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1984 Totalitarianism Analysis

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The Totalitarianism Theme and Denial of Free Will in Orwell’s 1984
“The aim of the Party was not merely to prevent men and women from forming loyalties which it might not be able to control. Its real, undeclared purpose was to remove all pleasure from the sexual act. Not love so much as eroticism was the enemy, inside marriage as well as outside it. All marriages between Party members had to be approved by a committee appointed for the purpose, and—though the principle was never clearly stated—permission was always refused if the couple concerned gave the impression of being physically attracted to one another. The only recognized purpose of marriage was to beget children for the service of the Party.”(83.pdf)

In the passage of Book One, …show more content…

His first love relationship began with Katharine, his wife, who is supposedly gone from Winston’s life. The despicable act of the Party using love, marriage, and sexual relationships for their own aims to produce more members of the Party and the denial of free will of the individuals reveals the theme of totalitarianism, which both revolve around the idea of love and marriage.

The theme of totalitarianism is revealed when Winston begins to talk about the Party and their aims to “prevent men and women from forming loyalties.” In Oceania, the setting for 1984, the Party, which is the government, strides to prevent women and men from forming relationships, mainly marriage. Marriage does revolve around sex, in which the Party wants to “remove all pleasure from the sexual act.” The Party works to quell all physical …show more content…

When Winston says “Not love so much as eroticism was the enemy, inside marriage as well as outside it[.]”, he was stating that the eroticism gained from marriage or sex was the undeclared component of marriage that the Party was trying to remove indirectly. As a result, “[.]All marriages have between Party members had to be approved by a committee appointed for the purpose[,].” Normally, the Party would decline the marriage unless they found matches between adults who could produce a child for the benefit of the Party. Couples who were “physically attracted to one another” were “always refused”, affected many individuals since it is a significant factor to marriage. If the marriage was declined, which usually happened, it shows the denial of free will because they are unable to express their individuality towards others. In conclusion, the Party’s control of marriage and relationships defines the denial of free will of the individuals, thus demonstrating the theme of

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