Susan Brewer brilliantly illustrates the historical facts of American government propagating violence. Scrutinizing the Philippine War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Iraq War the reader discovers an eerily Orwellian government manipulating her citizens instead of educating them. Brewer states, a "propaganda campaign seeks to disguise a paradoxical message: war is not a time for citizens to have an informed debate and make up their own minds even as they fight in the name of freedom to do just that." pg. 7 The Presidents of the United States and their administrations use propaganda, generation, after generation to enter into foreign wars for profit by manipulating the truth, which it is unnecessary for our government to do to her people.
In George Orwell 's "Nineteen Eighty-Four," the main storyline revolves around a dystopian society whose self-thought has been corrupted by an over empowered governing body. Orwell’s intention was to bring Hitler’s ideas to life. Smith is a middle-aged frail man who is ambivalent towards his government, however is unable to resist the strength of the indoctrination he has been subjected to, during the entirety of his life. As the reader progresses through the novel, ideas of totalitarianism are illustrated throughout the story via Smith’s internal and external conflicts with his government. It quickly becomes apparent that there is an uncopiable amount of government power which is something that is seen as early as the second paragraph. Propaganda
For the great lesson which history imprints on the mind…is the tragic certainty that all wars gain their ultimate ends, whether great or petty, by the violation of personality, by the destruction of homes, by the paralysis of art and industry and letters…even wars entered on from high motives must rouse greed, cupidity, and blind hatred; that even in defensive warfare a people can defend its rights only by inflicting new wrongs; and that chivalrous no less than self-seeking war entails relentless destruction.
George Orwell’s novel 1984, is the most powerful warnings ever released about the dangers and the controls of living under a totalitarian government. The main character, Winston Smith is at war, trying to control the Inner Party and rebelling against Big Brother, the dictator of Oceania. The author gives us readers an image of inhumanity and the impacts it has in the citizens, physically and mentally. Orwell uses literary elements such as imagery, foreshadowing, symbolism, and irony to demonstrate the theme of indestructible of a totalitarism.
The book “1984” by George Orwell is a fictional work that was penned as a discourse on Orwell’s views of what it would be like to live in a totalitarianism society. It is my belief that his views were based on his personal life experiences as he witnessed first hand many of the violent crimes perpetuated by those in positions of authority. Often, these crimes against one segment of society were carried out by other members of the same society in the name of political advancement or at other times out of fear for one’s life. Due to his experiences, Orwell began to write of his hatred of political power and the concept of a totalitarianism society. “1984” serves as a warning to readers of how a government can become abusive when seeking total control of it’s population. Furthermore, it showcases in great detail how a society can allow itself to be controlled through a series of psychological abuses and manipulation of historical information.
...a. Stalin in Russia, Hitler in Germany and Mussolini in Italy all attempted to create a world where everything was controlled by a supreme ruler; there were no rights extended to the citizens of Oceania. To counter every such attempt to create a dystopia, the world gathered and fought as one, so that natural rights can be returned to the citizens, and spread humanity. The fight to create a united and equal civilization is far from over, all over the world these natural rights are snatched from innocent people, in the name or caste, religion, gender and age, to achieve power. George Orwell left an important warning for the future generations, to stand against injustice. It is the duty of every individual to ensure that every civil liberty, included in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in truly extended to one and all.
The society in 1984 revolves around 3 'superstates' which are Eurasia, Eastasia, and Oceania. All of these states are in a constant state of war with one another, yet all are self contained, and require no trade with one another, and therefor do not require war as a means of economical necessity. However, it is their feeling that as long as a constant state of war is prevailing, the people will be too preoccupied with the war effort to worry about whether or not the present political system is working. The government constantly reminds the people that when they win the war, Oceania will rule the world, and life will be better.
War is the means to many ends. The ends of ruthless dictators, of land disputes, and lives – each play its part in the reasoning for war. War is controllable. It can be avoided; however, once it begins, the bat...
Natural instincts and emotions do not exist for the citizens in Oceania, as they are conditioned since birth to be working bodies, lacking mercy and compassion. “By careful early conditioning, by games and cold water, by the rubbish that was dinned into them at school and in the Spies and the Youth League, by lectures, parades, songs, slogans and martial music, the natural feeling had been driven out of them.” (Orwell, p.71) The main repetitive means of conditioning were the Party slogans which citizens must adhere to; War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength. War is linked with peace and security, rather than horror and grief. Freedom is viewed as being an individual, therefore more susceptible to torture. The individual is defeated and therefore enslaved to the government rather than being apart of the government. In result, there is no freedom of thought, expression, language, religion, etc. Ignorance is bliss since there is no need to criticize the government and therefore, fewer confrontations.
In 1984, violence is a key tactic used by the totalitarian government to keep constant fear within their society. As long as there is violence, citizens will stay obedient to the higher power, and even become violent themselves. The government uses this to their advantage to obtain their one desire: power. The role of violence is used by the totalitarian government to gain complete control over their citizens by using violence psychologically, physically, and motivationally towards the people of Oceania.
There is essentially no freedom, and ceaseless war. Orwell was not just writing a fictional dystopian thriller, but was making important political statements about where culture could be headed if the people of a society allowed their government to spiral out of control and take their freedom. Today, with recent scandals of Snowden and the NSA, Orwell’s novel 1984 is more relevant than ever, with many thinking we have already progressed to a political world that mirrors the fictional world of Orwell’s creation. The novel now is less a work of fiction, and more of a roadmap to identify what government overstepping looks like, which mirrors the reality of the present.
While government as an institution can be used for benevolent purposes, George Orwell’s novel 1984 contends that when taken to an excess in the form of totalitarianism, government becomes dangerously self-serving.
Their daily “Two Minutes of Hate” is how each individual falls onto the Party’s brainwashing bandwagon. This is a clever way the party seeks control over people, but more importantly, their minds. Reassociating words to differing meanings keeps the masses where the party wants them to be mentally. In other words, it keeps the citizens obedient and too distracted to focus on their actual living conditions. Not only that, it also makes it less likely for anyone to rebel against the Big Brother. “It is precisely in the Inner Party that war hysteria and hatred of the enemy is the strongest." Without that drive of outside hatred, people of Oceania would direct their hateful attitudes toward their real enemies: The Inner Party. Constant fear of propaganda keeps the masses at their toes with strong devotion to Big Brother and everything the Party stands for. The slogan is also true in the sense of keeping society together through the means of stopping progress. “It eats up the surplus of consumable goods, and it helps to preserve the special mental atmosphere that a hierarchical society needs. War, it will be seen, is now a purely internal affair.” Because war requires so many resources, the products that are manufactured using the arduous labor of Oceania’s population are expended. This cycle of continuous war ultimately makes the people languid, too tired to rise up
“Now I will tell you the answer to my question. It is this. The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power, pure power” (263). Through removing all power from the people, the Party gains the ability to prevent a revolt, or even the idea of a revolt, from happening. Orwell creates a comprehensive and vivid vision of a successful totalitarian government – an eerily effective warning to the future.
“WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.” Part 1,Chapter 1,pg. 6. These three principles were repeatedly emphasized throughout the book and helped lay the foundation of the dystopian society George Orwell imagined in his novel 1984. Fear, manipulation, and control were all encompassed throughout this dystopian society set in the distant future. The freedom to express ones thoughts was no longer acceptable and would not be tolerated under any circumstances. Humankind was rapidly transforming into a corrupt and evil state of mind.