The Use Of Media In George Orwell's 1984

In the book 1984, Orwell vividly describes a society driven by a totalitarian government that thrives on controlling what everyone does, think, or say. The main character, Winston Smith, undergoes the loss of his distinct character as he is created in the Party's image in anticipation of him not only obeying, but loving Big Brother. As discussed in class this novel was written not only for entertainment or pleasure but as a warning sign to others. Throughout the novel Orwell discussed many things that made him believe that the problems in 1984 will still exist in today’s society. Although there were numerous issues discussed I consider the most relevant were the discussions about Big Brother, War, and Newspeak.

In the novel 1984, written by George Orwell, a totalitarian government known as “the Party” and headed by the symbolic “Big Brother” is in command of the country of Oceania. This government demands complete and absolute control of the minds of its citizens. Reality is whatever the Party says it is in Oceania. Big Brother has complete control of the media and also claims to be above even the laws of mathematics and physics. There is an extraordinarily strong and influential relationship between media control and perception of reality both in the novel and in the real world.

Are we living in a world similar to that of the dystopian society depicted in George Orwell’s popular novel 1984? Are we constantly being watched? Are our thoughts being influenced by the media around us? There has been a significant spike in sales of the novel over the last month (Freytas-Tamura). The question now becomes why. Maybe our society is becoming more and more like 1984 every day. While the United States has biased media and oppressive surveillance like 1984, it also has striking differences.

When George Orwell writes his dystopian novel ‘1984’ in 1949, he is extremely disturbed with the state of the world after witnessing the methods of the Soviet Union and other fascist regimes during World War Two. During this period, the Soviet Union famously burned books and controlled all media outlets in an attempt to assert dominance over the people of the USSR. In response to his emotional disquiet over these issues, Orwell writes a warning to the world of what he fears would come to pass should totalitarian governments continue to grow in power. In ‘1984’, Orwell writes of the government destroying all media that conflicts with the current political ideology, ‘thought-police’ arresting anybody who shows even the slightest signs of thinking

The culprit? Media. The media constantly and unendingly bombards crowds with information and entertainment through magazines, the news, television, and the internet that consequently affect people’s actions and thoughts. This is exemplified by the novel 1984, by George Orwell, which depicts an oppressive society ruled by a totalitarian government controlling. Orwell describes the ruler of this government, Big Brother, as having complete, despotic control over his subjects, including complete control over the media. While it is true most people are heavily influenced by the media, outright control can only be achieved over a collective consciousness, not the minds of individuals. Whoever controls the media can collectively control the minds

In “1984”, lies, myths and false information controls the thinking of the citizens. The Party uses propaganda as the deadliest weapon of control. Propaganda increases the citizens’ morale and makes them think that what the party tells them to do is always right.

When George Orwell wrote his novel, 1984, Hitler and Mussolini had recently been defeated in World War II, the nuclear arms race was warming up and the Soviet Union was a threat to the world. Although these are not problems in today's society, 1984 is still very relevant in current time, "The twentieth century will soon be over, but political terror still survives and this is why Nineteen Eighty-four remains valid today” (Ricks 5). In the novel 1984 the main character Winston is faced with challenges when he meets a woman named Julia. Julia makes him question his loyalty to the government. They are living under a totalitarian government that sees everything you do, hears everything you say, and knows everything you think. George Orwell’s novel 1984 is still relevant in today’s society.

Propaganda is used as a powerful tool in order to persuade and manipulate the general public into believing in another’s opinion. This device is mainly used by the government to promote warfare, political figures, and specific ideals. However, propaganda is not always used for positive feedback. This form of advertisement can enlist fear, suppress, and brainwash the population. In the novel 1984, propaganda is used in this manner of negativity. A few examples of this form of publicity is the language of Newspeak, the Party’s slogan, and the two-minute hate.

