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Examples Of Doublethink In 1984 By George Orwell

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The novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, published in 1949, takes place in Oceania’s mainland called Air Strip One. We presently reference this location as London, England. Cliffnotes (2016) describes the state of Oceania as, “a terrifying society reminiscent of Hitler's Germany and Stalin's Soviet Union — complete repression of the human spirit, absolute governmental control of daily life, constant hunger, and the systematic vaporization of individuals who do not, or will not, comply with the government's values”. (paragraph 7) The term “doublethink” was first introduced to the English language by George Orwell in the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four to illustrate how this dystopic society developed. This paper will explore the term doublethink in …show more content…

The Inner Party is personified in the novel by the character of O’Brien. Through O’Brien’s and Winston’s interactions, the doublethink contradiction is again displayed very clearly. Doublethink was communicated between the two, when O’Brien stated “Big Brother does not exist.” (Orwell, page 271) O’Brien acutely demonstrates doublethink in his accepted beliefs that Big Brother does not exist, but also does exist, as it is impossible. To not exist insinuates that he is not a living organism, and purely fictional. However, the intangible version is depicted when O’Brien consecutively states, “Big Brother does exist as the embodiment of the Party, but he can never die” (Orwell, page 272). To exist as an embodiment is the attribution of human characteristics to an abstraction only. O’Brien confirms the abstraction when Winston says “They got you too” (Orwell, page 250) by replying, “They got me a long time ago” (Orwell, page 250). O’Brien then tortures Winston in an attempt to make him comprehend the necessity of doublethink in Oceania, as it will be his sole salvation.
In contrast, we can also parallel Orwell’s doublethink term and application from Big Brother to the American Government. The first doublethink introduced by Donald …show more content…

Trump has referred to several media groups as “fake news,” and the “the enemy.” This is eerily consistent with the Inner Party’s doublethink war on their own people. Again, war always ends in devastation. Manalo (2017) concludes the article very similar to Winston Smith’s thoughts in the novel Nineteen Eighty- Four before he is tortured by O’Brien by stating, “It is up the people to voice out what is wrong, and change it as soon as they can.” (Manalo, Paragraph 10) This is the most important message in both pieces of literature regarding any leader’s attempt to implement doublethink in their

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In the book 1984 the idea of doublethink is for a person to believe in two very different idea and to think that both of the the ideas are true. The Party has created the idea of doublethink so that they would be able to control Oceania. Doublethink is essential to the Party because it control the citizens of Oceania. The Party use doublethink to brainwash all the citizens and to make them believe in all the information that they what that citizen to believe instead of information in reality “doublethink the mutability of the past and denial of objective reality and to use Newspeak words”(page 196). The Party has also given the people of Oceania information that might have become useful for things the Party are trying to do, but when the Party

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For example, Trump has issued a ban on immigrants entering the country whose backgrounds contain, “citizens [who] have caused the terrorism deaths of no Americans,” while on the contrary he forgets about the citizens whose country, “have caused the terrorism deaths of thousands of Americans,” which greatly shows an example of Trump utilizing doublethink. Similarly to Big Brother, President Trump is not the only one who expresses the ways of doublethink. Scott Pruitt for example, is the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, which was designed to protect the environment. Scott Pruitt spent his time to battle against the Environmental Protection Agency, especially with Obama’s plan to increase the efforts to take down global warming. But now that Scott Pruitt is nominated to lead the EPA by President Trump, he has to now devote his works to not only diminish his beliefs of global warming, but to also work as a head director of protecting the environment.

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In George Orwell’s classic novel, 1984, Winston Smith is a secret rebel, fighting the control of Big Brother, who represents the overpowered, all knowing government. Winston is fighting more than his government though, he is fighting his entire society. Big Brother’s power comes from his ability to manipulate the masses, so influentially, that the masses work towards the oppression of themselves. In questioning Big Brother, Winston is questioning the entirety of known society. Winston meets others that share his views on society and expand Winston’s field of thought, leading him to make conclusions about his society; conclusions that lead to direct rebellion against Big Brother.

