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Examples Of Individualism In George Orwell's '1984'

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During Winston’s hours of torture and questioning, O’Brien described the future of Oceania and its citizens as being equivalent to a boot continuously stomping down on a face. He preceded this by explaining the steps already taken in order to destroy humanity and individualism including breaking the ties of friendship, disrupting the love between a man and woman, and perhaps most frightening of all, creating distrust between children and their parents. Ultimately the boot crashing down on the human face is a symbol for what the Party plans to do: continue crushing the individual human spirit into being a thoughtless body that is able to be manipulated into anything the party wants it to be. The strange thing though is that O’Brien seems to be preaching collectivity but in actuality he supports the individual. Note the word “the”. To him there is only one individual, the Party, and to expand the power of this one individual others must be sacrificed. As a result of this belief held by Party members, enemies must be in constant supply. Furthermore, having enemies for those to despise creates a deeper sense of unity and allows for …show more content…

Without a doubt 1984 reflects these countries and their politics. This can especially be seen when O’Brien states, “The more the Party is powerful, the less it will be tolerant; the weaker the opposition, the tighter the despotism,” -Volume 1, Chapter 3, Page 221. Despotism is defined as being a form of government in which a despot, a single entity, exercises absolute power in an oppressive or cruel way. In this case the despot would be Big Brother or the inner Party members. Basically their cruelty is an unending cycle that will continue to grow stronger as opposition rises because the enemy will be fought against by the

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In the novel, “1984,” by George Orwell the main character, Winston is in a country that is in a war, but they’re also under the control of a government that is very strict and controls the lives of its citizens. In the novel it says that the Televisions in everyone house is set to watch and hear everyone’s conversations. I believe that they are just paranoid to the point where they think they are being constantly watched because they are met with propaganda and posters that say, “Big Brother Is Watching.” In the novel the Two Minute Hate group is where people are manipulated and are told to hate a man named Goldstein and all enemies of Big Brother. Two Minute Hate is an example of Groupthink because Groupthink is kind of like peer pressure

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1693 Words | 7 Pages

In the novel “1984” by George Orwell, nonconformity throughout a society is presented through the point of view of its main character, Winston. In Oceania, the society is heavily ran by their government. “Big Brother” is a closed party which always watches the people of Oceania as a way to keep control. They work to keep the people in check and fear them in order for them to be more easily manipulated. Creativity and any form of individuality is practically forbidden due to the government’s fear of being overthrown.

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This nightmare is becoming more like our own because of our need to act within the boundaries of society. People think that they need to agree with everyone else just so they will be liked. People want to be accepted and might change or be forced to fit the ideal image of what society wants them to be. This in turn creates a society which has one or two basic ideas. Some basic examples from 2016 consist of Democrats and Republicans, optimists and pessimists, lastly the followers and the leaders.

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934 Words | 4 Pages

Winston Smith, Hero or Not? George Orwell’s 1984 is a dystopian novel, meaning the society fails to recognize human decency, shows a world where people suffer in the hands of others, and takes place in an isolated environment. The protagonist, Winston Smith (thirty-nine-year-old from the Outer Party), is portrayed somewhat controversial throughout the novel in the discussion of him being a hero or not. Due to Smith being in the Outer Party, the reader assumes he grew up in a middle or lower class family. Orwell’s definition of being a hero is ordinary people, doing whatever they can to change social systems that do not respect human decencies, even with the knowledge that they might not succeed.

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781 Words | 4 Pages

On December 16, 1773, after months of suppression of taxes, finally the people of boston, rebelled against the governing party. They had so much individualism that they were not used and they didn’t like the idea that the British were making them pay more for their tea so because of that, the people used their individuality to work together to rebel, just as Winston and Julia used their individuality to rebel against their governing party. In 1984 by George Orwell, Winston Smith, a man in his mid 40’s, lead a lonely, rebellious life, living in Oceania, until he met Julia, who he believed to be his true love. Together, they rebel against their governing power, the Party or Big Brother, but in the end, both Winston and Julia and end up getting caught.

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1032 Words | 5 Pages

Corruption. Poverty. Terrorism. These are things most people say will cause society to fall apart if they are not contained or suppressed by the government, but in George Orwell’s 1984, none of these problems are a concern of the overbearing government known as the Party; instead, there is only one characteristic--one fatal flaw with the power to tug on that first string and cause the entire Party to unravel: individuality. In the book the character Winston, who is not blinded by the government’s propaganda, purposefully refuses to conform as an act of rebellion.