Dictatorial government named Big Brother rules “the futuristic dystopian society” called Oceania in the novel (Gallant). The way of Big Brother dictating the society is to take over the media and create lies “broadcasting the propaganda” (Gallant). If the polices detect someone who does not believe the propaganda, they brainwash their thoughts. However, ‘1984’ apparently shows that “the communications and media can be used to control the masses” and it is the main reason that the government should not take control of the media. If we let the government to dictate the society through media, our own society will be a victim to a tyranny like Big Brother. We will lose the importance of valuing the truth information and freedom over a secure government. According to an article, it says, “we not merely accept all information at face value” (Gallant). ‘1984’ definitely warn us of the power of media “in its most extreme form of abuse” to be totalitarian state (Gallant). It shows us that the government controlling people to access the information will negatively impact the society. If we let government control media, there is a fearful prediction that society will lose value in truthful information, which in turn negatively effects society by controlling people’s knowledge through

George Orwell’s 1984 was written as a “political satire of a totalitarian state” (Fitzpatrick), but is now more relevant and truthful than ever before. Frightening parallels can be drawn between 1984 and places like North Korea, and even the United States. These include such things as the use of propaganda, places of imprisonment and torture, and around the clock surveillance. All of which are used to gain and hold onto power over people.

In the novel 1984, by George Orwell, the media is given immense power, which it uses to deceive the public into thinking their world and their government is perfect. The government uses their power to completely control every word that the media prints. The media is set on such a high pedestal that the citizens’ hang on to every word they print. Today’s dependency on the media is not far off from Orwell’s prediction. The media is also heavily influenced by sources other than facts and truth. The modern news industry, similar to that of the Orwell’s novel, is heavily influenced by political and private sects, which results in biased news and counterfactual information.

     In the novel 1984, Oceania is depicted as a totalitarian state. Oceania can be both similar and different compared to totalitarian states of the twentieth century, one imparticular, Germany’s National Socialism. Oceania and National Socialism are similar in several ways. A large part of the novel deals with the relationship between The Party and society. Many of the techniques used by The Party are similar to those used by Hitler. One of these ways, or techniques is propaganda. In Orwell’s novel propaganda was used through telescreens in everyone’s homes, which was a very easy way to broadcast the views and beliefs of The Party as well as control what the citizens of Oceania watched and listened to. Another form of propaganda in the novel is by the means of posters and slogans. In this society it as impossible to go anywhere without seeing a

As human beings, there are distinct characteristics that separate us from feral animals; the ability to create, to appreciate art, to curiously question the world and most importantly to sympathize for our kind. However, when that exact nature is stripped from us, we tend to become mindless, restricted, cold, and degraded as an entire race. This is the setting of George Orwell’s last book, 1984. A world where human thought is limited, war and poverty lie on every street corner, and one cannot trust nobody or nothing. It is all due to the one reigning political entity, the Ingsoc Party, who imposes complete power over all aspects of life for all citizens. There is no creative or intellectual thought, no art, culture or history, and no

What if every move made or action taken was watched on a screen? In the story 1984 written by George Orwell has a theme given by the over aching government. The conflict of this novel comes from the oppression and controlling ways of the government. The protagonist of this story named Winston had troubles wrapping his head around their conniving ways, and yet though illegal had a quite complicated yet interesting relationship with a lady named Julia. Not that everyone else disagreed with Winston, but most of the people who live in his society have been brainwashed through the use of propaganda. One symbol that deemed surprising was the fact that Winston did have his own opinion in life and used this as way to protrude it. If a woman would have

Hopelessness, deep and gaping ever lasting hopelessness. If the course of humanity fails to change, to this everyone will succumb. That is the message that George Orwell has left for the future, and it would be in humanity's best interest to heed. Winston Smith of 1984 lived in a world that had been consumed by the everlasting abyss of injustice. Eventually this world became too much for our hopeful protagonist and thus, like the future that is bound to a horrific fate, he succumbed. “It was like swimming against a current that swept you backwards however hard you struggled, and then suddenly deciding to turn round and go with the current instead of opposing it” (Orwell 248). No one in this world is any different than Winston, they will follow his path like all of those before them, following the five stages of Kübler-Ross. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance make up the cycle that every feeble life will follow and that Winston grew to know all too well.