Fear In 1984

“Self-preservation is the first law of nature.” (Samuel Butler 1675) It’s common sense and hard wired into the minds of all humans and animals, that if your safety is questioned then your minds will make you do anything to return to whatever makes you feel peace. Playing on common fears of people, will strengthen power and will erase any inquiring into their policies (commandments). Orwell not only wanted to show fear in a fictional sense, but in the non-fictional sense as well. Orwell produced this by the characterisation of the pigs, with the progression of pig to man and this general stigma of pigs being used to describe man; this is largely evident at the end of the novel, “The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig,

Paranoia an uncontrollable emotion that refers to the suspicion or perception that one has against a hostile or aggressive figure or horror. It can often lead to the point of delusion or irrationality in the person. This emotion is catastrophic, it takes over people's minds and bodies, making their “true” self disappear. Once the fear is inside of a person it is hard to overcome. 1984, is a dystopian novel written by George Orwell. He writes about what he imagines the year 1984 will be like, based off of his knowledge about war, fear, and totalitarian governments in the 1940s and 50s. George Orwell, has personal experience of innocent people that were haunted by paranoia, and is one of the key reasons he decided to become an author and write this book. Paranoia is a frequent recurring topic in this novel, that many citizens in the city of Oceania experience, most importantly, the main character, Winston. People in Airstrip one are haunted by Big brother and the Party, because of their cruel ways of order. Big Brother is a real life representation of dictators from World War Ⅱ, but mostly portrays qualities like Joseph Stalin, the dictator of the Soviet Union. The party ruled under Big Brother, making policies, claims, and decisions for Oceania. Paranoia always has been an analytical part of governments, and is so influential in 1984. This feeling exhibits the true meaning of fear and the alterations that come along with the power a certain group or figure holds above a

“No one is free, even the birds are chained to the sky.” Bob Dylan said this probably not knowing its profound connection with George Orwell’s novel “1984”, but the as well could be in “1984”. Orwell depicts a totalitarian dystopian world where there is no freedom and citizens are being brainwashed constantly. Without any sense of individual fairness, people work for the party just like the gear wheels in a machine. In order to achieve this, the politicians in “1984” suppress people’s thinking and eliminate their freedom by creating fear through propaganda, strict laws and incessant surveillances.

“The resort to fear by systems of power to discipline the domestic population has left a long and terrible trail of bloodshed and suffering which we ignore at our peril” (Chomsky). This is significant because it relates to both 1984 and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Fear is used in both of these stories to discipline the domestic population and ends up being effective. These two novels are ran by totalitarian like structures. The characters are under a certain person 's rule, creating the totalitarian government. In these societies, fear is used to gain power in these governments. The manipulation of fear is used in both 1984 and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest in the manner of which the authoritarians control every aspect of the character’s lives.

Furthermore, the Party’s technological advancements give them a huge advantage in controlling its citizens. A television screen called a telescreen is found in every home in Oceania and it “could be dimmed, but there was no way of shutting it off completely” (Orwell 4). These screens have cameras so the government can watch or listen to all activity going on in the living room, where it is usually placed. Along with these screens, there are posters of the political figure, Big Brother, all throughout Oceania. Winston describes them as “one of those pictures which are so contrived that the eyes follow you about when you move. BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU, the caption beneath it ran” (Orwell 3). The Party uses all of these tactics together to not only maintain order and control throughout Oceania, but to also deprive its citizens from any human behaviors that are usually found in an individual.

Comrades are blindsided by the way the government abolishes their personal viability;no one in the society has privacy. Big Brother is omnipresent hence “even from the coin the eyes pursued you. On coins, on stamps, and on the wrapping of a cigarette packet-- everywhere. Always the eyes watching you and the voice enveloping you. Asleep or awake, working or eating, indoors or out of doors, in the bath or in bed -- no escape.” (Orwell, 27). In other words, the interpretation of Big Brother is evident in the community down to an object as straightforward as a cigarette packet. Regardless of where comrades stand, the party is able to see and hear everything; the voice over the intercom consistently mocking and barking orders to the citizens. There is only invasion of privacy- all movements are monitored through telescreens, Thought Police and others. The ability for enabling privacy decreases the chances for the citizens to revolt. The telescreens are constantly on, knowing every movement, processing everything said. The telescreens are in every part of the Party’s communities: inside homes, bathrooms, all of the Ministries, and inside picture frames. Including, Thought Police who pose as comrades prey on others who may be breaking the rules secretively. When Big Brother’s face is on every materialistic thing, he is a constant reminder that the comrades are being watched.

