In a totalitarian society, it’s often required of citizens to abide by the ideologies of one’s government. However, when extreme measures taken to exterminate an individual's ability to deviate from current societal norms, the outcome is the loss of self to an extent. Corrupt governments that lead to the loss of the identity of their citizens is depicted in the novels 1984 by George Orwell, and A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. The disturbing and thought provoking novel 1984 begins with Winston Smith’s efforts to be an individual while the government bans and sort of individuality. Winston rebels against the Party that keeps the entire population under surveillance by writing in a journal and having a sexual relationship, both of which …show more content…
The novella begins with Alex and his friends harassing and beating a variety of innocents throughout the streets England. When he is finally arrested for his crimes, two years into his fourteen year sentence he begins the testing of the ludovico technique, which would prevent him from partaking in any sort of violence of sexual activity. Upon release, his brainwashing is used against him and he endures a suicide attempt because of the manipulation. After waking from his attempt, he discovers that he had been cured of the brainwashing, and again had control over himself. Although Winston’s brainwashing is permanent, both governments used the manipulation of individuality and in order to achieve a society that's both capable of being controlled, and able to function without fault. The government in both novels use oppression and brainwashing to control their citizens in order to create a perfect society with varying degrees of success. In order to achieve the perfect status of society, the governments in both novels use forms of oppression in order to claim authority and to be beloved by the …show more content…
The Government is capable of controlling the collectives thoughts by using telescreens and doublethink, both of which promote compliance and ignorance among Party members. To begin, telescreens keep the society in a state of oppression as those who don’t comply to the Party’s ideologies are discovered through the device, and then taken to the Ministry of Love to be brainwashed into accepting the party’s principles. The device fulfils the constant need of broadcasting propaganda and keeping the entirety of the population under surveillance and in constant fear. The Party requires these machines as they ensure the absence of conspiracy and thoughtcrime throughout Party members. The telescreens are extraordinarily sensitive, capable of picking up even an irregularly fast heartbeat. Winston was especially careful about his thoughts around a telescreen for that reason, “It was terribly dangerous to let your thoughts wander when you were in any public place or within range of a telescreen...A nervous tic, an unconscious look of anxiety, a habit of muttering to yourself – anything that carried with it the suggestion of abnormality”(65) Telescreens completely restrict all acts and
The main character in George Orwell’s 1948 novel, 1984, Winston Smith can be seen as many things. To some, he may be a hero, but to others he is a coward and a fool. Throughout the novel, Winston’s characteristics are explored, and readers are shown the reasoning behind Winston’s twisted mind. It is evident that although Winston thinks he had control over his own mind and body, this is an imagined factor. The world of 1984 is one of a totalitarian society, where no one can be trusted, and no one is safe, Winston being the primary example of one who trusted thoughtlessly.
In the novel 1984, George Orwell relates the tension between outward conformity and inward questioning by allowing the reader to see inside of the mind of Winston Smith. Orwell uses Winston’s rebellious thoughts to counteract his actions in order to show the reader how a dystopian society can control the citizens. Although Winston is in an obvious state of disbelief in the society, his actions still oppose his thoughts because of his fear of the government. Winston’s outward conformity and inward questioning relate to the meaning of the novel by showing Winston’s fight to truth being ended by the dystopian society’s government.
During Joseph Stalin’s regime of the Soviet Union, 1984, the Classic Dystopian novel by George Orwell, was burned and banned, because the book shone a negative light on communism. The book, 1984, follows the life of Winston Smith, who lives in a country called Oceania. Oceania is a totalitarian society, ruled by a government known as The Party, whose leader is called Big Brother. In Oceania, every movement and sound every person makes is constantly surveillanced, and one wrong facial expression, statement, or action can cause the ‘Thought Police’ to take the person away to never be seen again. A small percentage of the population questions The Party’s dictatorship, and the novel follows Winston’s struggles to keep his hatred of The Party
In a totalitarian country, any ordinary citizen’s powers are limited, if at all possible. Although any individual is treated like a part of the society, he has no chances to play a vital role in it. A person is to follow officially dispersed propaganda and obey the rules, which intend to control everything. The totalitarian system uses any means including manipulation, intimidation and even the worst forms of repression just to achieve the main goal - staying in power. George Orwell’s 1984 and Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest are very similar novels which describe two different societies being mainly focused on individuals opposing the existing systems. In Orwell’s novel, the
Introduction A Clockwork Orange and 1984 are books with Non-traditional language use to affect the reader in some way. A Clockwork Orange was written by Anthony Burgess and follows the teenage life of Alex and his ultraviolent hobbies and run-ins with the law. 1984 was written by George Orwell with a controlling government as the main premise. The languages used in the books are both based on English but are vastly different from each other.
