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1984 totalitarianism
1984 totalitarianism
Aspects of totalitarianism in 1984
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More handpicked essays just for you.
1984 totalitarianism
1984 totalitarianism
Aspects of totalitarianism in 1984
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
In the novel 1984, outward conformity is crucial to the survival of the citizens of Oceania. One character in particular who practices this extremely well is the main character, Winston Smith. He not only conforms outwardly, but also questions his society inwardly, due to the overhanging fear that Miniluv will find and torture him. Winston constantly questions Big Brother and all of the laws that the citizens of Oceania are required to obey while also inwardly questioning his forbidden romance with Julia. Without this rising tension throughout the novel, 1984 would lose its suspenseful tone and would easily lose the focus of readers.
From Orwell’s novel, “1984”, it can be determined that his opinion on the most powerful means of control by the government would be the government’s use of fear to instill paranoia among the people. One powerful piece of corroboration for fear to paranoia would be Oceania’s obvious, and constant, use of technology to fulfill this goal. Take, for instance, the telescreens. Because of their existence in every buildings’ rooms and corners, they can be easily used to keep an eye on party members, and if need be, used to track their location and arrest them. Winston experiences the surveillance inflicted by the government during one of his daily workouts,as right when he stopped trying in order to ponder the conspiracies surrounding the party,
The human psyche, an incredibly complicated part of us, which science still has yet to explain. We only have some insight to what our conscious and unconscious minds hold for us, though theses insights are merely theories. Friedrich Nietzsche; a German philosopher, composer, poet, philologist and cultural critic, came up with an idea called the will to power. Nietzsche argues that we, as humans, exercise power over others either to benefit them or to do harm. In addition, he also contrasts between “master morality” and “slave morality”, which by creating values, imposing them on people, and judging the world based on these values, is a noteworthy way to express the will of power.
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.
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.
Eric Wills Themes Easily, the largest theme that comes through in 1984 from start to finish is psychological control is the way to a totalitarian government. By controlling the minds of the people who are in their country, they can keep everyone in check with no chance of revolution. The Party, or the main government has a motto. It goes, “Those who control the past, control the future: who controls the present controls the past.” (32).
One of the most notable themes in 1984 is George Orwell’s depiction of conformity. Conformity means to behave in accordance with socially acceptable conventions. In 1984, the party sets laws and brings in technology that forces the population into conforming. This is done so that they can control the population easier, and manipulate them into believing the party’s ideals. To do this, they firstly make everyone wear the same clothes, eat the same food, and live in the same conditions.
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.
George Orwell’s 1984 is a precautionary tale of what happens when the government has too much control in our lives. The protagonist, Winston Smith, is at odds in a world in which he is not allowed to counter the government’s surveillance and control. Perhaps more striking is the noticeable relationship between the novel and modern society. In George Orwell’s novel 1984 the book predicts the surveillance of Big Brother in modern day societies.
In George Orwell’s novel 1984, a totalitarian society is described by the main character Winston Smith. Winston experiences exactly what the government does to those who do not believe in the party, those who want to and those who do rebel against the party. After Winston and Julia get caught in Mr. Charrington’s room by the thought police they are both sent to the Ministry of Love to be tortured until they are “pure”. The government seems to be brainwashing these individuals until their mind is a blank sheet of paper then they can begin writing whatever they want that individual needs to know, which is very minimal. Some may ask is it possible for a government to control the minds of its citizens so much that they no longer believe scientific
When Faced With Tyranny When one is faced with an oppressive government, they can lose control over all aspects of their daily lives. It is also easy for one to lose authority over themselves when faced with a stronger force. What might one’s response be when they possess little to no control over their lives? Many people may blindly follow society, but others might choose to disobey the rules. In 1984 by George Orwell, Winston Smith’s defiant nature and curious attitude display that one may turn to rebellion when faced with tyranny.
The Totalitarianism Theme and Denial of Free Will in Orwell’s 1984 “The aim of the Party was not merely to prevent men and women from forming loyalties which it might not be able to control. Its real, undeclared purpose was to remove all pleasure from the sexual act. Not love so much as eroticism was the enemy, inside marriage as well as outside it. All marriages between Party members had to be approved by a committee appointed for the purpose, and—though the principle was never clearly stated—permission was always refused if the couple concerned gave the impression of being physically attracted to one another. The only recognized purpose of marriage was to beget children for the service of the Party.
Living through the first half of the twentieth century, George Orwell watched the rise of totalitarian regimes in Germany, Italy, Spain, and the Soviet Union. Fighting in Spain, he witnessed the brutalities of the fascists and Stalinists first hand. His experiences awakened him to the evils of a totalitarian government. In his novel 1984, Orwell paints a dark and pessimistic vision of the future where society is completely controlled by a totalitarian government. He uses symbolism and the character’s developments to show the nature of total power in a government and the extremes it will go through to retain that power by repressing individual freedom and the truth.
Totalitarianism in 1984 and the Real World The concept of a totalitarian society is a major theme throughout the novel 1984. This theme of totalitarianism can also be applied to the world today. The definition of totalitarianism, a concept used by some political scientists, is a state which holds total authority over the society and seeks to control all aspects of public and private life wherever possible. Totalitarianism can be related between the novel 1984 and current events in the real world. George Orwell incorporated the theme of totalitarianism into his novel 1984 to display the ever changing world around him during the time it was written.
Fear is a psychological and physiological response to distressing or dangerous circumstances. Fears are often rational – the fear of death, for example, or of harm to oneself of those one cares about. Some fears are more irrational, such as phobias of certain animals or things not causing immediate danger. In any case, fear is a powerful response and causes someone to be weaker and more submissive. 1984 by George Orwell illustrates how fear, a natural human experience, can be used as a means for a person’s submission to authority, In the novel, Winston Smith, the protagonist, is a working-class citizen in a futuristic, dystopian London.