In the book 1984 by George Orwell, we are taken on a rollercoaster of emotions and traumatizing events that in the end enlighten us about the evils of mankind. Orwell makes it very clear in the opening chapters of his book about the dangers of a totalitarian government and throughout the entire novel he makes it his sole purpose to warn the readers of what kind of threats a corrupt government can have on its society. One particular way George Orwell exposes to the readers the way a government dominates its people is through the control of the past, present and the future. It is revealed in the book that the government of Oceania used several tactics to blind its society of what they knew by creating Memory Holes which were defined as, “ …show more content…
In no case would it have been possible, once the deed was done, to prove that any falsification had taken place.” So to know these facts is not only bone chilling but very humbling for me to not be living in such circumstances. The Oceanian government also made sure to solidify their stance on the societies do’s and don’ts and making sure they were being followed as directed by placing hidden microphones, telescreens, thought polices, and undercover government officials which were also known as “ inner party members” in homes, work areas, and just about anywhere you can imagine. The telescreens and the thought police to me were the worst of all because the telescreens were constantly loud and the thought police could arrest you and execute you if they even felt a slight tingle that you were having “ unorthodox” thoughts and worst of all you never knew who they were, they could have been your best friend, next door neighbor, and so on. The thought police symbolize the destruction of loyalty which is the strongest characteristic and weapon of mankind, between lovers, neighbors, and even family in my opinion. The telescreens on the other hand repeated everything so much so that you began to believe it. They did it ever so gracefully as if they were physically implementing whatever thoughts/ideas they wanted in the people's minds.
Nobody can disagree with the fact that George Orwell’s vision, in his book 1984, didn’t come true. Though many people worried that the world might actually come to what Orwell thought, the year 1984 came and went and the world that Orwell created was something people did not have to worry about anymore. Many people have wondered what was happening in Orwell’s life and in his time that would inspire him to create this politically motivated book. A totalitarian world where one person rules and declares what is a crime and what is not, is something many people would have been scared of a lot. The totalitarianism in 1984 is very similar to the Nazism that was occurring in Germany with Hitler. This could have been the key thing that motivated
In the novel 1984 George Orwell demonstrates how the government maintains power through mind control and manipulation of the masses. Orwell hints that when the government (Big Brother), holds too much power they become crooked and devious towards the rest of the population. In a nutshell Orwell is conveying that a corrupt government destroys all chances for an ideal society. Collectively, George Orwell made a prediction of what was going to happen, and it has become a reality to some extent. Overall this is a great book for the current political state.
The great, overlooking aura that is Big Brother is perfectly exemplified in a quote, “It is the hard and reflecting eye rather than the eye itself that seems hostile” (Lyons and Orwell 42). In this book, the people are not certain that Big Brother exists, yet he holds the most power in the entire nation. The threat of abuse in any form for disobeying the Party is what makes Oceania the perfect dystopia. The Party controls everything, even though the people may not accept it. They use force and intimidation to control. Telescreens watch over every move made by every person. There are helicopters full of thought police flying overhead looking for the slightest disobedience to be punished. The Party cheapens sexual pleasure by putting it into
George Orwell’s theme in 1984 is that an omnipotent and all-seeing government is dangerous and will demean individuality as well as free will. He portrays this through Winston’s failure to rebel while showing totalitarian governments cannot be stopped after they have been completely established. He also depicts his message through the citizens’ total belief in government propaganda no matter how absurd or inconstant as well as through the international solidarity and seemingly permanent nuclear cold war.
In the book 1984 by George Orwell, a totalitarian government is emphasized. Throughout the story, it is revealed that all the government cares about is war and power within themselves. It is clearly shown that the intentions of the government in Oceania are self-serving and not benevolent. With the use of Newspeak and Doublethink, Orwell further shows that the intentions of the government are one sided and are only effective for themselves. The way in which the government runs its people expresses the idea of selfishness and that all benefits are only for the government. Through the use of surveillance, torture, and complete removal of people's privacy, the government is able to manipulate and scare people into obeying the government, which in turn only makes the government stronger.
The past is constantly changing and history is continuously being interpreted in different ways. This changing of the past is relevant in the modern world, as well as the fictional world in in the novel 1984, written by George Orwell. The government in 1984 has the ability to completely control the past, greatly impacting the daily lives of the people living under this invasive government. The government's ability to change the past causes the control that an individual has over their life to be stripped away, which stops individuals from making lasting impacts in society.
