Examples Of Fascism In 1984 By George Orwell

The book 1984, written by George Orwell, acts as a warning against the fascist and controlling governments of the time. 1984 was published in 1949, only a few years after the conclusion of WW2, so it can be inferred that the war-obsessed, hyper-vigilant, no-tolerance policy world of 1984 was highly inspired by the climate of WW2. Since the novel is set in the future, (relative to its publication) it can also be viewed as a warning against extreme government types. Fascism, as described in the Britannica Dictionary, is, “a way of organizing a society in which a government ruled by a dictator controls the lives of the people and in which people are not allowed to disagree with the government”. The novel pushes the Idea of fascism to the extreme,

From start to finish it constantly reminds the reader of the war and Big Brother, the face of Oceania and the party, similar to a dictator, but is never seen in person. Big Brother is first introduced on page 5, “there seemed to be no colour in anything, except the posters that were plastered everywhere. The blackmoustachio’d face gazed down from every commanding corner. There was one on the house-front immediately opposite. BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU, the caption said, while the dark eyes looked deep into Winston’s own.” (Orwell 1949) The posters are described as the only source of color, which can also mean the only source of life/joy, as colors are generally associated with life and love. By being the only colorful thing, the people are meant to connect the posters with positive things. In short, they are a form of propaganda, but not the only type seen in the book. The party slogan: WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH, is an example as

As seen in the villainization of whole groups of people in WW2, hate for an “other” can bring people together in a way that is easily malleable to a totalitarian government. In Nazi Germany, It was not uncommon for citizens to go about their day unbothered by the burning corpses at concentration camps. Similarly, in 1984 they turn the hanging of war criminals into a public spectacle, encouraging children to attend. On page 30 it reads, “‘Want to see the hanging! Want to see the hanging!’ chanted the little girl, still capering round. Some Eurasian prisoners, guilty of war crimes.” (Orwell 1949) Not only is the little girl excited about the hanging, but Winston (who does not want to go) seems to be unbothered, calling the people “Some Eurasian prisoners”. Even after Winston decides to go against the party, he still participates in hate week: Time dedicated to the public disgust of the enemy and praise of their