Most characters in dystopian stories, no matter what their personal or family situation, lead more or less controlled lives which often leads to a personal struggle to take control over one’s life. This can be a difficult and dangerous process for the individual who feels the need to break free of systematic restraint. In the novel 1984 and the film Minority Report, George Orwell and Steven Spielberg (film based on a short story by Philip Dick), create two characters that must deal with this struggle: Winston Smith in 1984 and John Anderton in Minority Report have come to realize they are controlled by both government and technology. In the midst of these characters’ efforts to gain individual control, each falls into a very challenging situation. …show more content…
The thought police uses mind control as a way to scare people into behaving. People in the dystopia don’t necessarily want to behave, but in the end they are forced to, out of fear of death/vaporization. The party pressures the people of Oceania to act the way they want by the threat of the thought police. Just the idea of Big Brother (a concept created to intimidate the citizens of Oceania) is enough to persuade the people to behave the way they do. A figurehead to look up to and obey makes the people abide by the peculiar rules and guidelines of the dystopia. The book states “A few agents of the Thought police moved always among them, spreading false rumors and marking down and eliminating the few individuals who were judged capable of becoming dangerous; but no attempt was made to indoctrinate them with the ideology of the party. (Orwell, 71)” This shows the control of the Thought Police because it displays how the party scares the people into believing, by making up wars and …show more content…
The Pre Crime Unit uses pre cogs (siblings who can see visions of murders before they happen) to predict the future and control the society and the murder rate. Although the Pre Crime Unit did reduce all murders to 0, the police gave no choice to the potential killer if they went through with the killing. In the movie, Agatha (a pre cog), kept repeating “You have a choice” to John Anderton while in the act of killing a man. The government gives no choice of control to the people. Although the intentions of the invention of Pre Crime were originally good, the idea ended up being an overall disaster for John, the government, and people in charge of officially making Pre Crime an effective way to resolve murder. In Minority Report, people are arrested for crimes they didn’t commit yet. The people have a choice to commit the crime or not, yet before they even make the decision, they are
Absolute control over society is the central theme in the novel, 1984, by George Orwell. One method this power over society is exercised is use of language to manipulate and control people. The story features a society called Oceania, which is located in the European region. In Oceania, there is a form of totalitarian government called the Party which controls the entire society. The Party controls thoughts by making certain words or phrases illegal. In addition, any anti-party thoughts or motives are also deemed illegal. To control society, thoughts are monitored by telescreens which read reactions and record speech. A force, called the Thought Police, is also engaged to take power over and eliminate society’s individual beliefs. The
In George Orwell’s 1984, society greatly impacts the decisions of the hero. This dystopian novel focuses on the
VII). Almost everything about the past is forgotten, rewritten, and the fact that the citizens of Oceania live in fear, this allows society to accept every piece of false information that is given to them as the truth in the eyes of Big Brother. With this new concept of Newspeak, Big Brother is able to control society’s thoughts through a language. By creating Newspeak, the Party made it impossible to conceive rebellious or disobedient thoughts, because no words would exist that would allow them to express these thoughts. As the Party is constantly updating Newspeak, which is the new version of their English, Big Brother is getting closer to their ultimate goal. The ultimate goal for Big Brother is that no one will be capable of committing thought crime or even better will question the Party's supreme power. "All ambiguities and shades of meaning had been purged out of them. It was quite impossible to use the vocabulary for literary purposes or for political or philosophical discussion" (Book II Ch. III). By creating Newspeak, the Party is able to eliminate free thought, and is able to control the minds of the citizens by using language as mind control. "... the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of free thought" (Book I, Ch. V). Big Brother also has the Thought Police for monitoring all thought.
Film director Andrew Niccol’s science fiction thriller Gattaca and author George Orwell’s politically scientific book 1984 employ a variety of textual techniques to explore the themes of control and freedom. The context of a dystopia is used in both texts to portray how dogma’s within society’s constrict the freedom of individuals. Niccol discusses the consequences of the pursuit for perfection in the “genetically perfect” society of Gattaca. Similarly, Orwell analyses the subordination exhibited by the war torn society of “Air Strip One” to the governing party and “Big Brother.” Technological and scientific advancements further impact imprisonment of individuals by improving only a portion of the population. Niccol uses the science of
The Thought Police are the most insidious aspect of the dystopian society of 1984 by George Orwell because it destroys the relationship among the people while also destroying the freedom of choice and corrupting the future. The Thought Police are a group of individuals who are kept hidden and serves a purpose to monitor the populace for any signs of unorthodox thought or action and then afterwards to punish them. The Thought Police are sneaky because they superficially appear to just be people who are invested in the safety and security of Oceania, which does not seem evil. However, in reality, these brainwashed people greatly contribute to the fault of this dystopia. By being committed to Oceania, there is no longer trust within relationships
Dystopias typically follow Anti-Heros, used as a plot device to create a depth of sympathy for the flawed character before having the character bend to the wills of their higher class in order to survive, depicting the inevitability of the obedience of the lower class to the higher class. In 1984, these notions are shown through O’Brien’s absolute control over the main protagonist, Winston Smith, and how his beliefs are of the highest class, created from the desire of power and nothing else.
