The Destruction of Family in 1984

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The family unit of Oceania in George Orwell’s book, 1984, plays an important part to society. These families are broken rather than households of affection and comfort. Oceania’s government, called the Party, controls the families in every aspect. With these non-existent families, there is a cycle of breaking down of family and a stronger Party as times passes until a there is force strong enough to end it. These families that lead to corruption in society should be avoided in order to prevent a totalitarian government from rising.

In order to keep their power, the government purposefully breaks up families in Oceania. The pieces of these hollow and artificial families are the building blocks of the vast and manipulative Party. Families need to be non-existent so that the people cannot unite or feel loved. However, the Party also needs to have total control over the children. In Oceania, it is normal to turn other people in when you have any suspicions that the person does not have genuine love for the Party. Even family members give each other up.

The government-controlled families create a cycle of breaking down of family and a stronger Party. The future families that will produce more probes disguised as children. With more children taught to continue the legacy of the Party, there is increased authority of the government. As government gains more power, the people lose will over their own lives. This should not be the way of life for people, where you can be erased from history at any given time. There is no doubt that there are many families that are just as and maybe more inexpressive and false than the families in Oceania. However, the greater masses of the people don’t believe in a strict society of absolute control. If enough families were to border upon the Parsons family, then the domino line would be in effect. Through his book, Orwell attempts to warn us that the destruction of families is dangerous. If allowed to continue, the government will have too much control over a mindless society that could be turned any which way the ruling class chooses.

Ultimately, dysfunctional families create a selfish and unsuspecting society that is ruled by a government of great dominance over the people.

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