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Brave New World And 1984 Analysis

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Within the two novels, 1984 and Brave New World, written by George Orwell and Aldous Huxley respectively, they both have an overarching theme of extreme manipulation of society by the government. At first glance, the methods used seem simple and cursory. But applying these methods to Sigmund Freud’s theories reveal how each tactic works and why. Both books achieve this control in different ways, but they both use Freud's theories of the unconscious mind in a similar fashion. Whether the control is implemented through conditioning or close monitoring of the population’s lives, it is enhanced through Freud’s theories. Sigmund Freud’s theories on the unconscious mind were developed in 1915. Freud originally compared the mind to an iceberg, …show more content…

“The smallest thing could give you away. A nervous tic, an unconscious look of anxiety, a habit of muttering to yourself—anything that carried with it the suggestion of abnormality, of having something to hide.” (Orwell 62) Winston referred to this as face crime. If The Party were to find any evidence of rebellion, the person would be arrested, tortured, and killed. The punishment for a lapse in composure was common knowledge among the people. According to Freud’s theories on the unconscious, this is called a Freudian slip. Freudian slips are said to reveal what really lies in the subconscious. The government used different methods of monitoring these Freudian slips to evaluate what was deep inside the person’s mind. The most commonly used methods were telescreens placed in every household in which they watched people without ceasing. “You had to live...in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard, and, except in darkness, every moment scrutinized.” (Orwell 3) The constant watching of The Party caused a deep rooted fear in everyone’s mind. Winston wanted to have privacy to record his thoughts and dreams in his diary, so he placed the telescreen in an odd area, as to not be seen by it. “By sitting in the alcove...Winston was able to remain outside the range of the telescreen, so far as sight went.” (Orwell 6) While he was in this place, he was …show more content…

The telescreens were unable to be shut off, constantly playing whatever propaganda the government deemed suitable for that time. “The instrument...could be dimmed, but there was no way of shutting it off completely.” (Orwell 2) This idea of the constant screeching in the ears of people caused ideas to linger in the unconscious. The government was able to induce different ideas, emotions, and thoughts at a mere mention of something. “...the sight or even the thought of Goldstein produced fear and anger automatically.” (Orwell

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The Party was constantly looking for new ways to control and subjugate its people, such as installing video screens and microphones everywhere and the installation of the Thought Police was the next advancement in controlling peoples day to day life. During the events of 1984, Winston deals with the constant monitoring of his everyday life, even to the point of paranoia sets in. Orwell best words this with “Always the eyes watching you and the voice enveloping you. Asleep or awake, working or eating, indoors or out of doors, in the bath or in bed—no escape. Nothing was your own except the few cubic centimetres inside your skull”(Orwell 34).

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People are watched 24/7 every day. From security cameras to phones, someone is always watching. In the book 1984, by George Orwell, surveillance is one of the main topics. The main character, Winston Smith, describes an electronic device called a telescreen that can “receive[d] and transmitt[ed] simultaneously. Any sound… above the level of a low whisper would be picked up by it; moreover, so long as he remained within the field of vision… he could be seen as well as heard” (pg4).

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1984 introduces television-like devices to readers that not only provide an unending source of propaganda for Oceana, but have the special ability to keep track of what the country’s citizens are saying and doing at any time of day. The Thought Police can access the information at any time they wish to root out anyone who might be displaying any signs of rebellion, no matter what they might be. Winston spends the entirety of the book existing in constant terror of showing any inkling that he might not be totally okay with the beliefs of Big Brother and all that he stood for. In the modern United States of America, it is nearly impossible to go through an average day without showing oneself to some form of camera be it one used for security,

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“ The telescreen received and transmitted simultaneously. Any sound that Winston made, above the level of very low whisper would be picked…”(4) This is effective in creating a dystopian society because it puts people under constant fear of getting caught if they say even a slightest of thing against the party. In the movie Minority report people are constantly under surveillance. For example, eye scanners are used to know the locations of criminals.

