The Analysis of Totalitarianism in 1984 by George Orwell

“War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.” (Orwell 4). These three seemingly contradictory statements are the national slogans of the Party, the totalitarian regime government in George Orwell’s classic novel, 1984. Through psychological manipulation, an authoritarian government can have many harmful effects on society. Orwell’s novel is a prime example of this, and the oversight and regulation the Party has over its citizens is evident throughout the course of the novel. Orwell shows the reader the dangers of a totalitarian government, and the ways in which it can completely manipulate its citizens.

George Orwell’s 1984, widely known for its chilling descriptions of the dystopian society of Oceania, warns of a world in which individuality is virtually destroyed as one oppressive government controls all aspects of life. Decades after the novel’s publication in 1949, various nations today draw unsettling parallels with the characteristics of the government described in 1984. North Korea is one such example, particularly seen as a controversial topic in global debate. Although North Korea and Oceania in 1984 both possess totalitarian governments that attempt to control and restrict individualism, the means in which each government originated and gained authority differ.

A government enforces procedures in which a society must follow. Governments contrast by deciding to either be stringent, lenient or even moderate. The protagonist, Winston realizes that the government which he resides in maintains absolute control. Revolution results in extreme punishment that eventually leads to death. With the rest of the society brainwashed Winston tries to successfully find a way to revolt. Throughout the novel, 1984, George Orwell uses the paperweight, the telescreens and big brother to establish the theme of the dangers of totalitarianism.

The politics of Oceania in 1984 mirrors the tyrannies Orwell had witnessed in his lifetime, Hitler’s Germany and Stalin’s Soviet Union, wherein there is an absolute governmental control of human life and disobedience means “vaporization.” In 1984, Orwell showcases how freethinking spontaneously evaporates under such circumstances, particularly through language.

Imagine a world where no one could live without fear. Given the thought of this, one might presume that the society is dangerous and is repleted with criminal activity. However, the reality is that the government is mentally holding their citizens captive by imprisoning them into a world that dissuades one from acting on impulse. Everywhere where interactions occur between citizens lay technology that monitors everyone 's actions which prevent many from expressing themselves. Even one’s children are taught to rebel against their parent’s if any “incriminating” action occurs. Essentially, people are trapped in a world where privacy doesn’t exist which forces many to be loyal to their government. While this scenario might be absurd and

Despite the valiant way Orwell depicts Winston, Orwell does not fail to reveal the flaws of Winston’s character. By revealing the actions the Brotherhood are willing to commit, Orwell induces the reader to question the motives of the organization that hopes to overthrow the Party. Though Orwell portrays Winston and Julia as the heroic individuals that stand against the Party, their conversation with O’Brien reveals that their morals are more twisted than the reader anticipated. Because the questions O’Brien poses are of such a gruesome nature, such as “throw[ing] sulphuric acid in a child’s face”, the reader can question the intentions of the Brotherhood (Orwell 172). In his analytical article, On Nineteen Eighty Four, Thomas Horan analyzes

In 1984, George Orwell provides a central theme of the peril and the effects of totalitarianism in a modern society. In other words, if totalitarianism is not dejected in the future, the novel’s fictional society would become a reality. Orwell utilizes sensory imagery and various forms of diction throughout the novel. The utilizations strengthen the theme and capture the readers’ attention to the danger of an uprising government.

In George Orwell’s Oceania, every person is shaped into what Big Brother believes is a model citizen. A model citizen follows all of the countless strict rules and worships their leader, Big Brother. By not following the rules, citizens will be vaporized, which means that they will be killed and never spoken of again. The slightest mistake could ruin one’s life; even thinking the wrong thought. The Thought Police essentially kidnaps all those who commit thought crime and reshape them to worship Big Brother. In 1984 Winston Smith is reshaped into a model citizen after hating the Party and Big Brother. This is an example of one’s thoughts and feelings being suppressed by the government. In George Orwell’s 1984, totalitarianism negatively affects the citizens of Oceania by destroying relationships and suppressing thoughts, feelings and relationships between the people.

