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Comparative Essay On 1984 By George Orwell

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George Orwell’s 1984 is one of the most revolutionary novels in the history of literature. Even 75 years after its original publication, 1984 is still in curriculums around the nation today. The novel’s theme is control. However, it’s not control, meaning the government is able to keep their country under control, it’s manipulatively controlling the people of the country to get them to do what the government wants them to do. Unfortunately, this theme tends to be seen in modern day politics. It is unfortunate to see similarities in today’s world because the purpose behind 1984 was to highlight caution to what lives under totalitarian governments would look like. Specifically, the most controlling similarities between 1984 and modern politics …show more content…

This is what helped lead to his election as president, as people had been taught to think that in order for America to be good, Donald Trump had to be elected, and that he was the only candidate who could make America great again. Correspondingly, Big Brother also uses two slogans to help themselves stay in charge, the first one being “Big Brother is watching you,” (Orwell, 1984, 3). Saying that Big Brother is always watching stops Oceanians from disobeying laws, because they associate “doing something when no one is watching” with the fact that Big Brother is in fact actually watching them. Constant surveillance keeps Big Brother in charge, as no one is ever brave enough to go against their laws since they will get caught. In parallel, Big Brother’s second slogan states, “War is peace, Freedom is slavery, and Ignorance is strength,” (Orwell, 1984, 6). The idea that war is peace gives a sense of unity in hating the same enemy, leaving no room for anyone to hate the …show more content…

Ignorance is strength gets Oceanians to rely on Big Brother, because it is teaching them to be ignorant of what is actually happening, is to be strong. Leaving the people of Oceania to just allow Big Brother to do whatever they want, because people would be weak if they actually tried to look deeper into what the actions ensued. In 1984, Big Brother spoke in a language made up by George Orwell called “Newspeak.” Newspeak by definition is an “ambiguous euphemistic language used chiefly in political propaganda.” The purpose of Newspeak is to overcomplicate the people of Oceania with words, and never allow them to ever fully understand what Big Brother is saying. Newspeak also has such few words in the language that it limits how Oceanians are ever able to express their own feelings. They are never able to think to such an extent beyond what Big Brother has already imprinted in their heads. This empowers Big Brother to remain in control and to embed their own ideas into the people of

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Big Brother is powerful enough to change his nations, but what if he was powerful enough to change the whole world? Within Oceania the controlling of minds and changing Oceanias view is seen perfectly. In order to do so, Big Brother uses forms of Propaganda, he uses telescreens to control what

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In the novel, 1984, George Orwell depicts a dystopian society where the government holds all power and have complete control over the population. This government, infamously known as Oceania, had successfully created a new language called Newspeak. However, this new language is not a more advanced form of communication, it is one of the many ways the government sought to control the population. The main way Oceania asserted its control over the people was through the fear and love of Big Brother. They did this by depicting the face of Big Brother on what was known as a telescreen that constantly spied on the community.

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The regime’s slogan “Who controls the past controls the future; who controls the present controls the past” is a testament to the party’s tactics to be in absolute control. This draws parallels to the future and past, in the sense that the present controls them both. Since everyone virtually controls the present, the present controls the past, and the past controls the future, this quote can easily be rewritten as “who controls the present controls the past and future” basically affirming infinite control. The Ministry of Truth constantly changes Big Brother’s words and fabricates history to shape the future narrative. Initially, Oceania was at war with Eurasia and allied with Eastasia.

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There are many methods that the government utilized to instil fear and take control over the citizens of Oceania. . The government insists on making its own reality and using propaganda to pervade the lives of people. “ Big Brother is watching you” is on posters throughout the city of Oceania. It is a warning and reminder to the citizens that the government will always be invading their privacy. The government uses doublethink,

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Throughout history, totalitarian societies have stripped the rights of their citizens for their benefit. These societies have created constraints to control citizens and manipulate them to follow the government’s ideology. An example would be the Nazi Regime, as they used psychological tactics to control the citizens. Therefore, these previous totalitarian societies influenced literature to show the harsh realities. 1984 by George Orwell is an example of this.

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George Orwell’s 1984 depicts a dystopian society in which every minute detail is controlled by Oceania’s dictator, Big Brother. Big Brother focuses on gaining power and control, slowly destroying citizens’ free will, and destroying their human rights in the process. In 1984, George Orwell explores the vileness of absolute control, revealing that the consequences will inevitably result in revolts and rebellion against higher authority. In book one, Orwell demonstrates the beginning of this theme by communicating the dangers of propaganda. He shows a dystopian land where everything is controlled by the government, illuminating the subtle ways that misinformation leads to control over one’s thoughts and actions.

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Big Brother attentively monitors the behavior of all of its people. Whether that is through “a helicopter skimm[ing] down between the roofs, hover[ing] for an instant like a bluebottle, and dart[ing] away again with a curving flight,” (Orwell 2) or the thought police hiding among the identical people of Oceania. This creates a self-conscious in all of the people that tells them that Big Brother is watching. Privilege separates the people in this society, and with privilege comes advantages. Distractions are what keeps Big Brother afloat.

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Many readers will easily recognize the expression "Big Brother Is Watching You." It is a reference from Orwell 's novel 1984 in which the country of Oceania tries their best to destroy the past and remake the future. Oceania tries many things to keep their people quiet and repressed so they cannot question the government 's authority. One example of how the government represses their people can be explained by the slogan Ignorance is Strength. "Ignorance is Strength" has played a significant role is George Orwell 's 1984.

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In this language, we are introduced to terms like “good”and “un-good” (Orwell 27). Without a multitude of words to express their feelings, the citizens of Oceania are left feeling one way: dehumanized. The people of Oceania are narrow-minded because of their lack of vocabulary. This is exactly what Big Brother wants. He wants the people to be stripped of their knowledge because it makes them one thing: ignorant.

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Through multiple, immense posters tacked onto the walls of Victory Mansions, Big Brother asserts the overbearing hold that he has on citizens with the eerie message, “BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU”. By taking a name that naturally brings with it the feelings of protection, warmth, and trust, we can see that Big Brother has been aptly named for his role as leader. Not only does he act as the protector, thus bringing comfort to the hearts of citizens across Oceania, but he also is the enemy and instills fear into those who dare to cross him. To the citizens, he can do no wrong since he is the one in charge. Even the message of being watched by Big Brother can be reassuring and frightening: reassuring to those who obey him and frightening to those who choose to stray away from him.

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Living through the first half of the twentieth century, George Orwell watched the rise of totalitarian regimes in Germany, Italy, Spain, and the Soviet Union. Fighting in Spain, he witnessed the brutalities of the fascists and Stalinists first hand. His experiences awakened him to the evils of a totalitarian government. In his novel 1984, Orwell paints a dark and pessimistic vision of the future where society is completely controlled by a totalitarian government. He uses symbolism and the character’s developments to show the nature of total power in a government and the extremes it will go through to retain that power by repressing individual freedom and the truth.

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