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1278 Words | 6 Pages

“You had to live- did live, from habit that became instinct- in assumption that every sound you made was overheard, and except in darkness, every moment scrutinized” (Orwell 3). Winston Smith lived in a society where every individual’s thoughts and actions were being watched by the Party. If one did have thoughts or actions defying the Party they would vanish and cease to exist in the past, present, and future. The Party had control over everything and everyone.

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Despite being in the safety of his own home, Winston describes living in his world as a “habit that became instinct--[to live] in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard, and, except in darkness, every movement scrutinized” (Orwell 3). Winston’s words in this quote illustrate the power of The Party and how its existence is similar to an entity that is always watching. By using the telescreens, The Party controls the people of Oceania, forcing them to suppress their emotions, words, and actions and slowly shapes them into beings that work to solely serve the party. The idea of living becoming an instinct in the human mind presents The Party’s ability to manipulate people through their constant surveillance.

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In many dystopian novels, including George Orwell's 1984, the means of communication, education, mass media, and popular culture serve as major forms of control over the citizens. These forms of control are often used by the ruling government to manipulate and indoctrinate the population, maintain their positions, and work towards their goal of controlling the mind of its citizens. Some techniques used in 1984 can be seen in other totalitarian regimes in the real world. In 1984, the government, known as the Party, uses various technologies to control the citizens.

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They start to always become paranoid that all of their actions are being monitored. Winston within this quote shows just how little free will all of the people have. Any sound that they make and any action that they make within the vision of the television will be recorded. Almost nothing goes unseen by the government which completely invades the privacy of all of the common people and takes away all of their free will. Orwell uses this moment to show how dangerous the conflict of having no free will truly is.

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1279 Words | 6 Pages

It is a very powerful tool which has been utilized by the Inner Party throughout the story. George Orwell goes on to describe these devices, stating that the telescreen “received and transmitted simultaneously. Any sound that Winston made, above the level of a very low whisper, would be picked up by it, moreover, so long as he remained within the field of vision which the metal plaque commanded, he could be seen as well as heard” (Orwell 3). Winston lives in constant stress of being both watched and listened to by members of the Inner Party. He, along with every other member of the Outer Party, are monitored by telescreens at all times.

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No one should have to live their lives being watched over by someone they don’t know like the government. Another quote shows that Winston needed “to conceal his agitation from the telescreen” (Orwell, page 108). The statement implies the need to hide emotions from an eye watching over a citizen. In the totalitarian government, people have to abide by the rules, in this case he can’t feel different emotions like anger. This shows how privacy is being violated in Orwell’s novel.

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Additionally, telescreens have the ability to watch you at any time of the day. Orwell explains that “The telescreen received and transmitted simultaneously. Any sound that Winston made, above the level of a very low whisper, would be picked up by it… There was of course no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any given moment” (Orwell 5). The deviousness of Big Brother helps greatly in catching offenders of the law.

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1476 Words | 6 Pages

As a passage of the book “1984” states in the first chapter of the book,"There was of course no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any given moment. How often, or on what system, the Thought Police plugged in on any individual wire was guesswork. It was even conceivable that they watched everybody all the time. But at any rate they could plug in your wire whenever they wanted to. You had to live—did live, from habit that became instinct—in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard, and, except in darkness, every movement scrutinized.

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867 Words | 4 Pages

In 1984 they have telescreens in every room watching the society, making sure that they do not do anything against big brother. If the society thinks bad or disagrees with Big Brother the telescreens can see that person who committed the thoughtcrime. In the first chapter, Winston commits a thoughtcrime by writing “DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER” (Orwell 18) repeatedly in his diary. At this time Winston doesn’t get caught by the telescreen because he wrote it and the telescreen didn’t see it.

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1140 Words | 5 Pages

In the novel Orwell states, “Winston was able to remain outside the range of the telescreen, so far as sight went. He could be heard, of course, but so long as he stayed in his present position he could not be seen” (Orwell 8). When Orwell states, that it is showing that citizens are always under surveillance by the telescreens. They have the telescreens so the goverment can watch you at all times and it gives the citizens fake news that they are supposed to think is true. Next, freedom of thought is forbidden.

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