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Joseph Stalin And 1984

Decent Essays

Striking similarities can be drawn when looking at the fictitious government of Oceania in George Orwell’s 1984 and Joseph Stalin’s Soviet Republic. When looking at the way Stalin ran his regime, as well as the effect it had on the citizens of the nation, it’s clear to see that Orwell may have drawn inspiration from Stalin’s Soviet Union when designing the fictitious Oceania. The quality of living in the Soviet Union at the time was almost identical to that portrayed in 1984. The division of wealth among the people of Oceania also seemed inspired by life in Stalin’s Soviet Union. Most strikingly similar though was the lack of freedoms and rights in 1984 and in Stalin’s Soviet Union. When Josef Stalin became the ruler of the Soviet …show more content…

During Stalin’s time in Russia, the top 10% income share was about 20-25%, compared to 40-45% prior to Stalin. (Novokmet). That same economic structure was also present in 1984. The lower class of Oceania were known as the proletarians, or the proles. The lower class accounted for about 85% of the population, being almost entirely equal in income and quality of living. (Orwell #). The same happened in Stalin’s Soviet Union. Most of the population was equal under the communist regime, beside the few exceptions within the government. This “equality” in both cases also drastically changed the quality of life. Purges were a common event in Stalin’s Russia. It is estimated that almost 20 million Russians perished in Stalin’s “gulags”, which were hard labor camps in the cold Siberian region of Russia. (Aris). Stalin sent political opponents as well as those who opposed the teachings and rules of the communist party to these gulags, where they were bound to perish. Likewise, the police in 1984 sentenced it’s citizens to service in labor-camps for breaking rules and regulations. Winston mentions that being caught with a prostitute is one of the many ways to find yourself in a labor camp. (Orwell 65). Citizens of Oceania were also prone to vaporize. In 1984 it states, “People simply disappeared, always during the night...vaporized was the word.” (Orwell 39). A similar “phenomenon” could be found in Stalin’s Soviet Union. When Stalin fell out with

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