Moreover, Orwell uses the technique of loaded words to develop his theme of thoughts being controlled. “With a tremulous murmur that sounded like “My Savior!” She extended her arms toward the screen. Then she buried her face in her hands. It was apparent that she was uttering a prayer” (Orwell 16). Citizens are brainwashed and controlled to have deep feelings about Big Brother and that it is everything. Other citizens are also brainwashed the same way because they see others doing this and follow the people around them, “The horrible thing about 2 Minutes Hate was not that one was obliged to act a part, but that it was impossible to avoid joining in” (Orwell 11). Peer pressure makes people think it is right to do many things. “Controlling minds and truth is ultimate power. Truth is subordinated to the Party” (Davis 250). Fake history is also created. Citizens will believe anything the Party puts in books. Their minds are too controlled to rebel against the party. Fake enemies are also created. It relieves the citizens’ anger when they are allowed to say anything against them. It is shown that Orwell uses the technique of loaded words to expand his theme of controlling thoughts.
In the novel 1984, Orwell produced a social critique on totalitarianism and a future dystopia that made the world pause and think about our past, present and future. When reading this novel we all must take the time to think of the possibility that Orwell's world could come to pass. Orwell presents the concepts of power, marginalization, and resistance through physical, psychological, sexual and political control of the people of Oceania. The reader experiences the emotional ride through the eyes of Winston Smith, who was born into the oppressive life under the rule of Ingsoc. Readers are encouraged through Winston to adopt a negative opinion on the idea of communist rule and the inherent dangers of totalitarianism. The psychological
A form of communication called Newspeak is used in Oceania, which is a modified version of language that is enforced upon the people in order to limit their expression. These strict laws are set in Oceania, and must be followed; a group called by the people in Oceania. Therefore, when the governing system is not followed, Thought Police are used to prevent thoughts that oppose the nation, and to place fear into the citizens of Oceania. These several aspects in system of government in the novel 1984 have adequately prevented a large part of the people from thinking against it.
Totalitarianism, derived from a society which proceeds without cautiousness towards governmental power, can induce many limitations among citizens and every aspect of their lives including individualism. In George Orwell’s 1984, the artificiality of the dystopian country influenced the protagonist of the novel, Winston Smith, to try and deceive the government in any way possible. Winston and many others view individuality as immensely important, but a large challenge to achieve due to the diminished hope evident in dystopia. Hope is prominent among Winston in his actions towards the totalitarian government, referred to as Big Brother, throughout the novel. From the beginning of the novel when readers are introduced to a dismal setting to
The bewildering and anti-human experience of a person living in a totalitarian state is likely to bring about the kind of alienation apparent in 1984. Winston, the most obvious example, is severely cut off from the outside world. Alone and lonely, he feels alienated from his family, his neighbors, and the rest of society. Even with Julia, Winston does not find someone who shares the same thoughts and opinions that he does. He hates women and children. The Party’s war against love and sex for purposes other than reproduction has succeeded in cutting off Winston from half of the human race. As a result of the Party’s oppression, Winston’s psychological and sexual life has been crippled. Winston is able to perform his duties for the Party without thought or question, but inwardly he represses every contrary or unorthodox thought in the
Throughout history, some of the most popular novels have been about dystopian futures, where an all-powerful government has total control over its citizens and abuses its powers. Two of the most popular and well-known novels are the recent Hunger Games series and 1984, which was written soon after World War II ended. Both follow similar themes, showing a government of the few ruling over its people with unlimited power, and pulling all rights from the citizens they are meant to protect. There are several similarities and differences between these political systems, however, dealing with control over the people, how the government uses its citizens, and the political structures themselves.
This state of constant surveillance demands complete conformity among the population. In Oceania, there are no laws, but non-conformity is punished by death. The thought police are an omnipresent force of the government, weeding out non-conformists and making them disappear on a regular basis. Even a slight inflection in the voice or a look of the eye can be construed as thoughtcrime. Propaganda, terror, and technology are the tools of the state, used to coerce and control the thoughts and actions of the populace. Reality is denied on a regular basis if it is non-consistent with party doctrine. The main character of the novel, Winston Smith, said that "freedom is the freedom to say that 2+2=4."(Orwell,69)In fact, if the party said that 2+2=5, the population would believe this to be truth. History is actually rewritten on a daily basis so as to appear consistent with party doctrine. The enemy of today becomes the enemy of yesterday, poverty becomes progress, war becomes peace, and slavery becomes freedom. This concept of denying reality in the face of obvious contradiction is known as doublespeak. It is central to the philosophy of Ingsoc, and is the greatest tool of the government's mind-control agenda.
One of the most popular themes in novels today involve dystopian societies and many of these books share many characteristics. Both novels include an overpowering government that does not allow basic freedoms to its citizens and when crimes are committed, the punishments have no regulations controlling them. The society in The Hunger Games and 1984 both use a bird as a symbol of freedom, monitor citizens via telescreens and divides their society into groups that work together to benefit the government.
In the dystopian worlds created by the film director Andrew Niccol and renowned author George Orwell, notions of control and freedom are explored. Both worlds contain an overarching power that governs the rest of the population and restricts freedom of individuals, these powers also aid in the progression of technology, which further act to control individuals. The characterisations of the protagonists of each text portray the lack of freedom from the perspective of those that are affected. Both authors use a variety of techniques to portray themes of control and freedom in their texts.