Conformity In George Orwell's 1984

One of the most notable themes in 1984 is George Orwell’s depiction of conformity. Conformity means to behave in accordance with socially acceptable conventions. In 1984, the party sets laws and brings in technology that forces the population into conforming. This is done so that they can control the population easier, and manipulate them into believing the party’s ideals. To do this, they firstly make everyone wear the same clothes, eat the same food, and live in the same conditions. This creates a situation where it is impossible for anyone to be unique. The party then controls any possible rebellions against their reign, by hiding microphones and telescreens almost everywhere, and initiating the thought police. By doing this, they create a population that are either too scared to rebel, or are incapable because of the restrictions. This forces everyone into doing the same thing, thinking the same thing, and practically being the exactly same person.

For the party, conformity is a good thing, as it makes it easy to control the population, keeps everyone in line, and keeps the party in power. For some of the population, this isn’t a terrible idea either. Many people need to conform, so that they feel a sense of belonging, and for

Through the restrictions placed from the Party, the population of Oceania is forced into conforming. The cost of this is represented through Obrien explaining that there is a loss of beauty, of art, and no enjoyment of life. Individuality is shown through the development of Winston as a character. While meeting with Julia and expressing himself more, Winston becomes more of an individual rather than one of the other Party members. This initially has a positive affect on him, with the immediate increase in his health, however he eventually suffers deeply for it. Through this, Orwell shows that there is a cost that comes from being an