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George Orwell 1984 Individuality

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With diverse ethnicities, occupations, and ideologies, individuality is an innate part of humanity. Independent thought and reasoning is encouraged as means to a smarter and safer society. However, in the dystopian novel 1984 by George Orwell, the ruling government strives to alienate humanity’s individuality in an attempt to consolidate power. Orwell depicts an oppressive society ruled by the ruling class called the Party, where Winston, an individual, struggles against the totalitarian government. By the end of the novel, Winston is destroyed and the Party continues to dictate conformity among the masses. The Party’s destruction of society’s individuality reveals humanity’s potential for evil and corruption in their struggle for power over …show more content…

The most blatant use of technology for spying are the highly intrusive telescreens, which combine cameras, microphones, and televisions, in order to monitor everyone’s actions at all times. Everybody lives under the “assumption that every sound [they] made was overheard, and, except in darkness, every movement scrutinized” (4). Through this removal of privacy, the Party is able to destroy any desire for individuality or free thought. In constant fear of vaporization by the Thought Police, it becomes instinct for a citizen to conform to acceptable standards. Besides surveillance, the telescreens serve another purpose: they perpetuate propaganda. The fictional book, The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism, explains, “Every citizen... could be kept for twenty-four hours a day under the eyes of the police and in the sound of official propaganda, with all other channel of communication closed. The possibility of enforcing not only complete obedience to the will of the State, but complete uniformity of opinion on all subjects, now existed for the first time” (206). These two applications of telescreens, espionage and propaganda, force conformity among the masses by eliminating individual tendencies and unifying everybody under common media. This abolishment of individuality through telescreens, demonstrates humanity’s potential for …show more content…

The Party exploits surveillance, the manipulation of emotions, and censorship to achieve its goal. Constant monitoring, the promotion of nationalist emotions, and the spreading of ignorance blend together to enforce conformity on a massive scale. By preventing individuals from forming and exterminating any that do, the Party has constructed a well refined system with the sole purpose of crushing individuality. Resulting in the complete and utter abolishment of individuality, the Party’s greed for power serves as a mirror for humanity’s potential evil. In the name of power, mankind is not afraid to crush the souls of innocent people and destroy the most integral part of humanity:

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In both 1984 by George Orwell, and The Veldt by Ray Bradbury, the themes presented are both able to present a clear warning to the readers of the power of technology, and the damaging power it can have on our lives. In Part 1 of 1984, The Inner Party establishes a facade of protection to gain control over Oceania and the citizens. This is mainly achieved through the technological advances that gives The Party authority over people 's actions because of the 24/7 surveillance of their every move. At the beginning of the novel, protagonist Wilson says “the instrument (telescreens) could be dimmed but there was no way of shutting it off altogether” (8). These telescreens are used to minimise the amount of Thoughtcrime, which, in Oceania, violates

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From a young age, humans learn that truth comes from authority. This concept is addressed in the dystopian novels 1984 by George Orwell and Anthem by Ayn Rand when they convey the possibilities of a totalitarian society. The controlling governmental figure in 1984, Big Brother, uses psychological torture to convince his citizens that life is better when he is in charge. In Anthem, the society has reverted to times before electricity and everyone is convinced through their loss of information that individual thought, even if it is to advance society, is dangerous. Regardless of both novels differing, they are unified through their author’s warning that the destruction of individualism by the government can quell the growth and progress of humankind.

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Individualism is the habit of being independent and self-reliant. In George Orwell’s 1984 and Ayn Rand’s Anthem, people are not allowed to have individualism and privacy due to the government’s control and power. The common theme that is shared by both stories is being part of a society that is more important than being a person. In 1984, Winston Smith, the main character, lives in a dystopian society that is controlled by a figure known as Big Brother. Big Brother watches everyone including Winston through telescreens that are distributed throughout the region.

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(Orwell 193). They want to eliminate individual freedom and thoughts for good. This essay confirms Orwell’s warnings because they have fixed their own “truths” just to abide by the government and their lies. People’s love for the Party was very strong they took back their statements and described them as mistakes, justifying the government. In Nineteen Eighty – Four Julia says “It’s always one bloody war after another, and one knows the news is all lies anyways” (Orwell

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However, it is not to be said that the mics would alone work to capture rebels, but instead increase chances of said rebels being incarcerated. Julia is caught by the telescreens eventually, after all, and so it would only be sooner or later that rebels would be captured. In conclusion, by using telescreens and mics to monitor the people, the government is able to effectively prevent them from engaging in revolutionary actions and getting away with it, thus spreading a fear to take action among the people. Yet another potent example of fear to instill paranoia by Big Brother is the use of police. One such occurrence lies on the integration of children into Oceania’s “police” force, as in they would be used to spy on their very own family members.