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Big Brother is the embodiment of the Party.’ ‘Does he exist in the same way I exist?’ ‘You do not exist’” (Orwell 259). Here O’Brien deliberately ignores and misrepresents Winston’s question, and gives an even more confusing answer, but somehow wins the argument anyway.

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Doublethink is simultaneously holding two contradicting opinions at one time. This is a real life situation in which Winston and the reader encounter doublethink without realizing it on the surface level. Winston knows deep down how he really feels and what life could be like in his dream state, while Winston is forced to act a certain way and believe certain things in the real world. Having two contradicting beliefs, while knowing one is the better belief and choosing not to believe it for the benefit of the Party is the exact definition of

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As Orwell describes Winston’s flat he depicts a “telescreen”(Orwell, 1) with the caption “Big Brother is always watching you.” (Orwell, 2). Orwell places concept of society always being watched by the government as an allusion to the Soviet secret police always watching society for rebellious thoughts. As Winston is writing his book criticizing Big Brother, he notes that writing this book is “a crime punishable by death.” (Orwell, 62).

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The notion of doublethink is experienced not only in George Orwell’s novel 1984 but also in our US government with the war on terrorism and in our everyday life with being told to act your age but also that you are only as old as you think you are. The most iconic notion of doublethink in the novel 1984 is “war is peace; freedom is slavery; ignorance is strength. ”(16)

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In the novel 1984, by George Orwell, he uses truth and reality as a theme throughout the novel to demonstrate the acts of betrayal and loyalty through the characters of Winston and Julia. Orwell expresses these themes through the Party, who controls and brainwashes the citizens of Oceania. The party is able to control its citizens through “Big Brother,” a fictional character who is the leader of Oceania. Big Brother is used to brainwash the citizens into whatever he says. Orwell uses truth and reality in this book to reflect on what has happened in the real world such as the Holocaust and slavery.

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Ingsoc as a totalitarian ideology Introduction George Orwell’s classic 1984 written in the year 1949 tells the story of a dystopian society under a totalitarian regime. The novel is set in Airstrip One, formerly known as Great Britain, which is a province of the super-state called Oceania. The throne of power is epitomized by Big Brother, the quasi-divine cult leader who is at the same time infallible as well as invisible. Orwell in 1984 depicts a dystopia which is riddled by perpetual wars, omnipresent government surveillance, manipulation and historical revisionism.

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George Orwell’s 1984: How Doublethink is the Most Powerful Weapon for Control Being able to believe two paradoxical statements at one time sounds impossible but it is more common than believed. It is called doublethink, which is the ability to hold two contradictory beliefs on a topic and wholeheartedly believing them both at the same time. This term was coined by George Orwell and it becomes the main tool for control over the citizens of Oceania in his novel 1984. Orwell created a totalitarian future in hopes it would serve as a warning to preceding generations as to how the government can metamorphose into having complete power over a population to the point where they even control the thought process of the human mind.

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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

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The book 1984 describes a totalitarian society where citizens are forced to renounce all liberties for the sake of social order. They are guided by the rule of a single figurehead called Big Brother, whom the they are manipulated to entrust their lives to. This figurehead exercises his powers of governing every aspect of the people 's lives by observing and manipulating the populace. Big Brother also divides his subjects into classes as a means to keep the populace oppressed. Throughout this literary narrative the main character, Winston Smith, struggles to survive in this society as he struggles to fit the conventional mold that is preached.

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In the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four written by George Orwell, one of the three slogans of the INGSOC party was "War is Peace; Freedom is Slavery; Ignorance is Strength.” The English Socialist Party of Oceania wants complete control over all of the citizens and most importantly, their minds. On my poster, I have included three symbols below the slogan representing each phrase. “War is peace” and “freedom is slavery” connects perfectly with the concept of doublethink. Regardless of both of the phrases being contradictory in meaning, they are both considered to be the same in the minds of the Oceania citizens.

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Big brother is ruining a totalitarian government, which is also a form of socialist government. This style of government has a dictator and has little or no freedom. Winston sees that this government can do nothing but spells out bad news, it also do nothing for human rights. O’brien sees it as a way for big brother and the inner party to flex their power to the people of oceania. Winston understands all of the outcomes that their government has so thats why he is trying to stop it

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