The Themes Of Totalitarianism In George Orwell's 1984

Through his failure, Orwell portrays the dangers of a disunited society for the individual. Even though Winston willingly chose to oppose the Party and offered his life towards the eradication of his oppressors, his sacrifice proved futile without communal support to usurp the tyrannical regime. Despite the common suffering the people endured, their fear of the individual torment each would suffer motivated them to submit to the government. In Winston, Orwell highlights the frailty of an individual person in comparison to a mob. When imprisoned at the Ministry of Love, Winston’s will crumbled under torture and he even offered the life of the one individual he had earlier seemed hesitant to sacrifice, Julia. Hence, Orwell illustrates the need for a united social front for individuals to change the society in which they live in. Otherwise, self-preservation shall remain dominant within each individual, leaving them vulnerable to continuous manipulation through propaganda.

Telescreens and microphones plague the society of Oceania which results in the silences of many voices of its citizens. The fear of having an expression of thought or speech is one of the many approaches Big Brother has in making sure that everyone falls in line with the strict rules it imposes. While the dictator may think it has control over everyone, Winston Smith is able to challenge this obstruction by purchasing a journal and inscribing his thoughts into it. This idea of having a dairy was “not illegal, but if detected it was reasonably certain that it would be punished by death…,” (Orwell 6). Even though the society has “no laws”, there were still ways that the government provoked fear into its citizens. The use of the word illegal creates an ominous tone to this statement because even though having a diary was not against the standards, by Orwell using that word, it still conveys that there are hindrances in the society that are used to control its people. Since Winston is making the decisive action to “mark the paper,” (Orwell 7) he is controlling his freedom of speech in this society. He is able to control this freedom because every human wants their voice to be heard in any form, whether it is physically speaking or

In the novel, Winston is a character who lacks "hero" traits as he has more traits of an everyman than a hero. Winston is an out of shape, average man with a "varicose ulcer above his right ankle" (3). Considering the typical hero, not only does Winston lack the physical strength, he lacks the mentality as well. Throughout the novel, he consistently talks about "overthrowing the Party," but he never actually does it. Instead of overthrowing the Party, he rebels by purchasing a diary and writing sentences such as "DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER" (20) and " I don’t care down with big brother they always shoot you in the back of the neck" (21). Winston chooses to write these into his diary as he is too cowardly to say this in public. As time passes, his

Granted the Party can warp laws and control knowledge, its greatest tool for taking away freedoms and controlling the public is its ability to revise history. This idea is displayed throughout the novel, and is fundamental to our understanding of how perfect the Party is. A prime example occurs when Winston is at his job at the Ministry of Truth, the manipulators of history and truth. He contemplates how he simply substitutes one lie for another in his daily work rewriting history, and explains, “And so it was with every class of recorded fact, great or small. Everything faded away into a shadow-world in which, finally, even the date of the year had become uncertain" (Orwell 36). This highlights the genius of the Party’s control; there is no history. As mentioned earlier, the Party controls all publications, and destroys all facts that are not helpful. Much of it is simply fake information that bolsters the Party. Thus, when Winston changes

Your world is not real. Kennedy was never assassinated, Michael jackson has actually always been white, and subway is certainly NOT always fresh. Stop thinking you are free, you’re not. Okay, I’m just kidding. But am I really? Because sometimes subway really just sucks. Questioning. With this, through his work ‘Nineteen Eighty Four’, George Orwell has brought to my attention that I should be occasionally thinking for myself rather than constantly abiding by what I’m told is right. More specifically, ‘Nineteen Eighty Four’ suggests the plentiful ways that people can be oppressed in a totalitarian society will result in the loss of humanity and failure to rebound from the government’s control. These forces inhibit and encourage individuals’ actions and is described in the novel by the abundant use of technology combined with psychological manipulation. Orwell also uses symbols and metaphor to explain consequences of totalitarianism on a deeper level.