Winston Churchill once said, “History is written by the victors.” This means that victors ultimately document history and have jurisdiction over it. They control the past, present, and the future, establishing their accounts of “history”. In 1984 by George Orwell, Oceania and the Party is the victor and have absolute power over history. The totalitarian government authorizes practically everything and manipulates the citizens to the most extreme level. From psychological manipulation to Newspeak to altering historical records by the Ministry of Truth, the Party is the victor, and will use its maximum power to transform even the most rebellious citizens into loyal ones in seek of attaining complete control of the past, present, and future. They attempt to suppress language and communication, sexual desires, rebellion, and memory both physically and mentally by the means of utilizing technology, Party members, propaganda (Big Brother), and altering history. Doing so grants them power and jurisdiction over the people and brings them closer to their perspective of a “perfect” society.
The society of “1984” is a reminder to show us that the future may look like this, if nothing is being done to prevent it or change it. Also “1984” is portraying the possible effect and what the world may seem like in the future, if the government has absolute power and control of the people. Orwell needed to grab the attention of the audience, so therefore he distorted the world that we live in and shaped it into the world of “1984”. The encounter of the government is uncommon to be seen. We, the people of America, take the rights that are given to every citizen for granted. We take everything for granted until a change of where the wind blows and that is when we begin to realize the privileges that we are blessed with. Nonetheless, Orwell presents the use of distortion in order to portray to the people the consequences of a government that is constantly bird-watching the citizens and ensuring that they are enforcing absolute loyalty to the power and control over the entire society. Because The Party, is obsessed with absolute power
1984, Orwell’s last and perhaps greatest work, deals with drastically heavy themes that still terrify his audience after 65 years. George Orwell’s story exemplifies excessive power, repression, surveillance, and manipulation in his strange, troubling dystopia full of alarming secrets that point the finger at totalitarian governments and mankind as a whole. What is even more disquieting is that 1984, previously considered science fiction, has in so many ways become a recognizable reality.
In the book 1984, which takes place in Oceania, all people are constantly under surveillance by Ingsoc. Ingsoc is Oceania's government. Also the widespread use of propaganda is quite evident in this book. Surveillance and propaganda are used to control, watch, and influence the peoples of Oceania.
Historically, literature has always echoed the key issues and themes present during that time. In the period which Orwell wrote this novel, totalitarian government was a popular concept seeing implementation around the world such as Nazi Germany, Soviet Russia, and Mussolini’s Italy. In the novel 1984. While Orwell’s world is a fictional one, it can be said that he uses it as a voice for social commentary, and he predictions as to what a world would be like if totalitarian governments would rule the world. This essay will aim to explore how Orwell goes about doing this.
1984 a novel by George Orwell was written in 1949. It has received nothing but good reviews since the day it was published. Many relish over the unique writing style and interesting plot. But, one of the most significant features of this novel is how close it came to directly predicting the future. The government described in 1984 was almost an exaggerated version of the government in 1949. The government was described as controlling and unforgiving, but how does this related to our government now? 1984 by George Orwell expresses ideas and theories about the government’s real control and influence on what the population sees, hears, and does.
George Orwell’s key objective throughout his novel, 1984, was to convey to his readers the imminent threat of the severe danger that totalitarianism could mean for the world. Orwell takes great measures to display the horrifying effects that come along with complete and dominant control that actually comes along with totalitarian government. In Orwell’s novel, personal liberties and individual freedoms that are protected and granted to many Americans today, are taken away and ripped from the citizen’s lives. The government takes away freedom and rights from the people so that the ruling class (which makes up the government), while reign with complete supremacy and possess all power.
Living in a world that continues to make advancements technologically and politically, a book written more than 50 years ago still warns the world of what could happen if government becomes too forceful. Because of George Orwell's strong hatred for totalitarianism and its life dictating qualities, readers can get a taste of the perfect "dystopia". Though the people of today have been warned and are afraid of an all controlling government, they continue to allow the concept of 1984 to become more and more real. If people continue to just watch their governments make decisions and not ask questions, they will fall victim to its power. If a man not of this time understands the terror of totalitarianism, everyone should
The governments in today’s society have brainwashed their citizens into believing everything their leader says and thinks is correct and everything else is wrong. This can sometimes be known as a totalitarian government. George Orwell’s novel 1984 revolves around totalitarianism. The members of the party in Oceania are taught and required to worship their leader Big Brother whether they believe in him or not. In the novel 1984, George Orwell shows the problems and the hatred with a totalitarian government through his use of symbolism, situational irony, and indirect characterization.