Totalitarian Government and Individuality in Orwell's 1984

1379 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Censorship in television

A totalitarian government relates to a centralized government that does not tolerate parties of differing opinion and that exercises dictatorial control over many aspects of life. In George Orwell’s 1984, the government controls all aspect of the lives of the citizens in Oceania, taking away all individuality. When a totalitarian government gains power, they tend to try and hold onto it with a deathgrip. When a government is given that much power, there is not many things you can do as a citizen, other than sit back and hope for the best. In the novel Nineteen Eighty Four, George Orwell uses the two minutes hate and telescreens to show the importance of keeping your individuality. During George Orwell’s novel, the citizens of Oceania have no control over their lives, personal or not. …show more content…

It predicts what a life would be like without any thought and as we saw, it is not very pretty. If a government were to try and do this today they would not succeed. The reasons for this is that people now know that the government isn’t always correct, and it is okay to question what they say and do. If the people were told that they couldn’t think for themselves anymore, there would be riots all over the place, along with rebellions being formed. People would not hand over their individuality voluntarily, and would put up a fight. We already see a condensed form of the government trying to control citizens through commercials, news reports and media. Even if we may not see it, it does happen. If the government tried to put telescreens into everyone 's home, people wouldn’t stand for it. Once the government gets a little power, they will try and hang on to it with every last resource they can find. You can not let the government control you, because at the point where you can’t think for yourself is when we will lose everything to live

Show More
Related

  • Example Of Individualism In 1984

    759 Words  | 2 Pages

    Noah Miller English Honors: D Ms. Hiller 13 December 2013 1984 Major Essay Assignment. Individualism is the one side versus its opposite, collectivism, that is the degree to which individuals are integrated into groups. When put into a collective whole, one might do for the whole more than one does for oneself.

    Read More

  • Self Control In 1984

    1144 Words  | 3 Pages

    In George Orwell’s dystopian novel, the government blocks almost all forms of self-expression in order to assert its authority over the people. Those within the society who show signs of defiance against the set rules, even those who act unwillingly, are seen as a threat to the success of the regime are wiped from existence. In Orwell’s 1984, the government uses different forms of propaganda and brainwashing to achieve complete control of society for their own personal benefit.

    Read More

  • 1984 and Brave New World

    1312 Words  | 3 Pages

    In 1984, George Orwell explores the many facets of a negative utopia. Orwell seems to focus on the measures that the government takes to maintain a public of plebeians who have no personality or identity and believe that they are not unique individuals, but instead are part of a greater senseless mob of people who constantly work for a hostile and oppressive government which is involved in incessant wars. These people are taught to love. They then learn to fear their government because they believe all of the propaganda that is constantly instilled into their minds. They willing follow their government without contest for the duration of their meaningless lives. The government controls all forms of the media (thus denying the people the basic right of free speech) and use it to personify the government (known as “big brother”) .The government therefore seems omnipotent, or all knowing and always correct. Forecasts are changed from one week to the next always proving the government was correct. As was mentioned before, many of the rights that present day Westerners take for gran...

    Read More

  • Privacy In 1984

    1432 Words  | 3 Pages

    Imagine being watched by your own government every single second of the day with not even the bathroom, bedroom, kitchen and all the above to yourself. George Orwell’s 1984 is based on a totalitarian government where the party has complete access over the citizens thoughts to the point where anything they think they can access it, and control over the citizens actions, in a sense that they cannot perform what they really want to or else Big Brother, which is the name of the government in the book 1984, will “take matters into their own hands.” No one acts the same when they are being watched, as they do when they are completely alone.

    Read More

  • A Dystopian Society in George Orwell´s 1984

    1485 Words  | 3 Pages

    Dystopian novels are written to reflect the fears a population has about its government and they are successful because they capture that fright and display what can happen if it is ignored. George Orwell wrote 1984 with this fear of government in mind and used it to portray his opinion of the current government discretely. Along with fear, dystopian novels have many other elements that make them characteristic of their genre. The dystopian society in Orwell’s novel became an achievement because he utilized a large devastated city, a shattered family system, life in fear, a theme of oppression, and a lone hero.

