Examples Of Abuse Of Power In George Orwell's '1984'

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A totalitarian government requires its citizens to be recluse, fearful and hateful to remain in power. In 1984, a novel by George Orwell, the ruling party breaks conventional relationships such as families to refocus all the trust and love in those relationships to Big Brother. They also create fear and use it in excess to control the citizens and their actions but most importantly, the strongest emotion that the party uses in their favor is hate. Hate along with fear, and the lack of strength in traditional relationships allows the government to have absolute control over its citizens, which it needs to remain in power. First, the party disconnects traditional bonds and relationships in order redirect all love, devotion and trust …show more content…

Additionally, “The children, ... were systematically turned against their parents and taught to spy on them and report their deviations.” (II, 3, p140) Spying leads to the disintegration of trust in the otherwise strong parent-child bond because the children are a constant threat to their parents. When Winston asks Mr. Parsons who denounced him for thought crime, Mr. Parson replies, “It was my little daughter...I’m proud of her. It shows I brought her up in the right spirit, anyway.” (I, 1, p245) The replacement of family love with love for Big Brother is clearly seen in Mr. Parson’s daughter’s actions because she values the party’s approval and laws more than her father’s life. Somehow, the party has succeeded in breaking the most powerful natural bond; the love between a parent and their child. Furthermore, the lack of love and strength in the family bond is also seen from the parent’s perspective. In part III, the skull-faced man was told to go to

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