George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four 1984

The author of the novel 1984, George Orwell, is a political critic. Therefore, he used very precise descriptions of situations and words to provide the reader a clear understanding of the entity he is criticizing. When Winston describes the destruction of past records to create new ones to Julia, he says: “Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book has been rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street and building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And that process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Party is always right.” (pg. 162). Here, instead of only saying “Every record has been

Winston could definitely be viewed as a historic hero for his efforts for the society's freedom. Traits that define Winston would be fearless, driven and persistent. Fearless was a trait that Winston had because he had no fear of the consequences of the actions and ideas that he was committing against the society. If he was caught for these actions he would almost certainly not live, this shows his fearlessness. Driven was another characteristic that Winston had, he was driven in the things he was doing because he didn’t want the government to control his life, he wanted to be free. Persistent was one of Winston’s traits due to the events that he went through and the torture he went through from O’Brien while still believing in his ideas of freedom.

George Orwell focuses his belief of the “[disbelief] in the existence of the objective truth because all the facts have to fit in with the words and prophecies of some infallible fuhrer”. He envisions the decay of future society and implements his ideas through his creation of “Nineteen Eighty-Four”. Indications of a psychological fear are examined initially through the progression and change of the human mind, which is built upon the oppression of the Party. Through the construction of a world with no freedom and individuality, the human mind adapts the change of truth and pay utter submission from the Party, to escape the presence of their ultimate weakness. With those who are rebellious of the rules of the Party gradually brings out the ugly nature of humanity. Through the fragility of the human mind, it reinforces Orwell’s idea of a corrupted society, as there no longer remains a variety of human emotions for the next generation to pass onwards. Thus conclusively portraying the defeat of human mind unable to withstand the physical and mental tortures from the Party.

We might think, he never appears in the novel or he may not actually exist but Big Brother is the ruler of Oceania. At everywhere Winston sees his posters with the message “BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU.” Big Brother’s image haunts Winston’s life and fills him with hatred and fascination.

Additionally, the portrayal of this dystopian society controlled by a totalitarian government might have been understood well by contemporary audiences, mirroring the rules of totalitarian regimes such as Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy- the citizens have no influence on the government and have no freedom of choosing the rules that govern and control every part of their lives. Therefore, Winston blames the misery in his life totally and completely on the government and on Big Brother. In Winston’s case, we can see that the propaganda, deprivation, and strict rules fail to make him concur with the party and accept Big Brother- in this situation, the party has to use extreme force and torture to make Winston love the party as well as Big Brother, in order for the party to maintain complete power.

As a political journalist of World War II, Orwell promised “Every line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism and for socialism" (“Why I Write” 7). In 1948, he published the novel 1984, attacking the fascist regimes of Europe and the English left-wing intelligentsia that supported them. In the futuristic novel, the main character, Winston Smith, desperately tries to hold onto his identity and spirit as the government attempts to control both the minds of its citizens and their ability to

1984. Oceania is ruled by a totalitarian government. Totalitarianism is a system of government that is dictatorial and requires complete obedience to the government. In George Orwell’s 1984, he creates a totalitarian government that relates to events in history and modern day government.

Considering that the book was published in 1948, in the start of the Cold War, the political connotation of this book was instantly interpreted as a criticism to the Soviet Union and their autocratic rule, mainly because of the parallels and allusions Orwell brought from this country. For instance the resemblance of Big Brother which is describe as “the face of a man of about forty-five, with a heavy black moustache and ruggedly handsome features”(Orwell 4) is an accurate description of the 1948 Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, hinting a parallel Orwell established between both of them. Common practices like cult of personality and his rivalry with previous party members (in Stalin’s case Trotsky and in Big Brother’s case Goldstein) show that the character is not only physically similar, but that Big Brother is an allusion to the Soviet leader. Hence Orwell also alludes the alteration of history and photographs in Winston´s working place to the similar practices made in the USSR under Stalin, where photos were edited when people condemned by treason appeared on it. The constant wars the country is facing alludes to the multiple wars that took place during the first half of the twentieth century, as the author states that their society was constantly at war, which is an allusion to his present. By alluding to the present and to the USSR, Orwell convinces the western reader of the dangers of these dictatorial societies, by drawing a parallel between 1984 society and their cold war

Oceania, according to the book is isolated from the rest of the countries in the world. There is no such thing as “international” news to the people living in Oceania. They are only allowed to do what Big Brother tells them. They have telescreens that are practically surveillance cameras that watch the people all the time. They are constantly being watched because the party (Big Brother) wants to stay in control. Like O’Brien, Hitler sends the Jews to concentration camps to hide the truth from them. The truth was that the whole world did like and appreciate the Jewish community. This is similar to 1984 because Big Brother doesn’t let it’s people to get informed of anything. Instead they are bowing down to Big Brother thinking he is the top “God”. In fact, not just in the book 1984, isolation is also demonstrated in William Shakespeare's famous book, Romeo and Juliet. The theme of isolation occurs when Juliet fails to get empowerment over making her own decisions. That’s what led Juliet to her downfall including her death. All these three examples have something in common. That similarity would be that the people in Oceania like the Jewish and Juliet can’t make their own decisions. Though in comparison, all their cities continued with their lives after the aftermath of all these three

George Orwell was the pseudonym for Eric Arthur Blair, and he was famous for his personnel vendetta against totalitarian regimes and in particular the Stalinist brand of communism. In his novel, 1984, Orwell has produced a brilliant social critique on totalitarianism and a future dystopia, that has made the world pause and think about our past, present and future, as the situation of 1984 always remains menacingly possible. The story is set in a futuristic 1984 London, where a common man Winston Smith has turned against the totalitarian government. Orwell has portrayed the concepts of power, marginalization, and resistance through physical, psychological, sexual and political control. The way that Winston Smith, the central

As learned from Winston, “Who controls the past...controls the future: who controls the present controls the past" (Orwell 34). Winston references this on account of Oceania being in alliances with Eastasia, when in fact not too long before, Oceania had been at war with Eastasia. Although this was true, it was not the past that the people of Oceania knew. This is because The Party had forced their people to forget about the countries past with Eastasia and any who would speak or think about Oceania once being at war with Eastasia, would be committing the ultimate crime. The inhumane torture these totalitarian governments inflicted is another instance in 1984 that relates to Germany during WWII.

Using his remarkable writing skills, Orwell published 1984 in hopes that he would be able to demonstrate to his readers that a communist government would lead to a totalitarian reign over all of society.

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.

He discovers Julia, whom he falls in love with, and she has the same beliefs as him. Together they find O'Brien-a member of the inner-party, whom-Winston believes-could overthrow "The Party" (the Government), and Big Brother: the supreme governmental leader that may be fictional or may be real, we never know. They become inner-party members but then are betrayed by O'Brien, separated from each other (that's the last we hear of Julia), and Winston is tortured, until he believes the way of the party. He finally is put through enough torture in the Ministry of Love that he gives in, and believes everything the party believes-the past is alterable, the present can change, and that 2+2=5 if they say it is so.

This story takes place in an imaginary country called Oceania; it is one of the three large super states in the world of 1984. Oceania is a society similar to Hitler's Germany; with absolute power in the government and absolutely no individualism. Oceania is ruled by a totalitarian government, the leader of the government was Big Brother. Big brother monitors all the people by telescreens and the thought police. Telescreens watch every move that is made and there is no privacy.