Change can be good to a society, but to what extent? In the book A Clockwork Orange the main character Alex and his droogs run the streets at night committing crimes. After a slip up that leads him to get caught by the authorities, Alex is giving the chance to “fix his ways” that makes the reader question the meaning of human freedom. Anthony Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange is a true dystopia because of the high rates of crime, unethical medical practices, and dehumanizing policing used by the government.
The main character in George Orwell’s book 1984 is a thirty-nine year old man with the name of Winston Smith. Winston Smith creates thought crimes, he also has anti-Party views. The story “1984” tells about all of Winston Smith’s struggles. In an effort to avoid being monitored, Winston physically conforms to society, however mentally he does just the opposite. Winston is a thin, frail and intellectual thirty-nine year old. Winston hates totalitarian control and enforced repression that are characteristics of his government. Winston hates being watched by Big Brother. He always has revolutionary dreams, he feels like he would be protected. Julia is Winston’s lover, a beautiful dark- haired girl working in the
Totalitarianism, derived from a society which proceeds without cautiousness towards governmental power, can induce many limitations among citizens and every aspect of their lives including individualism. In George Orwell’s 1984, the artificiality of the dystopian country influenced the protagonist of the novel, Winston Smith, to try and deceive the government in any way possible. Winston and many others view individuality as immensely important, but a large challenge to achieve due to the diminished hope evident in dystopia. Hope is prominent among Winston in his actions towards the totalitarian government, referred to as Big Brother, throughout the novel. From the beginning of the novel when readers are introduced to a dismal setting to
“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.
In both 1984 and Fahrenheit 451, the government has a lot of control over the people and their lives. In 1984 the government vaporizes and tortures anyone that does not seem to approve of the government’s actions or the moral code that the government supports. While in Fahrenheit 451 the government arrests anyone that has books or disapproves of what the government does. The two books are similar in that the governments use a lot of fear to keep their citizens loyal and acting in a way that they approve of. The government in Fahrenheit 451 uses firemen to project fear and keep order in the cities, as well as burning the possessions and homes of people that own books. 1984 has a similarly feared organization known as the Thought Police, they were said to be able to read the minds of all of the citizens in Oceania, the name of the country where Winston lives in the novel, and were used by the government to try to prevent even the thought of someone acting out against the government. The Thought Police also used much
“The screens are ever present”; there is one at every turn (The Warning Signs). One may turn its volume down but not completely off. The murmurings of voices of reporters are forever a reminder that one is never totally invisible (Orwell 2). Through the use of telescreens, the Party is able to come after anyone that goes against the set policies. Not enough enthusiasm about the Party, talking against Big Brother in your sleep, misleading thoughts, a suspicious tic…all are signs of rebellion that the Party seeks to destroy (Campbell) (Orwell).
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
Two classic novels, 1984 written by George Orwell and Brave New World penned by Aldous Huxley both possess similar topics and themes. In both novels societies are striving for a utopia, or a perfect society. These novels also take place in societies with versions of totalitarian governments, which is a government that rules by coercion. Not only are the topics similar, but in both novels a rebellious character is the protagonist; Winston Smith from 1984 and John the Savage in Brave New World. Another parallel in the books are the tactics that the government uses to instill fear and power over the citizens. A common theme expressed in Orwell’s novel 1984 and Huxley’s novel Brave New World is that government uses
Imagine living in a world where you could not make your own choices, or be your own person. In the novel 1984, this is exactly what happened. In a place called Oceania where there is no such thing as privacy and personal freedom (Roelofs), the main character Winston Smith, is living a strict life under the demanding party known as Big Brother. Winston decides that he wants his life back to normal and tries to rebel against the Party. Meanwhile, he is thought to be a lunatic because he is living his life how a normal person would, but everyone else is now living under what is thought to be a utopia society. Throughout the book Winston strongly disagrees with the fact that every second he is being keep under surveillance. Though at some points he believes he is being discrete, in reality someone is always watching. In 1984, George Orwell depicts the lack of privacy and loss of individualism which affects the characters and the society as a whole.
The novel 1984, by George Orwell, shows the world through a totalitarian government. The main protagonist, Winston Smith, is a party member who works to cover up the Big Brothers propaganda. However, he begins to write in a journal of his hatred for the society he exists in. This is considered an act of treason and is punishable by death for committing a “thought crime.” Winston is aware that he is being watched every day, everywhere, and anywhere. Despite this fact, Winston and a woman named, Julia, both defy Big Brother and begin an affair. This is the world where everyone is against everyone, and those who break the rules are punished severely for their crimes. Big Brother wishes to gain total control of the population by banning or prohibiting