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War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength. These are the principles citizens of Oceania, in the novel 1984, by George Orwell, are forced to believe in. With the addition of literary devices, such as foreshadowing and diction, totalitarianism is exposed through the Party’s beliefs along with their love towards Big Brother.
Throughout history, power has grown to develop absolute control, leading superior individuals and groups to manipulate their people for selfish gain. After World War II, the disillusionment Orwell felt led him to write 1984, a novel that depicts a strict dystopian world. Citizens in 1984 were led by The Party, a government that manages to regulate its people. Winston Smith, the protagonist, is an ambitious man harboring resentment and dreams of rebellion against the protocols imposed upon the citizens. Throughout the novel, Orwell conveys how totalitarian governments use surveillance and the erasure of history to manipulate citizens, similar to the manipulation of social media today.
In the novel 1984 by George Orwell, cruelty is commonly used by the party to gain power over the nation of Oceania, which is used to create the overall theme of totalitarianism. The cruelty throughout the novel, which is seen in moments such as; when Winston, the main character, catches himself going against the ideals of the party, when Winston and Julia, Winston’s love interest, get caught together, and when Winston is sent to Room 101. This shows that cruelty creates a basis of fear in each person throughout the work as a whole. In the beginning of the novel Winston constantly finds himself committing thoughtcrime, which is when someone thinks of something that does not “align” with what the Party says.
According to The Merriam Webster Dictionary, the definition of totalitarianism is “a system of government in which the ruler has unlimited power (Merriam-Webster).” The unscrupulous, deceitful government portrayed in George Orwell’s 1984 is an example of this kind of regime.. During his lifetime during the early 20th century, Orwell lived to see the rise of many all-powerful governments. The influential writer devoted himself and dedicated his work to the cause of socialism. In his most persuasive work, George Orwell uses a totalitarian government in that may be compared to numerous existing and inactive governments to alert individuals about the dangers of total conformity.
In the novel 1984, Orwell strategically develops a totalitarian regime that negatively influences its citizens and their quality of life. One universal theme presented by Orwell is that everyone’s mind is corruptible, it is just a matter of how far you push them mentally and physically. In one example, Winston surrenders his love for Julia in fear of losing his life in a near-death experience with rats. This moment is significant as Winston and Julia promised each other that they would never sacrifice their love for one another under any circumstances.
Orwell 's goal was to warn us of the serious danger totalitarianism poses to society. Orwell 's was a socialists and believed strongly in the potential for rebellion go wrong and developed into totalitarian rule. We as society should not be letting ourselves be control by the government because it will get us into a much bigger danger of depending on their government. People should not be letting their lives be manipulated there is actually managment going on in them, people have the right to make their own choices or decisions because we all have rights and the government is not really respecting that. Yes the people should be taking it as a warning as an important advice, our society is being controlled by the government and people
Justin Xiao Vogel AP Literature 4 March 2023 1984s Prediction of the Future With several influences and ideologies of governance constantly at odds with each other, each claims to be the best way to govern. Similarly, those in power seek to maintain their control over the citizens while under the facade, they are in a power struggle. Instead of civil war and chaos, they use tactics and convincing arguments to gain influence over others and use sly tricks to have the upper hand. Even though a majority advocate for democracy, there are those who support the elite class to rule or a monarch. Despite differing opinions about what type of government should be in office, most people agree that totalitarianism isn't suitable for most countries.
From Horseback to Totalitarianism “Conquering the world on horseback is easy; it is dismounting and governing that is hard” - Genghis Khan. Throughout mankind’s history, the struggle for power and control has been a central theme. From ancient empires to modern democracies, societies have dealt with the challenges of authority and its impact on individual freedom. George Orwell greatly captures these themes in his dystopian novel, “1984”. Set in a future world where totalitarianism rules, the story serves as a warning about the dangers of unchecked government control.
George Orwell’s novel 1984 was written for the purpose of warning the world about the dangers of totalitarianism. A totalitarian government is one that attempts to totally control the lives of its citizens as a way to have full power over a community. Orwell used examples of totalitarian governments in his book, like Nazi Germany, to show the extent of control governments could want. The book was a close look into how a government used its power to control its people, while manipulating them into believing that everything was honest. The world of 1984 displays many examples of how a government uses manipulation to hold power over a body of people.
“1984” is a dystopian fiction novel by George Orwell, which displays a totalitarian society where the government of Oceania also known as ‘the Party’ has full authority of its citizen’s freedom. They accomplish this by manipulating them psychologically, historically, and with slogans and propaganda under a symbolic figure called Big Brother. Being a part of the Outer Party, Winston Smith experiences passionate resentment towards the Party’s views and how it manages the past. A crucial apparatus known as the Thought Police is used by the Party to psychologically suppress their citizen’s natural reactions to situations, emotions, and their relationships and communication with others. This suppression is suggested as making everyone less human
In 1949, a man predicted the domination of citizens by the totalitarian government and their custom of technologies to dictate the society. His name is George Orwell, a well-known British author, who wrote one of the most famous dystopian novels, 1984. The novel 1984 illustrates the totalitarian society and the life of Winston Smith, who works at the Ministry of truth and his humiliation by the party of the country, Oceania. George Orwell’s exaggeration and mockery of the totalitarian governments in the novel 1984 is now turning out to be one of the nightmare come true in our modern society.
It controls what people do on a regular basis. In a quote from the book, it says, “Any sound that Winston made, above the level of a very low whisper, would be picked up by it; moreover, as long as he remained within the field of vision which the metal plaque commanded, he could be seen as well as heard. (3)” This represents the power and control that the telescreen and the Party have over the people. If you stay in the vision of the telescreen, which is 90 percent of the time, the government will know exactly what you are doing.
In the current political state of the United States of America, signs of totalitarianism are making a comeback in the political spectrum again. For example, the government is taking liberties and justifying its stripping of rights from people. People of different cultural and ethnic backgrounds are being demeaned for whom they are. And most importantly, the government that is supposed to be protecting its citizens, is withholding the truth from them. One of the newest coined phrases of this year, “Alternative Facts,” has made many people weary of the government’s truthful intentions.
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.
Totalitarianism in 1984 and the Real World The concept of a totalitarian society is a major theme throughout the novel 1984. This theme of totalitarianism can also be applied to the world today. The definition of totalitarianism, a concept used by some political scientists, is a state which holds total authority over the society and seeks to control all aspects of public and private life wherever possible. Totalitarianism can be related between the novel 1984 and current events in the real world. George Orwell incorporated the theme of totalitarianism into his novel 1984 to display the ever changing world around him during the time it was written.