    Read More

  • Dangers of Totalitarianism in Orwell's 1984

    1586 Words  | 4 Pages

    1984 by George Orwell is an extremely negative outlook on a futuristic, seemingly utopian society. People inhabiting the land of Oceania are enslaved to the government, most without even realizing it. The Party uses its many members to enforce its methods of control on the population. While a bit extreme, Orwell was attempting to warn people about the dangers of totalitarianism.

    Read More

  • 1984 Theme Essay

    606 Words  | 2 Pages

    In George Orwell’s novel, 1984 the theme is a totalitarian government has the capability to physically and mentally break down individuals and then rebuild them the way they want by using torture and the destruction of emotions and personal thought.

    Read More

  • Government Control and Privacy Issues in 1984 by George Orwell

    1211 Words  | 3 Pages

    Today’s modern world may not be exactly like 1984, but there are some issues that are very similar to it. Some of the biggest issues that is becoming compromised today is the issue of privacy, which in the book 1984 was something that the people did not have much of because of things like telescreens. Not only is our privacy compromised but the government is also being too controlling. Ways today’s privacy is being compromised are through things like game consoles, phones, social media, and drones and not only is our being compromised through these things but the government is also gaining too much control by compromising our privacy.

    Read More

  • Discuss Orwell's treatment of individualism in 1984

    1525 Words  | 4 Pages

    "For every text a context" and only through referral to the non-literary world can we understand the motivation behind the literary. In a time of Nazism, Stalin and Civil War in Europe, Orwell's disillusionment towards politics and society rapidly increased and his ideas and criticisms were published in various essays regarding politics and literary traditions. When he became unwell towards the end of his life, he wrote 1984 as an expression of both his own views and as a parallel to Zamyatin's We, a novel concerned with Russian communism and portraying a very similar storyline. He "characterised the ordinary man as a victim." ; he viewed humanity as whole to be inside Jonah's whale, to "feel no impulse to alter or control the process that [they are] undergoing." This passivity of existence was the chief example from which he was able to draw the lack of individualism and the virtual extinction of it in his literary land of Oceania.

    Read More

  • Essay On Lack Of Privacy In 1984

    1567 Words  | 4 Pages

    Furthermore, a totalitarianism based government is a dictatorship, on in which the dictator is not limited by constitutional laws or further opposition. "Big Brother is watching you" (Orwell 3). Why is Big Brother so concerned with the surveillance of its citizens? In 1984 the journey of one individual, Winston Smith is narrated. His life characterizes the recklessness and deprivation of totalitarian...

    Read More

  • Essay On Nazi Germany A Totalitarian State

    2864 Words  | 6 Pages

    In modern history, there have been some governments, which have successfully, and others unsuccessfully carried out a totalitarian state. A totalitarian state is one in which a single ideology is existent and addresses all aspects of life and outlines means to attain the final goal, government is ran by a single mass party through which the people are mobilized to muster energy and support. In a totalitarian state, the party leadership maintains monopoly control over the governmental system, which includes the police, military,

    Read More

  • The Themes Of Individualism In George Orwell's 1984

    1560 Words  | 4 Pages

    George Orwell uses Winston to represent truth in a deceptive world in his novel 1984. In Oceania, Big Brother is the omnipotent and all powerful leader. 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.

    Read More

  • Government Control In 1984 By George Orwell's 1984

    1048 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Novel 1984 by George Owells

    943 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...government operates especially if it is one that rules and does not allow contact with the outside world. Privacy is rare, and nothing can be done without someone knowing. "1984" depicts a true totalitarian society without flaw in the definition of totalitarianism. Many do not think of a true totalitarian government, but Orwell paints a grim picture of a true totalitarian government.

    Read More

  • Totalitarianism In George Orwell's Animal Farm

    1022 Words  | 3 Pages

    Totalitarianism is when the government seeks to have control over all facets of human life such as what is seen in North Korea in present times. Orwell is against the idea of totalitarianism as it oppresses the lower classes and is oppressing the individuals for the needs of the state. This totalitarianism is what builds the Soviet Union scheme by lessening the working class and maximizing the “mind workers” power. The “mind workers” are the pig and they represent to core of the Soviet Union and more educated of the animal farm. Orwell first created the idea to criticize all acts of totalitarianism, as he believes in freedom for the working class. Since the working class did not have the power to step up against the revolution this idea worked as a governmental approach for many years and is still adopted in many parts of the world to control the public opinion and keep them

    Read More

More about Totalitarian Government and Individuality in Orwell's 1984

Open Document