George Orwell 1984 Analysis

The reality, as we know it, is something real that we face every day. Does anyone have the means to alter the life you have been facing? Can anyone change your beliefs? Possibly with persuasive elements. However, can someone physically make you believe in something through the means of control and threat?

In “1984”, written by George Orwell, introduced the concept of an authoritarian tyrannical government in a futuristic setting, where the authorities alter the lives and beliefs of citizens residing in their domain. If the citizens choose to disobey the ideals of Big Brother, the main figment of authority, they face severe consequences, one of them involves being utterly erased from existence. The most astonishing part of Orwell’s work is

“Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows.” (Orwell, Pg. 81). The authority figures in the world of Big Brother know that people are a major threat, especially those who seem to be inquisitive. They use numerous restricting laws to restrain a person and have them participate in repetitive activities to ensure security and develop a set mindset for the citizens. How does a dictatorship exactly work? How does it prosper in Oceania and in our society? According to The Logic of Authoritarian Bargains by Anders Olofsgård, Raj M. Desai, and Tarik M. Yousef, repression is one of the reasons for dictatorship success. There is also a bargain, where the government has absolute power in exchange they will give something back to the citizens. Oceania cannot be ruled by repression alone, or the citizens would have just obeyed Big Brother out of pity. Then again authoritarian governments have a vigorous military and arsenal and they have the physical power to command people. People do indeed do as they are told to avoid danger and confrontation. Another way to sustain an authoritarian rule would be a

There is a type of intrinsic behavior among humans, which is the need to belong somewhere. In “1984” everyone seems to either belong or want to belong to Oceania under the rules of Big Brother. Even Winston, determined to stray from the “pure” and controlled lifestyle, wanted to belong somewhere. The memories and nightmares he reminisces about his mother and sister is a minuscule portion of wanting to belong in a place where he is content; he knows his true identity and the purpose of Big Brother’s world (Orwell, Pg. 161-163). Is this the tradeoff between Big Brother and the citizens of Oceania? Big Brother give rules and some sort of faux identity as well as the lifestyle so the people will feel they belong and avoid rejection? Orwell portrayed this particular human behavior and was able to relate it to people living today! Humans evolved to be social creatures, as it says in What is the Need to Belong by Kendra Cherry, “The need to belong in a group can also lead to changes in behavior, beliefs, and attitudes as people strive to conform to the standards and norms of the group.”(Cherry, What is the Need to Belong) However, conformity does not include the change in one’s internal