Over seventy years after he lived and wrote, the works of English journalist and democratic socialist George Orwell, continue to fascinate, stimulate and enrage his readers concerning the structure of society and the organization of government. The controversial writer openly spoke out against the absolute power of any government, warning that a fascist government would deprive its people of their basic freedoms and liberties. Orwell’s novel, 1984, serves as a reminder of the danger of totalitarianism by depicting a future in which all citizens live under the constant surveillance of the “Big Brother.” Through the main character, Winston Smith, Orwell demonstrates the dangers of totalitarianism; writing of the consequences of absolute government in several essays and proposing socialism as an alternative. To Orwell, the role of government is to represent the common people rather than the old and the privileged.

In the novel 1984 this world is flipped upside down, family values like true love, sex, and trust are challenged everyday in the life in Oceania. The value of family and love counter exist, because The Party enforces who the partners are. These couples are matched according to the greatest amount of apathy and disinterest they have for each other. They are only to reproduce and not actually be affectionate with one another unless they have permission from government. “All marriages between Party members had to be approved by a committee or appointed for the purpose, and though the principle was never clearly stated permission was always refused if the couple concerned gave the impression of being physically attracted to one another” (Orwell 37). The only purpose for the marriages was to conceive “children for the service of The Party” (Orwell 37). Since the young children have undeveloped minds they are easily manipulated by the government and are raised to spy on the parents. This creates constant fear, threat and antagonism in the family household. Winston and Julia were one of the main characters to have the forbidden love and hide in secrecy. “We’ve got the whole afternoon. Isn’t this a splendid hide-out? I found it when I got lost once on a community hike.If anyone was coming you could hear them a hundred metres away” (Orwell 69). They express their

In the book 1984,by George Orwell, The main character Winston has a love affair with a girl named Julia.Their leader Big Brother controls all and knows all. They later get caught by the thought police and put through extreme conditions to reduce them to their core. Big Brother uses violence, manipulation, and propaganda to brainwash and control the perceptions of “his” citizens therefore , indicating it is possible to change people’s reality.

Even though it is punishable by death, the oppressed couple indulge themselves, releasing their sexual desires. “Desire is thoughtcrime in Oceania because it elevates the human, the individual, above the powers of the state to control him” ( ). This quote is true because the Party opposes sexual relation as it can lead to feeling, which can make it hard for them to control others. The decision Winston makes of fulfill his sexual desires strengthens the meaning of the work because it reveals how totalitarianism parties try to control every aspect of the lives of their citizens but will ultimately fail. The Party within 1984 reflects closely on the words of Hitler; “To conquer a nation, you must first disarm its citizens.”

People are trained like dogs, to show no emotion towards others and that relationships are only permitted for the benefit of the Party only. If it is not necessary for the Parties survival than the emotion becomes against the law and the infamous Thought Police are a constant reminder of this reality. One of these relationships is sexual ones. A sexual act is only permitted to procreate, to create new members of the Party. All other aspects of sex are viewed as useless and not needed for the continuity of the Party. Obrien states to Winston: ‘Children will be taken from their mothers at birth, as one takes eggs from a hen. The sex instinct will be eradicated. Procreation will be an annual formality like the renewal of a ration card. We shall abolish the orgasm. Our neurologists are at work upon it now.’ The sentences are short, like dot points are. This could be to clarify the points that Orwell is trying to make. As Obrien has stated to Winston, the orgasm is unnecessary to the thriving of the Party and is thus getting eradicated, as well as the sex instinct. There are two similes in this passage. The first one, referring to eggs taken from a hen, is a pointer to the future of the Party. There will be no love between a mother and her children, her children will be harvested and indoctrinated at an early age. The second simile is the other one talking about a ration card. A ration card was issued by the government for the holder to obtain certain foods. They were

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

1984 by George Orwell is an extremely negative outlook on a futuristic, seemingly utopian society. People inhabiting the land of Oceania are enslaved to the government, most without even realizing it. The Party uses its many members to enforce its methods of control on the population. While a bit extreme, Orwell was attempting to warn people about the dangers of totalitarianism.

Relationships are for the sole purpose of procreation: “The sexual act, successfully performed, was rebellion. Desire was thoughtcrime” (68). In Winston’s mind, sex is political rebellion. He described how the Party hopes to eradicate the pleasure from sex, particularly so that they can have absolute control. All loyalty will be for the Party if this is accomplished.

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.

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.