms, but what if it all changed? What would it even look like for America to be stripped of all our freedoms, rights, and liberties? We think this is crazy and could never happen, but George Orwell illustrates, throughout his novel 1984, the possible dangers of complete government control. Even though this exaggerated society seems farfetched, many of his fictional governmental qualities are starting to line up with our government today.

    Read More

  • Analysis of George Orwell's 1984

    4217 Words  | 9 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Explusion Of A Dystopia In George Orwell's 1984

    854 Words  | 2 Pages

    A Dystopia is defined as a futuristic, imagined universe in which there is oppressive, societal control. In a Dystopia the illusion of a perfect society is maintained through corporate, technological, or totalitarian control. Dystopias make a criticisms about a current trend, societal norm, or political system through an exaggerated worst-case scenario. Nineteen eighty-four is a dystopian novel published in 1949 by English author George Orwell.

    Read More

  • Dystopian Themes In George Orwell's In 1984

    1722 Words  | 4 Pages

    It is of mixed opinions as to the popularity of modern society and that of the current government. Some believe the United States is, frankly, the best and most free country. They are those who enjoy the freedoms granted by the government and indulge themselves into the American culture. Others are not as fond; always searching for an excuse to criticize the current happenings, whether they be in the government or on the streets. In previous decades, such as the 1940s, the majority of citizens shared the more patriotic view. When comparing the current United States as a whole to that of a dystopian society, it becomes clear that the former faction may be looking through rose colored glasses. The dystopian motifs in George Orwell 's 1984 stemmed

    Read More

  • Reading Journal: The Importance Of Language In 'George Orwell'

    1716 Words  | 4 Pages

    It is a reduced version of English using the least amount of words as possible. Newspeak is destroying words and cutting down the English language to the point of being able to express yourself with one word.

    Read More

  • Free Essay on George Orwell's 1984

    666 Words  | 2 Pages

    The novel 1984 by George Orwell is a fictional future where The Party controls everything. The Party is lead by a larger than life figurehead named Big Brother. The main character is Winston Smith. The story is divided into 3 parts and chronicles Winston’s rebellion against and then re-entering of The Party.

    Read More

  • Free Essay on George Orwell's 1984

    412 Words  | 1 Pages

    George Orwell's 1984 takes place in Oceania, a country ruled by English Socialism (Ingsoc) and an all-powerful organization known as the Party. For most people, there is an inadequate supply of goods, and everything is ugly and tastes horrible. Winston, the main character, constantly wonders if the past was better. In the society he lives in, there is no love, trust, or friendship. Although these people live in a world like this, revolt is impossible because man is no longer human.

    Read More

  • Mental And Mental Torture In George Orwell's 1984

    1038 Words  | 3 Pages

    O’Brien begins to “improve” Winston’s mind through physical pain; by using cruel methods of torture, he succeeds in weakening and molding Winston’s mentality. In their early sessions, O’Brien tries to convince Winston of his “truth” that two plus two equals five. He subjects Winston to physical pain until Winston’s mind begins to question itself. Eventually torture wears him down to the point of madness, as “the scenery of his mind changed”. He saw five fingers and there was no deformity.”

    Read More

  • Major Themes Of The Setting In 1984 By George Orwell

    1144 Words  | 3 Pages

    The setting is important to the overall novel studied because it helps highlight major themes in the novel, it further characterizes the motivations of the characters, and helps explain the overall message of the novel. In 1984 by George Orwell, the overall setting of the novel is in London, which is called Airship 1 in Oceania.

    Read More

More about Essay Outline For George Orwell's '1984'

Open Document