Media In 1984 By George Orwell

In the novel 1984, written by George Orwell, a totalitarian government known as “the Party” and headed by the symbolic “Big Brother” is in command of the country of Oceania. This government demands complete and absolute control of the minds of its citizens. Reality is whatever the Party says it is in Oceania. Big Brother has complete control of the media and also claims to be above even the laws of mathematics and physics. There is an extraordinarily strong and influential relationship between media control and perception of reality both in the novel and in the real world.

Are we living in a world similar to that of the dystopian society depicted in George Orwell’s popular novel 1984? Are we constantly being watched? Are our thoughts being influenced by the media around us? There has been a significant spike in sales of the novel over the last month (Freytas-Tamura). The question now becomes why. Maybe our society is becoming more and more like 1984 every day. While the United States has biased media and oppressive surveillance like 1984, it also has striking differences.

The human condition can be described as the aspects of life that compose and form a person. Many novels depict a society where the human condition is manipulated by those in power. In 1984 by George Orwell, the human condition is controlled by the government. The nation, Oceania, is ruled by a strict, hostile regime called the Inner Party. The Inner Party keeps a constant, vigilant watch on their citizens through several methods such as the use of telescreens and thought police. Using this to their advantage, the Inner Party controls their citizens’ daily lives and routine. Failure to follow the Inner Party’s directives ultimately results in death. On the other hand, Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 portrays a society where the human condition is controlled by media. In this world, reading books has been outlawed. Books are now burned along with the houses that they are found in. Without books, citizens turn to various media outlets to fill their minds. Television parlors, Seashell ear thimbles, and similar objects encompass the citizens’ lives and continually surround them to the point of brainwashing. Both novels illustrate a harsh, manipulated human condition which is reflected in the societies’ people; however, between the two societies depicted, a more devastating, oppressive and strict human condition is demonstrated in Orwell’s 1984.

16. In the final analysis, how accurate was Orwell in his vision of the future? In what ways does our contemporary society compare to his idea of society in 1984? Are there examples in which he was correct? What is most contrary? Do you see a potential for aspects of Orwell’s “vision” to come true?

“Newspeak was designed to. . .diminish the range of thought. . .by cutting the choice of words down to a minimum” explains George Orwell, the author of a dystopian fiction novel, 1984 (Orwell 300). Orwell designs a society in which a totalitarian government rules, depriving people of their thoughts. The story gives us a look into the life of the main character, Winston, who seems to face issues with reality control. Today, we will delve into the depths of this novel and explore Orwell’s views on the nature of language. In simple terms, Orwell suggests that language, if used in a certain way, has the ability to influence people and compel them to alter their thoughts. With this statement and supporting evidence, it can be concluded that the effective use of language can give individuals power to modify or reshape opinions that will allow for change in society.

1984 Paper In 1984, George Orwell writes about the effect of a totalitarian state. The citizens of Oceania are controlled in many ways through the use of technology and fear. No person living in Oceania during this time has no private life. The residents fear Big Brother.

The Party is constantly streaming propaganda into the lives of people living in Oceania and the things being said have been deemed to be the truth by the Party. The three slogans of the Party are, “War is Peace/Freedom is Slavery/Ignorance is Strength”. Big Brother is the symbolic figurehead of the Party who is equally significant as these slogans. Early in the morning, Winston reads these words above the entrance to the Ministry of Truth where he works and is now wondering if the Party will be in power forever. He pulls out a coin to look at what is inscribed, “There [on the coin], too, in tiny clear lettering, the same slogans were inscribed, and on the other face of the coin the head of Big Brother [...] On coins, on stamps, on the covers of books, on banners, on posters, and on the wrapping of a cigarette packet—everywhere” (Orwell 27).

Big Brother is watching you. This simple phrase revolves around the citizens of Oceania’s lives every day. They live in a world where they do not have their own beliefs. The government controls everything, including what they do, what they think, even how they speak. At a young age, the population is taught how to act according to the government’s wishes. They live their lives working according to what the government wants. Winston, the main character, works in the Ministry of Truth, where he alters the past. All possible love and loyalty is towards the Party. The government of Oceania manipulates and molds the minds of its citizens as to how they wish them to be. Throughout the novel, 1984 by George Orwell, the author and the society of Oceania constantly tries to and succeeds in creating and maintaining the members of society’s devotion towards becoming and being a perfect Party member.

