Examples Of Totalitarianism In 1984 By George Orwell

Introduction:

George Orwell: “War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength” … Yet, seven decades later, Orwell’s novel 1984, has remained relevant in our rapidly changing and ever-evolving world. Whilst written in 1949, Orwell’s past still connects us to the present, immensely relating to our current diabolical socio-political statuses. Some may call his work prophetic… perhaps a spontaneous prediction of the future. I call it a warning… Good morning, my name is Nicole Morris, and today I will be speaking about the contentious issue of totalitarianism.

So, what is totalitarianism? Defined as “a subset of dictatorship in which nearly every aspect of public and private behaviour is regulated and governed”, totalitarianism has the power

Manipulation to believe in war, which completely aligns with The Party’s introductory contradictory statement - “war is peace”. This suggests that to attain peace one must tolerate the horrors of war. Where members of the society are depicted as “a nation of warriors and fanatics, marching forward in perfect unity, all thinking the same thoughts and shouting the same slogans, perpetually working, fighting, triumphing, persecuting”, people blindly just follow The Party. Sounds familiar though… remember what happened between 1933 to 1939? Nazism’s massive use of propaganda placed an emphasis on paramilitary activities for youth. Similarly, to 1984, this propaganda exploited ordinary people, Germans, by encouraging them to be co-producers of a false reality; instead, this time imposed by Hitler (IWM, 2023). As a result of such manipulative propaganda, arguably the most destructive conflict in human history, WWII, was facilitated. Hitler, obsessed with the idea of the superiority of “pure” Germans, believed that war was necessary for the German race to expand, enforcing the “Aryan ideal” to all citizens (A+E Networks, 2023). The detrimental consequences of WWII include an extensive loss of identity for Jews because of the immense fear instilled by Hitler’s totalitarian regimes. Auschwitz survivor, human rights activist and Noble Peace prize awardee Elie Wiesel proclaimed “Never shall I forget the little faces of the children,

North Korea, one of the most repressive countries in the world has ‘threats of execution, arbitrary punishment of crimes, detention and forced labour’ to instil and maintain fear among Koreans (CFR, 2018). Under the power of Kim Jung Un, all our basic liberties such as freedom of expression, religion, political opposition and media are ceased. Kim imposes rigid censorship and surveillance (Stachowski, 2020). If the government is opposed, individuals are forced to secretive prison camps where they suffer torture. Just as outlined in 1984: “Fear of collective punishment is used to silence dissent” is similarly employed in North Korea (HRW, 2020). Therein, the last contradictory motto in 1984: “ignorance is strength” silences citizens. 1984 implements the concept of Thought Police and mass surveillance to make sure every citizen is loyal to The Party and to crush nonconformity, where “eyes are always watching ... Asleep or awake, indoors or out of doors, in the bath or bed—no escape. Nothing was your own except the few cubic centimetres in your skull.”. Arnold Fang, Amnesty East Asia Researcher says that ‘The absolute control of communications is a key weapon in the authorities’, suggesting how surveillance restricts people (Amnesty International, 2016). Consequently, Orwell’s warning of totalitarianism and slavery proves relevant