Throughout the novel “1984”, George Orwell specifies how thought relies on the establishment of language. In a totalitarian government, freedom hardly exists. The ideals of a totalitarian government prohibit citizens’ ability to think for themselves, leaving those who comply with the law to believe whatever their dictator does. Analyzing the recurring theme of the totalitarian government in London and its media abusing the power that language withholds, Orwell proves that language integrates into politics to deceive and wrongly influence people, thus leading to a society in which citizens unquestioningly carry out the duties of their government and mindlessly accept all propaganda as truth. Consequently, Big Brother, the dictator of London,

With the intention of portraying the dangers of Fascism and Totalitarianism, George Orwell has written 1984, relating to his personal experiences with political abuses of power. His travels to Spain and experience with the Spanish Civil war are likely to have been a major contribution of his extreme hatred toward facist political regimes. Witnessing the dictatoriships of Hitler and Stalin are also probable contributions to his extreme views regarding political authority. It has been said by Orwell himself that totalitarianism has a great impact on the corruption of language. He uses 1984 to examine the weight language truly posesses, doing so by providing the reader an opportunity to analyze these ideas with an insight as to what life could

In the unsettling novel, 1984, George Orwell discloses the devious tactics of the totalitarian “Party” over Oceania in its attempts to subdue its citizens and achieve all aspects of control. One of the innumerable factors of control is language. Newspeak, the official language of Oceania, plays an important role in the stature of the super-state and its inhabitants. By utilizing Doublethink, Newspeak successfully controls anyone who fluently speaks it. The language extremely restricts the people and their rights to communication. This is palpable through its division into three separate categories, each enclosing meticulous rules and regulations. By eliminating words presumably unnecessary to society, any act or thought of rebellion against The Party or Big Brother diminishes. George Orwell indirectly warns us of

Hitler. Stalin. Mussolini. Franco. Some of the most famous dictators of the twentieth century all had one common trait: absolute power over others. However, these individuals were not simply handed power; they actually earned the hearts of their unknowing subjects. The year 1949 witnessed the aftermath of the rise of totalitarianism, and many could not fathom how such leaders came to influence. How did people allow and even support these atrocities? In the novel 1984, author George Orwell warns his audience about the dangers of totalitarianism by depicting the power struggle between the citizens of Oceania and the Party, symbolized by the figurehead Big Brother, in which the latter is seeking to gain power over the former.

Orwell’s 1984 is a novel that depicts the life of a society of people that live in London under totalitarian rule with the government watching their every move. The purpose of my paper is to explain how the modern world has overcome the problems that exists in the novel 1984. The government that exists in 1984 works tirelessly to oppress its people using a language it calls newspeak to prevent political rebellion. Newspeak attempts to eliminate all words related to political rebellion and the government can arrest those who even think rebellious thoughts. I believe that our world today has overcome the problems that exist in 1984.

George Orwell, the author of 1984, gives the reader a glimpse of the now past future, which is not good at all. Orwell believe that in his future, the year 1984, people will live mindlessly and completely controlled by a totalitarian government. Most of his ideas are portrayed through the narration of Winston, a man who sees the world with an uncontrolled mind. He also uses Julie to help influence the the rebellious mindset of Winston. Both of these characters show the reader how everyone does act, due to both Julia and Winston having to act like they are conformed, and how an uncontrolled mind thinks in this setting. George Orwell mainly uses point of view, along with symbolism, and tone to portray the themes of totalitarianism and rebellion.

In 1984 by George Orwell, language is an important function of control. If control was taken seriously within a state than outbursts of war and defiance would be omitted. The Party controls everything, for example, historical records, language, and what people think. The Party manipulates information and forbids the members to keep and records of their lives. By doing so, they manipulate the past experiences of the members in order to control the present.