Totalitarianism In 1984 By George Orwell

The Party seeks to control everything- the past, present, and future. By manipulating every source of information, and modifying content of all historical records, the Party accurately displays propaganda to the citizens. Like our society, Orwell warns us of government becoming too powerful and taking civilians privacy away. Overall, Orwell is heeding a warning of a society in which government controls peoples acts and

Nations all around the world are still healing from the wounds of twentieth century totalitarianism, yet more seems to be on the horizon. In his 1984 magnum opus, George Orwell warns future generations of the many dangers of allowing government, or the powerful few, from being the chiefs of law expression and history using the eerie, all-powerful dystopian Party. Unfortunately, it is a warning few have truly heeded in the past half century. Resulting from a lack of written laws, the Party may prosecute its citizens relentlessly and without reason. Moreover, the Party maintains an iron grip on all published information, ensuring a death hold on all free expression and education. Yet, above all, the Party controls history; it rewrites, revises and republishes the past to secure their totalitarian future. In spite of these warnings, the decades following the publication of this novel saw nations continue on the

With the start of World War II, George Orwell began his fight against Nazism, fascism, and communism. In the eyes of many, communism became interchangeable with socialism, and he criticized writers of his time that were in support of Stalin and his “socialist” movement: “Why should writers be attracted by a form of Socialism that makes mental honesty impossible” (qtd. in Lewis 76)? In an attempt to pacify the radical communist movements and change imperialism, he spoke of a third method to reform the British Empire—a middle ground that would create a socialist community in Britain. John Newsinger wrote, “[He had a] call for a new socialist movement that would reject both Communist-style revolution and Labour Party reformism in favour of a third way to socialism, a third way that he continued to call revolutionary but that was adapted to modern conditions” (qtd. in Chen). Through this, one can see that Orwell wanted to avoid such movements as communism, which attempted to obtain control over the individual, and yet he had a need to preserve the

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.

Orwell uses Goldstein’s ‘The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism’, that is a book within the book to expose the dangers of 20th century political values. Goldstein’s political discourse outlines the foundations of this society: the confronting Ingsoc principles and the means in which the party maintains the social hierarchy through perpetrated war. This discourse as it is represented is an extension of the socialist principles and perverted socialism seen in the early 20th- century. Hence, Orwell uses this to strike fear in the responder at the potential misuse of power, thus exposing the dangers of 20th century political values. Orwell exposes the potential corruption of the world by the political extremism of the Party as they

It is evident through the text that Orwell believes that in theory everybody wants equality, hence the concept of communism, yet it is in our nature as human beings to seek power. This can be shown in the text when the pigs initiate to

1984, Orwell’s last and perhaps greatest work, deals with drastically heavy themes that still terrify his audience after 65 years. George Orwell’s story exemplifies excessive power, repression, surveillance, and manipulation in his strange, troubling dystopia full of alarming secrets that point the finger at totalitarian governments and mankind as a whole. What is even more disquieting is that 1984, previously considered science fiction, has in so many ways become a recognizable reality.

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.

Evidence to how Orwell's warning his audience about totalitarianism is present through the parties abolishment of the one freedom of speech to such an extent that one would be incapable of expressing their resentment of the party oligarchical government. Orwell’s represents this concept through the idea of Newspeak and the extreme lengths that the party goes to ensure its people conformity and silent obedience. Newspeak achieve it intended goals through the destruction of words to “narrow the range of thought” as Winstons Comrade Syme put it “..we shall make thoughtcrime literally impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it...” Syme goes on to say. These few lines accompanied with Symes later remark “Newspeak is Ingsoc and

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.

I believe this because Orwell uses an effective metaphor to present the absurdity of Communism to his readers and explain the historical events during and after the Russian Revolution. He also created an ironic tone to help create the idea of "pig-like" leaders by using pigs that resemble the men who lead a long time ago. His use of allegory rhetorically created ideas and messages that made people realize what was wrong and what to try to avoid in order to have a proper government and

Orwell didn't just intend 1984 as an attack on communism or socialism; instead it is both an attack and a rather prophetic warning against any authoritarian structure, including the authoritarian structure of capitalist democracies. Often we do not equate

Orwell up until this point has been pretty quiet about the political aspect of his paper. However, when reaching the end he lets out all of what he has to say. His issue when it comes to politics is, “political writing is bad writing” (Orwell 522). He understands that political writing switches from side to side but maintains its party lines and opinions most of the time. Not just that but his main issue with political writing being bad is, “that one almost never finds in them a fresh, vivid, homemade turn of speech” (Orwell 522). What this essentially means is that in politics everything sounds in a sense robotic. It all sounds very bland and goes around what the point actually is. This makes readers begin to realize that most of the political statements they have heard are just a bunch of jargon that humps around the point. As well as whatever they say is very robotic and seems written in a very bland way of speech. Orwell also finds an issue with the way political speech is being used. He states that, “political speech and writing are largely the defense of the indefensible” (Orwell 522). What this means is that political speakers and writers are jumping around saying things that are actually happening in the world by calling them something else. An example of this would be how peasants being robbed and kicked out of their farms is called, “transfer if population or rectification of frontiers” (Orwell 522).

In “1984,” Orwell describes a terrible society where totalitarianism reaches the top. In this circumstance, personality and freedom are strangled and thought is controlled. The most frightening aspect is that citizens have no sense right and wrong. Without a doubt, the reason why these happen is the governing of the Party, which is controlling everything in the country, Oceania. Orwell uses the control of language to show the idea that the Party solidifies its dominant position.