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A dystopian society is degrading to the human population. One figurehead is in control and persuades the citizens to follow their beliefs. As stated in Ayn Rand’s 1930s novella, “ We all are one in all and all in one. There are no men but only the great WE. One individual, and forever.”

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The U.S. government is invading the privacy of its’ citizens through the use of mobile devices such as phones and laptops. This use of privacy invasion is similar to the technology used in George Orwell’s novel 1984. What makes today relate to 1984 is how the government tracks us through location, voice, and messaging. George Orwell’s 1984 has a totalitarian government that can track its’ citizens through location with the use of telescreens. In the novel, telescreens can track your location in a room through a telescreen, which is demonstrated by Winston´s thought ¨so long as you remained within the field of vision … you could be seen¨ (Orwell, page 3).

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Moderation of expression, a significant part in 1984’s government, “Ingsoc”, plays a key element in America’s division. The “Ministry of Truth” is a branch of Ingsoc’s government that acts with controlling the Thought Police, and they censor the world’s history as well. They also use technology such as the “telescreen” to see and hear everywhere in the country. If a citizen is caught acting in “Thought Crime”, that criminal is rehabilitated through brainwashing in the mockingly named “Ministry of Love” (Orwell 2-4). Similar to Ingsoc’s “Ministry of Truth”, the United States has its own federal spying organization.

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This demonstrates the extent to which propaganda exists in order to brainwash innocent citizens within democratic and totalitarian societies. For modern readers, the extent of restriction and invasion of privacy illustrated within ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’ is less shocking than for traditional readers, as Edward Snowden’s exposure of the American National Security Agencies unauthorised surveillance of the masses, is similar to the conduct of the Party. Modern readers are used to being watched through CCTV. However, contemporary readers would have been aware of the power of dictators in Nazi Germany and Stalin’s Russia, and would have noticed the publication year of the novel, coincided with the establishment of the Communist Party rule in China, in 1949.

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Imagine being followed everywhere by a government agent. They’re watching your every move, and they’ll report you if you even make a wrong facial movement. This is essentially the case in George Orwell’s novel, 1984. Run by an English socialist government called the Party, the people’s every move is watched through telescreens. Citizens are not individual, but rather an extension of the Party.

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One of the most notable themes in 1984 is George Orwell’s depiction of conformity. Conformity means to behave in accordance with socially acceptable conventions. In 1984, the party sets laws and brings in technology that forces the population into conforming. This is done so that they can control the population easier, and manipulate them into believing the party’s ideals. To do this, they firstly make everyone wear the same clothes, eat the same food, and live in the same conditions.

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In 1984, George Orwell says that the death of the individual that is caused by the resulting loss of internal freedom when the individual is put under the complete influence of power. However, to relate this to our society today, it must be known that our society is not under a totalitarian government. Yet, when at the hands of the individual, our society becomes no different. If one doesn’t use their freedoms, or doesn’t allow themselves to be aware of them, the freedoms of the individual will not exist. The only education and knowledge one will have will be of the direct influence of their own “Party”.

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The telescreen is a powerful tool of control because it allows the government to not only monitor citizens but also broadcast propaganda and shape public opinion. Citizens experience paranoia and fear as a result of constant surveillance because they never know when they are being watched or who is watching them. This results in a sense of self-censorship and conformity, as people change their behaviour to avoid drawing attention or arousing suspicion. Ultimately, the novel shows how the incorporation of the panopticon creates a society in which they suppress freedom and individuality in the name of maintaining power and

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George Orwell’s 1984 is a dystopian novel written in 1949 to warn society about the dangers of totalitarianism. In a country where the only political mechanism is the Party, run by Big Brother, the population is constantly monitored through the use of telescreens, and all opponents of the Party virtually disappear. Due to his fatalism, the protagonist Winston Smith lives in constant fear of being vaporized by the Party, but this does not stop him from having unorthodox ideas about politics and humanity. Consequently, Winston must suppress his thoughts so the Party does not suspect him of “thoughtcrime.” This book demonstrates key concepts discussed in Thomas C. Foster’s How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines in order to develop its themes.

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