Can Knowledge Be Manipulated To Corrupt The Image Of Reality By George Orwell

What does it mean to manipulate? The question is unfortunately becoming increasingly relevant in our society today, especially in the political spectrum. Manipulation, according to its definition, does not necessarily mean to lie to one’s face, but instead it is to control or influence someone unfairly. Throughout the existence of human history, people have been subjugated, unaware of their own oppression due to discrete, manipulative tactics. It’s not hard to find real world examples of manipulation: China manipulates the views of over a billion people through censorship of the internet. In George Orwell’s dystopian novel, 1984, an oppressive regime simply called “The Party” controls the lives of its citizens through lies and perpetual manipulation, whether it be altering historical documents or castigating outsiders to rally nationalistic “proles.” Currently, in the United States, there is an intense, controversial, and divisive debate on whether the current administration in the White House is employing these types of tactics. However, when the President is constantly being vehemently denounced by the same group of people over and over again, it’s wise to investigate the motives behind those crying foul. Journalism in the United States has run amuck with yellow journalism, criticizing the President, claiming that he is a racist, fascist, bigot, etc. When the national news media, which is managed and delivered overwhelmingly by men and women who have sharply contrasting

Philosophical issues have been debated for centuries. One of the more recent dilemmas in philosophy is the “Trolley problem” (Foot). The basic premise is, a runaway train going straight will kill five people, if it is diverted, it will kill one person, which do you choose? George “Orwell’s Shooting an Elephant” (Orwell 407) and Elie Wiesel’s “The Perils of Indifference: Lessons Learned from a Violent Century” (Wiesel 289) both examine the effect of human actions. Wiesel’s speech is the more persuasive due to the emotional element as well his plainly stated view upon indifference, whereas Orwell’s narrative leaves the reader questioning his action.

In George Orwell’s 1984 Power is gained most effectively through control, fear and violence. Compared to a government like that of America’s, 1984 creates a more threatening structure of government where the public is limited from freedom and happiness. 1984 shows a world of a society where only the upper class has power and freedom from the harsh treatment that the general population receives. The idea of Big Bother makes the population of Oceania believe they are being watched over by a powerful force and oppresses them so they feel powerless and unable to do anything against a “great” force like Big Brother. The well-being of others depends on their willingness to agree with Big Brother and abide by their laws, if you think otherwise then you will be an accuser of thought-crime will be vaporized and removed from society or harshly punished through rigorous treatment and torture methods as was Winston and Julia. Power creates problems for others in which they do not deserve.

Orwell uses this quote to convey the psychological lens because he is able to be inside the reader and characters minds. As for the characters, the author is able to go into a deeper thought as to how they are reacting as to knowing that there is no possible way to get around the Thought Police, and they mine as well be “...think[ing] of [themselves] as a corpse” since it is difficult to live a somewhat normal life in the future of 1984 (Orwell 135). This quote adds to the overall message of the novel because since the beginning of 1984, Orwell has mentioned the government many times and how life is different in future since Winston has been able to go there; from this quote readers are able to get an inside thought from the characters on how

Actions speak louder than words. It is all too easy to proclaim your support for a cause of your passionate belief to an idea, but it reveals more about yourself when you take action to support that cause or belief. While people may be tied by social norms to say certain things or perhaps intending to deceive by their words, the choices they actually make do more to reveal their true self because actions require a real expenditure of effert and often requires a risk taking. George Orwell's 1984 and Robespierre's actions in the French Revolution show how the choices one makes can reveal more than socially required or deceitful words.

In 1984 by George Orwell, Psychological Manipulation is a form of control that allows the population of Oceania to remain under the influence of Big Brother. Big Brother uses this tactic to lead people to assume that the circumstances of their situation is favorable, and the way their lives have improved, compared to before. Winston Smith, the protagonist, is well aware of the deceptive way the Party changes ones' opinions. The Party is created to keep people from thinking anything but what is allowed. This causes Winston not to rely on his own memories.

