Ahmed Ali College Prep Senior English Mr Arcuri 7th September 2017 Why 1984 is a Dystopian novel A dystopian novel is a story relating to or denoting an imagined place or state in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmentally degraded one. 1984 by George Orwell, is indeed a dystopian novel as it describes a nightmare vision of future society which is opposite to a perfect world. George Orwell creates this image using a few different techniques including, the language or style, the setting, characterization, and oppression. The Language in the novel is simple; there are no metaphors. There are limited speeches to give no freedom to the reader to imagine the society in a less oppressive way than it …show more content…
The outer party members, however, even though they are not ill or unhealthy, they are very skinny and small since they lack so much food. The inner party members appear to have a large effect and authority over Oceania. Big brother and the Party are watching everyone in Oceania almost 24/7 with telescreens and thought police. An example explaining the telescreens in the novel is, "The instrument (the telescreen, it was called) could be dimmed, but there was no way of shutting it off completely". (1.1.3) They always being monitored and all their facial expressions, actions or thoughts can be seen and reported to the party if it’s not something in which they like. The only time anyone is completely safe is for the few hours in the night when you sleep. Big brother makes everyone believe that there was no past and that there was no history before the present. History is being altered, and since there is “no past” no one has proof that the past is better than before the revolution occurred. Everything is based on the proles, this kind of society isn 't sane; it is very unappealing and unpleasant. The society in this book is just an imagination of a perfect world, yet to exist on this planet. The government is changing and making an organization by the ministry of truth that changes all files and history depending on what Big Brother wants. Everyone now has an idea that whatever Big Brother says is right, therefore
In Oceania, there are no means of comparison, as communication is under the Party’s influence. Knowledge is the Party’s threat, which once high enough, would lead to their annihilation. Knowledge grows through the education of the people, however this is hindered by the enforcement of various literary features.
The great, overlooking aura that is Big Brother is perfectly exemplified in a quote, “It is the hard and reflecting eye rather than the eye itself that seems hostile” (Lyons and Orwell 42). In this book, the people are not certain that Big Brother exists, yet he holds the most power in the entire nation. The threat of abuse in any form for disobeying the Party is what makes Oceania the perfect dystopia. The Party controls everything, even though the people may not accept it. They use force and intimidation to control. Telescreens watch over every move made by every person. There are helicopters full of thought police flying overhead looking for the slightest disobedience to be punished. The Party cheapens sexual pleasure by putting it into
Big Brother is the face of the oppressive government of Oceania. There are posters everywhere conveying a message that you are always being watched by Big Brother. This feeling of constant surveillance through telescreens and secret microphones all over Oceania invokes fear to all the people. As the novel states, “Always eyes watching you. Asleep or awake, indoors or out of doors, in the bath or bed – no escape. Nothing was your own except the few cubic centimeters in your skull.” The telescreens are very dangerous to be around because the slightest of abnormality could expose you to be a thought criminal. Even in the comfort of one’s own home, while working, there is not a time that the Party is not monitoring anyone for suspicious activities. Big Brother represents the fear in people. Fear is continuously exploited by the Party throughout the book. “Ours is founded upon hatred. In our world there will be no emotions except fear, rage…” This quote explains to us that there will still be fear in the future because the foundation of their world is made up of rage. Big Brother is the biggest figure that everyone fears, even at the end of the book. Hence this shows that the meaning of fear is unchanging. The proles are easily manipulated because a frightened population is easier to control
Dystopian literature is a type of writing where the world in which the story takes place is not the best place to live and the people are normally controlled in everything they do. It comes from the Greek roots for Bad and Place. Anthem Ayn Rand is clearly an example of a dystopian novel because the government is flawed, and thoughts and feelings are restricted.
Envision the presence living in a dystopian society - where citizens are watched day-and-night. George Orwell’s novel 1984, written in 1949, depicts and illustrates the future of the 1980’s. Orwell imagined the world in which totalitarianism reigned, individualism is dead, and history is just sentiment. The world diverged into three superstates: Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia. With protagonist Winston Smith and the citizens of Oceania, they have experienced the impression, having to live life behind closed doors perpetually, also known as Big Brother. On top of this, the government directed everyone stay in control, citizens are not allowed to think for themselves and must be aware what they express before the Thought Police come for
The dictionary defines the word unorthodox as “not conforming to rules, traditions, or modes of conduct” (Unorthodox). Unorthodoxy is a common trait in the book titled 1984 by George Orwell. 1984 by George Orwell is originally written in the year 1949. George Orwell used the time he was present in to predict a future that he believed to exist if his way of living continued. In Orwell’s dystopian novel, 1984, a character named Winston Smith is an unorthodox character in several ways. Winston is an unorthodox member of society physically, emotionally, and intellectually.
