The Analysis of Totalitarianism in 1984 by George Orwell

Absolute control over society is the central theme in the novel, 1984, by George Orwell. One method this power over society is exercised is use of language to manipulate and control people. The story features a society called Oceania, which is located in the European region. In Oceania, there is a form of totalitarian government called the Party which controls the entire society. The Party controls thoughts by making certain words or phrases illegal. In addition, any anti-party thoughts or motives are also deemed illegal. To control society, thoughts are monitored by telescreens which read reactions and record speech. A force, called the Thought Police, is also engaged to take power over and eliminate society’s individual beliefs. The

“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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

“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.

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

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.

George Orwell, the writer of many highly regarded literary works, is extremely interested in the power of language, mainly how it is abused. By analyzing two of his works, 1984 and Politics and The English Language, it is clear that Orwell is using his writing to bring awareness to the dangers of the manipulation, misuse, and decline of language. In 1984 he demonstrates how language can be used to control thought and manipulate the past. This is proven throughout the novel by examining the language of Newspeak and how it is key to controlling the totalitarian state, and how using language to alter and manipulate history can shape reality. In his essay Politics and the English Language Orwell