“Big Brother is Watching You.” Big Brother is a fictional being made by the government, and basically resembles the government. In the country you have no privacy, or as Winston Smith put it, “Nothing was your own except the few cubic centimetres inside your skull.” for the government monitors everything with microphones and recording devices, and even videotapes in the Telescreens, which can’t be turned off except for by “Inner Party” members, but only for about 45 minutes at a time.

Big Brother: Protector or Dark Representative As far as the eye can see, the posters so bold and ubiquitous boast “Big Brother Is Watching You” (Orwell 3). He is the leader of the Party, yet he is also the government itself; he is a symbol representing much more than what is implied. In 1984 by George Orwell, Big Brother represents the darkness behind the Party. This dark symbolism is evident in big brother’s name using the principles of doublespeak, similarities between big brother and dictators, big brother’s totalitarian-like action and purpose, and the fear caused by big brother’s unceasing watch on his people.

The society in 1984, although fictional, mirrors the political weather of the societies that existed all around George Orwell. Orwell's Oceania is a terrifying society reminiscent of Hitler's Germany and Stalin's Soviet Union where he witnessed the danger of absolute political authority in an age of advanced technology. A society where there would be complete repression of the human spirit, absolute governmental control of daily life, constant hunger, and the systematic "vaporization" of individuals who do not, or will not, comply with the government's values. Orwell, tried to illustrate that peril harshly in his novel, In an effort to convince readers to avoid any path that might lead towards such social degradation.

We live in a world of technology. It surrounds us like a cloud or a blanket of information and connectivity. Every day governments around the world are using more private surveillance tactics. The US government is heavily tapping into this cloud of information and the public 's privacy is being reduced and we are inching closer and closer to constant, total surveillance. In George Orwell’s novel 1984, those who aren’t living on the street live under constant surveillance. Those fortunate enough to live in one of the decrepit apartment buildings sacrifice their privacy and their freedom, while working for the government that controls them. Telescreens monitor everything, while people are forced to live in awful conditions.

In today’s digital age, almost all aspects of life can be completed using a computer. Business meetings over video chat, homework, shopping, and even spending one’s free time are often done online nowadays. With how quickly news can travel now, any person who wants to, can be informed with the latest up-to-date information. Friends can reconnect instantly, and someone can find the answers he or she is searching for in mere seconds. This all seems to be a great set up; however, with everyone putting so much information onto the internet, it becomes simple for the government, for example, to monitor their lives. Most people would probably not be in favor of being watched, even if it is for the greater good, as they might feel some of their rights are being violated. As technology and surveillance are increasing, the idea of Big Brother from George Orwell’s novel 1984 being equivalent to the American government is expanding, and as long as American society continues to let it happen, it could one day mimic Orwell’s classic book.

Pleasure and joy can be declined effortlessly, however, escaping the experience of fear and its companion, pain, is far more complex. The novel, 1984 by George Orwell, depicts a tale of a Dystopia, in which Orwell’s dark vision of the future illuminates the world of the wretched realities of having an abusive and totalitarian government. The hierarchical system known as, Big Brother’s inner party, utilizes psychological manipulation and punishment as methods to maintain submission within the citizens of Oceania. By using these forms of control, the authority figures of Oceania is able to run every aspect of the citizens lives but not by guns or force, but by the uncontrollable human emotion of fear. This emotion of fear is capable of making

Fear is one of the most intense emotions that a human can feel, and in good reason. It has allowed us to recognize dangers and to save ourselves. However, humans have also discovered the potential for fear to manipulate and control other beings. George Orwell’s novel 1984 brilliantly illustrates the harrowing idea of a totalitarian government utilizing fear and cruelty to its greatest extent in order to control its people.

The party continuously instills fear in the general public, trapping them in a mindset that they are incapable of fighting against. All thoughts were controlled, and all actions censored. A simple accusation could lead to unspeakable amounts of pain and suffering. The constant fear of death plagued the minds of people, and messages of hate and false victory led to a corrupted sense of faith in a deceitful government. Throughout 1984, Orwell shows a nightmarish society in which even a simple thought could quickly become a crime. 1984 masterfully set the trend for dystopian novels, showing that a corrupt society could quickly lead to the destruction of individuality.

Big Brother is always watching. Through spies, telescreens, and microphones, Big Brother is able to monitor every single movement and action of all of the citizens of Oceania throughout all hours of the day. Orwell describes the terrifying reality of the constant presence of the telescreens by saying, “The instrument (the telescreen, it was called) could be dimmed, but there was no way of shutting it off completely.” (Orwell,3). By stating the fact that the telescreens are not able to be turned off further shows that people have been stripped of all privacy. Being watched by telescreens during all aspects of their daily lives made the people completely belong to The Party. Many did not feel safe, even in their own thoughts. Orwell cautions,