While we are being presented with thousands of decisions every day, we are being offered with very limited opportunities because those in power seek to limit the control we have of our lives and, on a wider scale, human existence is doomed to the same fate. In “1984”, the government strips away free will in order to maintain power and control over their citizens.
Totalitarianism, as portrayed in George Orwell's 1984, and seen in real-life instances, has a profound effect on individuals' free will, often leading to the suppression of personal freedoms and the restriction of choice, ultimately resulting in the loss of autonomy and individuality.
Systems, such as totalitarianism, the government employs various methods, such as propaganda, censorship, and surveillance, to suppress free will and manipulate individuals into conforming to the regime's ideals. This ultimately binds citizens to fate, where these individuals’ actions and decisions are predetermined, as opposed to being a product of their free will. One of the most significant ways in which totalitarianism prevents free will is through the control of information and history. As the quote from George Orwell's 1984 states, "Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past." Totalitarian regimes rewrite history to suit their own narrative and suppress dissenting opinions, leaving citizens with limited knowledge and understanding of the past. This lack of information
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By exerting complete control over every aspect of citizens' lives, the government suppresses individuality and autonomy, leaving individuals with a sense that their actions and decisions are predetermined and inevitable. As a result, individuals may feel that they have no control over their lives and are merely following a predetermined