Orwell's Analysis of the Government's Use of Power

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Outline I. Introduction A. Orwell's life as it relates to his works. B. The danger of a totalitarian government. II. Freedom of mind and body A. Physical control Extreme force and coercion Effects of torment B. Psychological manipulation Doublethink Use of propaganda III. Technology role in government control A. Compromise of privacy B. Tele-screen vs. computers IV. Control of communication A. Control of information Control of news Control of history a) Importance of history b) Repeating history B. Abuse of language Language as control of the mind Newspeak V. Conclusion A. Ignorance of Society Danger of naïve working class Society letting the government getaway with its abuse B. Significance of Orwell's novel in modern day George Orwell was the alias of Eric Blair, the author of 1984 and Animal Farm. Orwell was a political writer whose novels and essays criticized the political oppression taking place in Europe in the middle of the twentieth century. Orwell was a relentless opponent of capitalism and communism. He witnessed firsthand the horrific lengths to which totalitarian governments in Spain and Russia would go in order to sustain and increase their power during the Spanish Civil War. Orwell was deeply disturbed by the widespread cruelty and oppression he saw in communist countries (Duiker, 16-20). Orwell can be remembered through his works as a supporter of freedom and contester of capitalism and totalitarianism. Two of his greatest wor... ... middle of paper ... ... Harper and Row, 1982. Janeson, Edward. "Power and Politics in 1984." Modern Fiction Studies. May 1999: 179-190. Kauffman, Stanley. "Speaking Freely." The New Republic. 9 August 2004: 22-23 Orwell, George. "Literature and Totalitarianism." The Collected Essays, Journalism and Letters of George Orwell. Vol.2. Ed. Sonia Orwell and Ian Angus. New York: Harcourt, 1968.134- 137. −−−. "Looking Back on the Spanish War." Such, Such Were the Joys. New York: Harcourt, 1953. −−−. "Politics and the English Language." Shooting an Elephant and other Essays. London: Harcourt, 1950. Simes. David, ed. British Authors 1900−1950. Oxford: Oxford UP: 1987. Woodcook, George. "From Animal Farm to Nineteen Eighty-Four." Orwell Remembered. Ed. Au Audrey Coppard and Benard Criek. New York: Facts on File, 1986.

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