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1984 Literary Techniques

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George Orwell uses various literary techniques to give us two different themes. Orwell illustrates the extent to which totalitarian civilizations seek to control not only the physical but also the mental parts of their civilians. Through Winston Smith's experiences, Orwell shows the oppressive methods presented by the Party, such as Big Brother, The Ministry of Truth, Telescreens, The Thought Police, and more throughout the novel, to control the minds of individuals. The Party and Big Brother, contribute to the themes of totalitarianism and manipulation. The Party's grip on Oceania is shown by Big Brother, who serves as a constant reminder of the Party's absolute power over the people. Winston recognizes the Party’s control while being tortured by O’Brien in the Ministry of Love when …show more content…

Evidence of this in the text would be “The instrument (the telescreen, it was called) could be dimmed, but there was no way of shutting it off completely." p.g. 4. Another example of psychological control would be the concept of doublethink, where a person has 2 contradicting ideas at the same time. This removes a civilian's chance for critical thinking and independent judgment. An additional way that the novel attempts to control this civilization is with the Party’s slogans “War is Peace," "Freedom is Slavery," and "Ignorance is Strength.". These slogans show the opposite of the truth, but the citizens do not know this, so they think that all of this is true and will follow what the government says without a second thought. One more example of psychological control would be Winston's internal struggles with his memories and desires. In 1984, the elements of Big Brother, the Ministry of Truth, Telescreens, and the Thought Police all contribute to the main themes of totalitarian and psychological

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