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Nineteen Eighty-Four Vs The Handmaid's Tale

1322 Words6 Pages

Daisy Lv
Ms. Jamieson
English 12-1
26 February 2018
Nineteen Eighty-Four Versus The Handmaid’s Tale: Is There a Difference?
“It is possible to dehumanize man completely (Fromm 318)?” In Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Christians have seized control of the Republic of Gilead and set up a totalitarian theocracy in which God is the supreme ruler. In Nineteen Eighty-Four portrayed by George Orwell, inhabitants in Oceania are controlled by the English Socialist Party ("INGSOC" for short), living under the constant surveillance from Big Brother. The two dystopias resemble and differ from the other with regard to political structure, propaganda, supervision, and the helplessness of individual in a totalitarian society.
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Once people accept doublethink, they accept two contradictory beliefs simultaneously. As an example at the Hate Week rally, the Party speaker shifts its diplomatic allegiance, which Eastasia becomes the enemy, and the crowd accepts his words immediately. At lighting speed, all of the political literature would be rectified (Orwell 182). Additionally, the Party’s official slogans support the idea of doublethink. Although Oceania is in a constant state of war, citizens are acting like they live in peace. there is peace as well, hence it is the war that units inhabitants in Oceania together; therefore, war is peace (Orwell 4). The same contradiction exists for “freedom is peace, ignorance is strength” (Orwell 16). Furthermore, the name of the four Ministries exhibits the idea of doublethink. The government claims that the Ministry of Truth is responsible for information like news and education. The Ministry of Peace maintains orders. The Ministry of Love maintains law while the Ministry of Plenty concerns about economic affairs (Orwell 4). Winston Smith, a member of the Outer Party, knows that these four departments actually mean lies, wars, torture, and starvation (Orwell 216); yet, he accept these names. Without a doubt that doublethink is possessed as a practical method to control individuals. In The Handmaid’s Tale, similarly, fundamentalists as the potentates take the religious rulesas a power to limit individual beliefs and mindsets. First and foremost,handmaids in Gilead are defined as two-legged wombs, sacred vessels and ambulatory chalices (Atwood 146). People accept their identities since Rachel claims her maid Bilbah’children as hers (Genesis, 30:1-3). There is a monthly Ceremony in Gilead when handmaids like Offred are forced to have sex with the Commander while

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