The telescreen is a prominent symbol throughout the novel 1984. It is a requirement in every residents home and it is mandatory that it always stays on. The telescreen represents control, a lack of control, invasion of privacy, prevention of independent thought, caution and abuse of technology.

George Orwell’s 1984 shows how simple it is for a government to control their citizens. This book suggests that war or the idea of war can control citizens and keep the Party in control by maintaining the social classes, promoting patriotism, and keeping the citizens ignorant of what is going on around them. This matters because the Party can get the entirety of Oceania to believe what they say even if it is a lie, which demonstrates how simple it is for a government to control its citizens through words and propaganda.

What if every move made or action taken was watched on a screen? In the story 1984 written by George Orwell has a theme given by the over aching government. The conflict of this novel comes from the oppression and controlling ways of the government. The protagonist of this story named Winston had troubles wrapping his head around their conniving ways, and yet though illegal had a quite complicated yet interesting relationship with a lady named Julia. Not that everyone else disagreed with Winston, but most of the people who live in his society have been brainwashed through the use of propaganda. One symbol that deemed surprising was the fact that Winston did have his own opinion in life and used this as way to protrude it. If a woman would have

The novel 1984 is a futuristic totalitarian society where everyone is kept under close surveillance and is forced to follow all rules and laws of the state. The novel 1984 was written by George Orwell and published in 1950. The main characters were Big Brother, Winston Smith, Julia, O’Brien, Syme and Emmanuel Goldstein. Winston Smith is a low man on the totem pole when it came to the ruling Party in London, Oceania. His every move is watched by the Party through devices called telescreens. Posted everywhere around the city is the face of their leader, “Big Brother” informing them that he is always watching. He works in the “Ministry of Truth” which is ironic seeing that they alter history to fit the liking of the Party. As this book continues Winston challenged the laws and skirts around the fact that he is always being watched. His shocking and rebellious act is “falling in love.” Throughout this novel George Orwell utilizes symbolism to further enhance the totalitarian features of the society. In many ways these symbols represent the things that this society hasn’t experienced and doesn’t understand.

Hopelessness, deep and gaping ever lasting hopelessness. If the course of humanity fails to change, to this everyone will succumb. That is the message that George Orwell has left for the future, and it would be in humanity's best interest to heed. Winston Smith of 1984 lived in a world that had been consumed by the everlasting abyss of injustice. Eventually this world became too much for our hopeful protagonist and thus, like the future that is bound to a horrific fate, he succumbed. “It was like swimming against a current that swept you backwards however hard you struggled, and then suddenly deciding to turn round and go with the current instead of opposing it” (Orwell 248). No one in this world is any different than Winston, they will follow his path like all of those before them, following the five stages of Kübler-Ross. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance make up the cycle that every feeble life will follow and that Winston grew to know all too well.

This slightly distressing tale may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it definitely is a thought provoking must read. 1984 is a political thriller by George Orwell published in 1949, the beginning of the cold war. It takes place in a dystopian world, specifically a country – Oceania, inspired by the hysteria of Communism. The story follows the life of a man, Winston, who begins to question and rebel against the totalitarian ruled country he lives in. Living in a ‘Big Brother is always watching’ world, constant surveillance and fear of it carries a claustrophobic and angsty feeling throughout the novel. Winston works for the political system (the Party) in a sector that alters history to suit the Party’s needs. Believed to be a job inspired by Stalin’s/Russia’s erasing of Trotsky from all tangible records after his falling-out from the party. Other sectors control and monitor any sign of individualism, sex, and free thought. Orwell also references Hitler Youth in the novel, with the Junior Spies, where children are trained to watch out for

Orwell lived in a period where oppression was made clear in countries such as Spain, Germany, the Soviet Union, and other countries. In these countries the government maintained an iron curtain around its citizens. Citizens had very little freedom, forced labour and mass execution.