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624 Words | 3 Pages

Humans have many unique attributes that they are associated with, however, this can be generalized by their emotions, morals, and actions. To Orwell, these attributes may build character, but they do not make humans “perfect beings”. To be human is to be able to take risks for others and be ultimately prepared for defeat. This journey is what one takes to stay human and die as human. Unfortunately, the Party systematically dehumanizes the mass majority for power and success.

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529 Words | 3 Pages

In the novel 1984 by George Orwell, cruelty is commonly used by the party to gain power over the nation of Oceania, which is used to create the overall theme of totalitarianism. The cruelty throughout the novel, which is seen in moments such as; when Winston, the main character, catches himself going against the ideals of the party, when Winston and Julia, Winston’s love interest, get caught together, and when Winston is sent to Room 101. This shows that cruelty creates a basis of fear in each person throughout the work as a whole. In the beginning of the novel Winston constantly finds himself committing thoughtcrime, which is when someone thinks of something that does not “align” with what the Party says.

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Joseph Goebbels once said,”Propaganda works best when those who are being manipulated are confident they are acting on their freewill”. This statement is proven to be true in 1984. The author, George Orwell, creates a fictional dystopian society in which the population is manipulated into thinking they live in a great world, whereas the government has full control over them. In 1984, George Orwell’s prime message, supported by the article called Liberty in North Korea by Hae Re, was the lack of individualism gives power to the applicable leader, which is conveyed using the characters speech and symbolism. Orwell’s dystopian society showed the author 's message through what a character was saying and symbolism.

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Conformity can often be a complicated subject when it’s perceived in relation to individual pursuits and desires. In life, people may frequently experience difficulty when attempting to balance the need to succumb to their desires, and the need to conform to what society deems as acceptable. In George Orwell’s “1984”, the protagonist Winston is used to represent the effects of fear, the influence of others on our decisions, and excessive control over free will is used to convey the inner conflict experienced when a person has to choose between two oppositional ideas; personal desire and conformity. Firstly, it would be fairly logical to make the assumption that a person has free will over their identity and the choices they make, however

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1018 Words | 5 Pages

On the Fallibility of Human Individuality The way of man is to err. This truth cannot be denied, even with the most innate valor of individuality. George Orwell’s 1984 and Solomon Asch’s 1955 line conformity experiment illustrate the fallibility of human individuality. George Orwell’s society of Oceania is one in which individuality is always subdued and conformity is inevitable for every individual.

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1446 Words | 6 Pages

Sex creates an extremely exclusive bond between two individuals; it’s an unspoken contract of trust and love. Not only are sexual experiences private, but they also fulfill humanity’s instinctual desire and promote individuality. However, when this intimacy is either erased or condemned by society, individuals lose touch with that vital part of their humanity and individuality. In 1984 by George Orwell, sexuality plays an important role in both Oceania’s totalitarian government and Winston’s rebellion against his oppressors; as he explores his sexuality, Winston revolts against the Party’s manipulative political control, the destruction of individuality, the absence of human connection, and the practice of sexual puritanism.

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1104 Words | 5 Pages

In the dystopian society of “1984” by George Orwell, INGSOC, the totalitarian governing party of Oceania rules all. Through the destruction of individualism, INGSOC with the help of “Big Brother” blurs all signs of separation between religion and state, and in the end, even the ability to conceptualize this collapse is made impossible through “doublethink.” The party has created such a tightly monitored and cultivated society so deeply ingrained in the people that they rule, the ritualistic nature of required daily habits paired with even personal thought being regulated creates an almost religion surrounding Big Brother. Through “1984” we discover how a society can be established and maintained through destroying the concepts of religion and secularity, individualism, and intentional struggles.

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578 Words | 3 Pages

American actor, Elijah Woods brought the idea that “... being different [and] going against the grain of society is the greatest thing in the world.” George Orwell portrays three different archetypes going against the grain of society in one way or another in 1984. Orwell depicts the following archetypes: Winston as hero, Julia as temptress, and O’Brien as sage. Winston enhances the characteristics of the hero archetype in 1984.

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1404 Words | 6 Pages

The idea of freedom in 1984 In modern politics, we are very accustomed to word such as “fake news.” Politicians use statistics and make statements that are not based in any facts, present them as hard evidence for their stances, and watch as people instantly believe what they say, simply because they are in a position of power. That is why George Orwell’s novel, 1984, is more relevant today than it ever has been before. In the past, people have viewed this novel as simply a story, a different look at how history could have been changed.

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