Playing the Mind like a Puppet They are everywhere, on the tele, in the streets, high up in the air. Words that have the power of persuasion and manipulation. The world lives its life of manipulation, believing anything that is heard and seen. The news, the most powerful social outlet, is one of the main causes of manipulation and is able to persuade, with just words.

Imagine living in a world with a dictator. You have numerous rules set in place where you can’t do certain things that may be normal to us in “common life”. You’re tired of these rules, and start going against them, this is 1984. In the story 1984 by George Orwell the theme is, power corrupts. Winston hated Big Brother (the ruler of Oceania). He wanted everything about him to be gone, including his followers, his rules, and the Inner Party in general. Winston was brought to Room 101 (a room used to torture whoever using his or her greatest fear), and was forced to change his mind about Big Brother, and ended up loving him.

Many people say that knowledge is power and the more one knows, the more one become capable of doing. Knowledge is a multiplex word; not only may one with knowledge be well-informed, but one may also have the capability to understand. However, the notion that knowledge equals power can be challenged by the idea that it can turn into a great burden to bear, when put to the wrong use, rather than a benefit. Even when one obtains knowledge, it does not necessarily mean that they can change the outcome and enhance their life, as seen in technological advancements, like sequencing the human genome, and invasion of privacy by the federal government, as depicted in the novel 1984.

Eric Blair wrote the novel 1984 under the pseudonym George Orwell. The original title of 1984 was The Last Man in Europe, however, the title was changed for unknown purposes. It has been speculated that the change in title was done because it was a mere reversal of the last two digits of the year in which it was written. The novel was first received with conflicting acclamations and criticisms. Those who provided acclamation for the novel believed that it portrayed the impending possibility of the future and what it might bring. Some reviewers, however, disliked its dystopian satire of the class system, the power struggles of world leaders, nationalism, totalitarian regimes, and bureaucracy. Others panned it as nihilistic prophesy on the

This book was written during the time of WWII and Orwell had witnessed Hitler’s attempt to subjugate much of Europe and Joseph Stain (leader of the Soviet Union) to consolidate oppressive power in Russia. During that time the possibility for government domination was not a fantasy, but a stark reality. Orwell is warning us against the actions of a totalitarianism government, who squish individual thought, choice and action. He has shown his definition of dystopia through the ways that the individuals are monitored, through the danger of totalitarianism and through psychological manipulation.

In 1948, George Orwell's novel 1984 was published along with many other important things going on in history. Mahatma Ghandi passed away on January 30, 1948. On July 26, 1948, President Truman signed signs Executive Order 9981 which ended racial segregation. Israel was declared as a country on May 14, 1948. ​

The Book 1984 was written by George Orwell shortly after W.W.II. I think this book really shows us what would happen if the government gets too powerful. It was written long ago and set in the future, but I feel like the message is still very relevant today.

Power and control are very closely linked. You cannot have one without the other. The more power you have, the more control you have. The more control you have, the more power you have. It is a vicious cycle. Naturally, people that seek more power, therefore seek more control. Any entity that holds power is subject to this cycle. Corporations, governments, and even parents can all fall prey to the trappings of power and control. Power, control, and corruption are inevitably linked as seen throughout the course of human history; the players may change but the game remains the same.

One of George Orwell’s themes in 1984 is that language is important to thought - therefore capable of mind control. It is language that helps people communicate with each other. Once language can be centralized in a political agency, then the thoughts of citizens can be controlled. It will be impossible in this society to think any disobedient or rebellious thoughts. Why? Mainly because there are no words with which to think them. Mr. Orwell lived during the time that totalitarian societies were springing up in the world. Mr. Orwell thought these countries wanted to turn their citizens into machines. Happiness becoming a synthetic creation from without rather than from within. Happiness would be void of natural passions and personal inclinations. The reality of life in a totalitarian society.