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1984 Themes In 1984

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In 1984 George Orwell depicts a totalitarian state ruled by Big Brother. By the use of psychological manipulation, technology and the concept that through the control of memory the past is controlled, we see and feel the oppressive atmosphere through the eyes of the protagonist Winston Smith. Certain aspects of the fiction including the use of literary devices such foreshadowing, symbolism, allusion were impressive. Despite the favorable parts about the novel, there were parts which I disliked and were disturbing. After some research about the context, I realized that the novel is a mirror of its time. There are several parallels in the society Orwell portrays with Hitler’s Germany and Stalin’s Soviet Union, where the government kept an iron …show more content…

The timing of when these lines are revealed to the reader hold immense significance. The voice from the tele screen that was behind the picture of St. Clement’s Church says, “Here comes a chopper to chop off your head” symbolizing that the house is surrounded and they are trapped just like during the rhyme, children bring their arms down to trap one of the players. Ministry of truth deals with lies and changing the past to match big brother’s predictions. When one hears about the ministry of plenty, one would think that they were dealing with excess supply. However, as noted by Winston, the figures for boots were always monumental in the papers but most of the proles walked barefoot, things were being rationed. These contradictions add to the dystopian setting that George Orwell created. I think that the concept of ‘Room 101’ was the most effective addition to this cautionary tale. The party’s use of technology to analyze your every move, keep you under constant surveillance so that you have no privacy, they know everything about you even your worst fears and them having the power to use that information against you is truly terrifying. ‘Room 101’ contains your worst fear and the party will use that to break you and make you betray the one you love, for its own

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