ipl-logo

Dystopia In George Orwell's '1984'

500 Words2 Pages

Dystopian society in George Owell’s 1984

The word ‘Dystopia’, which is the opposite of utopia, means a dark future where the negative aspects of modern society are maximized. It is also called retro-Utopia.
One of the representative works that shows dystopia skillfully is the novel ‘1984’, written by George Orwell. In ‘1984’, various dystopian images such as humanity- extermination policy, continuous surveillance and ideological education through telescreen, and the extinction policies implemented as a part of the extermination of political offenders are depicted.
It envisages a totalitarian future of the world divided into Eurasia, Oceania, and East Asia by some grandiose powers. The protagonist, Winston Smith is a member of Oceania who is in charge of the crucial task of manipulating the past. He is a potential ideological offender who writes a diary or shares love secretly with the female member of the party, both of which are all prohibited by the authorities. He was merely a dreamer of departure. However, since he confirms the existence of Brotherhood, which tries to subvert the government system, he …show more content…

Meanwhile, it is interesting that Aldous Huxley 's ‘Brave New World’ and George Orwell ' s ‘1984’, which were written at the same time, draw a different perspective while both drawing a dystopian future. Both the ‘Newly Beautiful New World’ and ‘1984’ portrayed a future that is thoroughly monitored and controlled and lost humanity. However, while Aldous Huxley 's ‘Brave New World’ was based on the abundance of scientific progress, George Orwell’s work was based on the poverty of totalitarian society. Humans living in the ‘Brave New World’ live in a society where material abundance and war do not exist, but humans living in ‘1984’ live in a poor housing environment, scarce food, and fear of constant warfare. So I think it would be a very interesting search to look at the view of two novelists who saw dystopian future with a totally different

Show More
Related
1159 Words | 5 Pages

Society is made up of multiple factors including individuality and opposition. George Orwell’s 1984 is a novel that depicts a communist dystopian society. Orwell wrote this novel to show what will happen to society under Communist control—more specifically, Joseph Stalin’s control. Orwell presents the reader with a protagonist, Winston, and through Winston, the reader can see the effects of extreme, forced conformity in a society. Through 1984, the reader can conclude that a society as a whole cannot thrive when constrained.

Read More
508 Words | 3 Pages

Dystopian texts espouse a variety of didactic messages that depend significantly upon both the context and zeitgeist of the time in which they were created. Differences can be found when comparing the techniques and perspectives the authors have chosen to represent their contextual concerns to audiences. Together both Fritz Lang’s silent black and white film ‘Metropolis’ 1927 and George Orwell’s novel ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’ (*referred to as 1984) 1948, confront and provoke audiences to consider the impact that (abusive power + unquestionable control= insert question statement) can have not only on the characters in these two texts, but also on the cultural and political lives of the reader and viewer. By subjugating & dehumanising the lower classes, dictators are

Read More
867 Words | 4 Pages

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.

Read More
1971 Words | 8 Pages

Language has a significant role in success of a literary piece. For a writer it is important what he wishes to write but it is also noteworthy how the writer expresses it. To communicate effectively, it is not sufficient to have well structured ideas expressed in complete and coherent sentences but one must also pay heed to the style, tone and clarity of his/her writing. The compactness and lucidity of style speaks about the greatness of the writer and also attracts attention of literary giants. William Shakespeare is such an eminent writer whose works are in the annals of great writings even in the 21st century.

Read More
1559 Words | 7 Pages

The society of this novel was a dystopia and it is how George Orwell viewed the world. In the novel 1984, Orwell portrays the acts of betrayal and

Read More
723 Words | 3 Pages

In the novels, Brave New World and 1984, the authors take the positive social aspects and values of community, identity, and stability and corrupt them into a dystopian society. While both books may come as a shock to the system, seeing as they both focus on aspects we are to scared to admit could possibly happen and seem wildly different at points, there are a lot of similarities between the two. Aldous Huxley’s novel is set in a world where the society is kept very carefully balanced: “The World State’s motto, COMMUNITY, IDENTITY, STABILITY.” (Huxley 1). For example, the means of reproduction is just as closely monitored and controlled as production is.

Read More
765 Words | 4 Pages

Although it is based in 1984, the social commentary it provides is most definitely applicable in this day and age. This novel analysis will touch briefly upon a few different subjects, such as symbolism and style, and the theme of the novel. Orwell has the amazing ability to keep the image of a dull,

Read More
333 Words | 2 Pages

Contemporary social critic Neil Postman makes plenty of great comparisons between George Orwell and Aldous Huxley 's vision of what’s to come in the future. While both authors make compelling arguments backed by great sources, one person’s opinion is definitely more relevant than the others. Postman’s assertion about which authors vision is more relevant is undeniably understandable in terms of why he could find a way to relate these ideas to our society today, however, the amount of relevance between Orwell 's vision and current worldly problems is simply incontestable. Orwell envisioned many scary situations in the novel “1984”. The idea that books could be banned and people may be deprived of relevant information isn’t as far off from

Read More
884 Words | 4 Pages

In 1984, George Orwell depicts a dystopian society pervaded by government control and the obsolescence of human emotion and society. Winston is forced to confront the reality of a totalitarian rule where the residents of Oceania are manipulated to ensure absolute government control and servitude of the people. The theme of totalitarianism and dystopia is employed in 1984 to grant absolute power to the government and ensure the deference of the people through the proliferation of propaganda, the repudiation of privacy and freedom, and the eradication of human thought and values. The repudiation of privacy and independent thought and the ubiquity of government surveillance is employed to secure absolute power to the government over the populace

Read More
951 Words | 4 Pages

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.

Read More
1500 Words | 6 Pages

In the novel 1984 by George Orwell, the main theme is of conformity to the wants of society and the government. Themes of dehumanization of our species, as well as the danger of a totalitaristic state are repeatedly expressed. Orwell demonstrates this theme by using setting and characters in the novel. The setting helps to convey the theme because of the world and kind of city that the main character lives in. Winston’s every move is watched and controlled by the governmental figurehead known as “big brother”.

Read More
973 Words | 4 Pages

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.

Read More
1784 Words | 8 Pages

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.

Read More
869 Words | 4 Pages

Nineteen eighty-four is a highly constructed dramatic experience which effectively delineates totalitarianism and controlling governments within Oceania, revealed through its respectable language. The language used by Orwell critics how the dystopian land of Oceania was during the time of the cold war. Within the last paragraph of 1984, Orwell effectively depicts the dystopian world of Oceania and shows that through the extreme control of human nature by using INGSOC’s, the representation of big brother and the act of dehumanisation, portraying that the government is purely a one sided and controlling government. Through Orwell 's use of techniques, he prompts the reader to question the ideals totalitarianism and government control. Thus, the audience is informed that the totalitarian government has a vast amount of capabilities, that can be used ultimately to control the minds of individuals in 1984.

Read More
1056 Words | 5 Pages

The novel 1984 by George Orwell reveals the destruction of all aspects of the universe. Orwell envisioned how he believes life would be like if a country were taken over by a totalitarian figure. Nineteen eighty-four effectively portrays a totalitarian style government, in which elected representatives maintain the integrity of a nation with very little citizen participation in the decision-making process of the legislative body. Although the authors ideas are inherently and completely fictional, several concepts throughout his book have common links to today’s society which is somehow a realist perspective. Orwell integrates devices such as irony, satire, and motifs to illustrate the life unfulfilling life of Winston Smith.

Read More

More about Dystopia In George Orwell's '1984'

Related Topics

Open Document