Kaci Velardi
Mr. Sample
Honors English 1
20 March 2023
Title
Fear is the main component that controls each and every one’s life daily, whether it is forced upon a person or the natural fear that people condone. In 1984 the people of Oceania were extremely brainwashed and would do anything for Big Brother who controls every aspect of the people’s lives. The people are under constant surveillance without choice and the government can destroy any evidence of people ever existing. In 1984 George Orwell uses characterization to show the ignorance of the people is the strength of the government. The parents in Oceania are faced with a truly terrifying reality that their children could turn on them quicker than their own worst enemy. In the novel,
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Throughout a large part of the novel Oceania is seen to be at war with Eurasia. During one of the hate weeks it is announced that Oceania is at war with Eastasia. No one questioned or second guessed this claim, instead they began tearing down posters and banners that the square was decorated with. Although, for the past months they had definitely been at war with Eurasia, that never happened. The next day the square would be covered in posters about East Asia because they are at war with East Asia, not Eurasia. Eurasia would be out of sight, out of mind and no one would think twice (Orwell 181). The people being so convinced and ignorant made it easy for the Party to quickly “change their mind” on who they are at War with. If no one questioned it, how could the government be wrong? When Winston was at work one day, one of his comrades, Syme, began speaking outwardly about newspeak and saying slightly questionable things… The next day he was not at work and a few air-headed people questioned why Syme was not present. But the day after that no one expressed concern or confusion with Syme’s absence. Another day after that Winston decided to scurry down to the vestibule of the Records Department to find the list of Chess Committee participants as he knew Syme was a member of. When Winston found the list he failed to find Syme’s name. Orwell writes, “It looked almost exactly as it had looked before, nothing had been crossed out, but it was one name shorter. It was enough, Syme had ceased to exist; he had never existed.” This is a huge indicator that the dullness of the people allows the government to have an extreme amount of power thanks to manipulation that they have