“Create. Sustain. Destroy. For each of these tasks, the Hindus have a different god. I master, all on my own. I created, but the world is not my witness and never will be.”(pg258, Dead Man, Erebos). 1984 is about Winston, who lives in a dystopian society under the command of Big Brother. In Winston’s world, there is nothing private; Big Brother knows everything. One day Winston decides that Big Brother is not a good cause and makes the decision to rebel. Erebos is about Nick Dunmore, who lives in the 21st century. He receives a video game that knows everything about him and forces him to do tasks that are not always the utmost desirable all for the goal of defeating the enemy Ortolan. These two dystopian worlds are controlled in similar ways with some differences still as well.
Oceania’s society is a dystopian society controlled by mysterious figure that no one has met. The government makes the country a forgery of a dictatorship government. The government puts false information and fear into the citizens to control their lives and keeps them from rebelling against them. In their society, Big brother takes claim to ideas that are not theirs, eradicates the past to control the future and tells their citizens that they are at war all the time. Oceania's government portrays their society as an utopia but trying to destroy the past to control the present justifies their a flawed society.
In the novel 1984 by George Orwell, it provides the reader with a perfect visual of a dystopian future controlled by a seemingly indestructible government. The concept of a hidden deity along with a powerful military presence in Oceania controlling the citizens and enforcing Big Brother’s ideals would seem absolutely foolproof. However, the inner party member’s blind faith in this faulty hateful tyranny would soon prove to be deadly. Throughout this novel, there have been many people who have come across as liberated from Big Brother’s influence as a result of experiencing life before the revolution.
What is a dystopian novel? The dictionary defines dystopia as an imagined place or state in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian one. If that is the case then the novels Brave New World and 1984 are most certainly dystopian. One thing that stuck out to me was how the governments in both novels controlled their people. Their main method of control was not one of brute force or mass execution.
Abby Miller English 208 August 15th 2016 Animal Farm and 1984: A Dystopian Society A Chilean-American writer, Isabel Allende said “What I fear most is power with impunity. I fear abuse of power and the power to abuse.” Abuse of power is a problem that is also the root of many issues. In 1984, the Party had the power to alter the past in order to manipulate their people into believing an alternate truth.
Dystopias are often mistaken for utopias by those who conform to the strict rules in the society, and sought out by those who see the corrupt culture. Utopias are defined as “a place of ideal perfection especially in laws, government, and social conditions”, whereas dystopias are the complete opposite (“Utopia”). A dystopian society is described as “an imaginary place where people lead dehumanized and often fearful lives” (“Dystopia”). Utopian societies easily transition into dystopian societies due to excessive control of the people from a single leader or group. A sense of overbearing leadership is used to regulate all of society including government and social aspects. Free thought is restricted in the society to unify the people into believing
The theme of 1984 lies in the fact that it is possible for any one authoritative power to have absolute control or reality by gaining control of the minds of a collective society because they are the ones who perceive what reality is. The only relevant reality is the one in the minds of the individuals and if the minds of the individuals can be manipulated, so can reality. In the novel, the party can control the past because it can effectively control reality through the human mind. When the population is given the allusion of luxury by telling them that the past was a much worse place than it is now and that there are surpluses of goods when, in reality, there are record shortages, the people will be grateful and content under a
Control: power that regulates, represses, and rules the people; administering their freedoms, thoughts, and speech. Throughout the dystopian genre, control, or the illusion of it, is a recurring motif used throughout various forms of mediums. For this essay, I will closely examine the interconnected theme of control in dystopia, comparing different kinds of dystopian literature on how they present this idea. From George Orwell’s 1984’s struggle for characters to assert control in their lives, to Children of Men’s authoritarian rule. In worlds, painted as radical and frightening nightmares, control serves to maintain the order and the illusion of utopia.
In Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell depicts a society that is under complete control of the government. Big Brother, the personification of the totalitarian government, is always watching. A citizen cannot make a decision without Big Brother knowing. At least, that is what the government wants the citizens of Oceania to believe. Big Brother is able to maintain this control over society by influencing media.