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1984 Analysis of Big Brother

Decent Essays

In the oppressive, dystopian society of Oceania in the novel 1984, the Party has complete control over thoughts, language, and even the personal lives of Oceanians. The character, Big Brother, is likely a fictional character created by the Party, the most elite and powerful in this authoritarian society ruling over the gullible and brainwashed people of AirStrip One (today known as England). This is monitored with intense and invasive surveillance done through citizens and technology, impeding the character development of the inhabitants of Oceania. George Orwell uses the minor, yet significant character of Big Brother to represent the motif of a dictatorship as well as the motif of surveillance; this totalitarian leader is indirectly …show more content…

The Party makes children feel powerful when they have positions of influence and thereby generates eternal loyalty to the party while having them surveil the public. This is seen in Part 1, Chapter 2: “Winston raised his hands above his head, but with an uneasy feeling… ‘You’re a traitor!’ yelled the boy. ‘You’re a thought-criminal! You’re a Eurasian spy! I’ll shoot you, I’ll vaporize you, I’ll send you to the salt mines!” Their loyalty to the Party is demonstrated when they use vocabulary of the party such as “vaporize”. They threaten to arrest their neighbor and later go on to arrest their own father. Big Brother’s method of surveillance instills loyalty in the future generations of Oceania. Lastly, the character of Big Brother represents control and surveillance, as well as affects the development of other characters by inhibiting emotions, speech, and freedoms. This hindrance in character development is seen as Mr. Parsons feels the need to deny to himself his rebellious thoughts in Part 3, Chapter 1: “Down with Big Brother!” Yes, I said that! Said it over and over again, it seems. Between you and me, old man, I’m glad they got me before it went any further.” His fake disbelief shows that the fear that the Party has instilled in him causes him to deny his true beliefs and take away his freedom of speech. This

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