Dystopian Society In 1984

“War is peace, Freedom is slavery, Ignorance is strength.” George Orwell’s 1984 depicts a dystopian state which is controlled by a totalitarian government. The government uses propaganda as a cornerstone of exploiting people and remaining in power. Techniques such as doublethink, slogans, newspeak and laws are cunningly used by the regime in order to maintain authority. Every action of an individual is controlled by the state through the use of fear thus restricting an individual from using their own intellect in order to make effective decisions. The propaganda evident in 1984 can be compared to the propaganda found in the film Goodbye Lenin.

During Joseph Stalin’s regime of the Soviet Union, 1984, the Classic Dystopian novel by George Orwell, was burned and banned, because the book shone a negative light on communism. The book, 1984, follows the life of Winston Smith, who lives in a country called Oceania. Oceania is a totalitarian society, ruled by a government known as The Party, whose leader is called Big Brother. In Oceania, every movement and sound every person makes is constantly surveillanced, and one wrong facial expression, statement, or action can cause the ‘Thought Police’ to take the person away to never be seen again. A small percentage of the population questions The Party’s dictatorship, and the novel follows Winston’s struggles to keep his hatred of The Party

Throughout history, the concepts of fate and free will have been questioned and continuously sought after. As a result, many films have been introduced to allow audiences to further question the matter. The movies 1984 and Pleasantville are two exceptional examples. However, only one accurately portrays the fact that one’s life is not predetermined, but instead is led by individual choices. Pleasantville, directed by Gary Ross, takes a more direct approach on the topic of fate and free will, persuading viewers to wholeheartedly agree.

Freedom is a privilege that most people never get. In countries where a dictator controls the government, the citizens have very little freedom to express their own opinions. This is because dictators create societies that they feel are supreme. In order to have an almighty society, each person has to think and behave the same. George Orwell created a dystopian society, Oceania, where the government was controlled by Big Brother. Winston Smith, the main character, slowly realized that the Party, or the government, was manipulating their society to make the Party immortal. Winston presumably wanted to stand up for his beliefs, without facing any consequences for going against the Party. By writing 1984, Orwell warns people of the dangers

Orwell's 1984 demonstrates how an individual's choices can reveal their true character underneath layers of socially created ideas and thoughts. Winston's job is to "correct" history and to help further the oppressive truth regime of Big Brother, Winston's words are guided by the threat of constant surveillance by the oppressive rules of his society. Secretly, he

In the context of government, power and control are synonymous. The more control a ruler has over his people the more powerful he is. Despots take this idea to an extreme, seeking control at the expense of their subjects. Privacy is sacrificed for “security”. Lies of propaganda become the truth for “education”. In this way the promises of peace, and prosperity that the ruler used to gain power are turned on their head, causing violence and destitution. Orwell paints a picture of a world that takes all of this even further, using his story as a case study on a despotic government’s potential to ruin their citizen’s live, and in what ways they ruin it for the sake of power. Orwell argues that political control stems from the government’s ability

George Orwell’s 1984, a utopian fiction novel, illustrates what its like to live in a society with unrealistic amounts of censorship. The censorship is taken to the extreme and controls everything, even the society’s history. The Party of Oceania even forces a created language called Newspeak, in attempts to stop political rebellion by eliminating rebellious words from their vocabulary. The people are not allowed to express individuality, engage in sex, disagree with the Party, or have their own personal thoughts. Winston goes against the Party and illegally purchases a diary. In this diary he writes what he cannot speak.

In the modern world, one must be skeptical towards the authoritative governments. How a government bodies regulates and governs shapes the beliefs, values, and attitudes of its citizens. George Orwell examines the dangers of this flawed relationship between government bodies and individuals. In 1984, he illustrates the worst possible outcome, a corrupt tyrannical government creating a dystopian world filled with lifeless citizens. Orwell explores the consequences of a totalitarian society in 1984 through the struggles of Winston, the manipulations of O’Brien, and the perfection of Winston.

“But if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought,” states George Orwell, a well-known author, showing how powerful words are, to the point where they can influence the thoughts of people. This is a common theme throughout history, referred to as propaganda, where those in control present words and information to the public to change their opinion on ideas, causes, or policies. The use of propaganda appears in many forms of literature, but it is an especially prominent idea in the novel 1984 by George Orwell. The plot centers on Winston Smith, a thirty-nine year old man living in a dystopian London in 1984, and follows his struggle to subtly oppose the Party, the ruling government of the oligarchy Oceania, one of the three superstates of the world in his time. While Winston fights to oppose the Party through small acts of rebellion, he is constantly on guard against the Thought Police, a task force that finds, imprisons, and kills people who have independent thought outside the Party’s will. Though Winston is eventually caught by the Thought Police and converted back to a Party drone, along with his lover Julia, he is able to catch a glimpse of the corrupted government behind the helping façade of the Party. One of the main tools of propaganda used by the Party is the three slogans WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, and IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH. The Party utilizes the slogan WAR IS PEACE to promote the war between Oceania and one of the other two superstates

In a dystopia, a citizen does not have freedom and is controlled by the myth of being "perfect." Dystopian societies’citizens often have their freedom restricted. The natural world is banished and distrusted from the citizens. They are constantly being watched with a close eye and having the thought of a perfect world but having the citizens with fear of the outside world.

A Dystopian society is an undesirable, degraded society in which the citizens have few freedoms and are forced to act in ways the government wishes. The government in North Korea and the novel 1984, written by George Orwell, are the epitome of Dystopian societies. Almost every aspect of the civilian’s lives are controlled in one way or another. Both governments attempt to aggrandize their own power, while diminishing the rights and privileges of their own citizens. The events in North Korea correspond to the events in George Orwell’s 1984 in various ways.

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.

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

In Time magazine’s list of the 100 best books ever written, George Orwell’s 1984 is summarized as “a study of every possible way a nation can be beaten down by its government,” even to the point “where the state can manipulate reality at will.” The book has been a staple of classroom literature since it was written in 1948, because it is widely considered as an important warning for the impending future. While it is true that 1984 could be considered a warning, Orwell’s novel is greatly misinterpreted as an actual prediction of today’s society.

Orwell’s warning of the dangers of totalitarian regimes to his contextual readers and future audiences is portrayed through his novel, 1984, because “Big Brother is Watching You”, exerting total control over the masses. The masses are effectively controlled by the thought police, telescreens and children who are “against their parents and taught to spy on them and report their deviations”.... Orwell writes about the potential dangers that are inherent when power and technology are abused, resulting in mindless citizens and “a world of fear and hatred and torment”, which Winston perfectly captures with his metaphorical epiphany; “we are the dead”. Like the dead, society will become opiated, lacking individual thought, a highly valued asset of