ipl-logo

George Orwell Abuse Of Power 1984

2750 Words11 Pages

Making Connections - Abuse of Power Nineteen-eighty-four is a compelling dystopian novel by George Orwell that explores the ideas behind power, and the damaging effects it can have when abused to control. Nineteen-eighty-four is set in the city of Oceania, which is under the oppressive government regime of the party Big Brother, which maintains control of its citizens through constant surveillance via telescreens and Thought Police. One resident who lives in this society is Winston, who is grappling with the absolutist society he is a part of, the story follows him on his journey as he embarks on a rebellion to free himself from the confines of Big Brother and the party. This story was written to highlight Orwell's critique of political abuse …show more content…

The male theme in The Handmaid's tale is an abuse of power over the trust people have in government and the abuse of power over women’s autonomy. Choosing to take a more female-focused view of dystopian society compared to nineteen eighty-four. Atwood is renowned for her feminist approach to writing, Atwood's protagonists are almost always female meaning she provides a deep and compelling review of how men have abused power structures to actively oppress women. The abuse of power in The Handmaid's tale is portrayed through the way Offred and the other women are manipulated. A quote that focuses on and unpacks how the characters have been manipulated into believing the government system is liberating them. There is more than one kind of freedom, said Aunt Lydia. Freedom to and freedom from." Aunt Lydia is Offred's instructor, intended to mould her into the ideal handmaid. Her quote underscores how the regime abuses its power to instil twisted logic to justify its oppression of women. In this quote, Atwood uses the technique of repetition to get this further across in her writing, the repetition of the word “freedom” shows its

Show More
Related

How Does Orwell Create Abuse Of Power In 1984

568 Words | 3 Pages

1984 written by George Orwell is molded by his experiences with the Great Depression and Franklin Roosevelt’s plan to get out of it. Commonly referred to as the New Deal. Socialism a the key political doctrine which advocates control of every aspect of life to be controlled for the benefit of the society as a whole. Socialism breeds powerful leaders who guide the way and control large aspects of people's lives. This leads to an abuse of power.

Read More

Desire For Power In The Handmaid's Tale By Margaret Atwood

378 Words | 2 Pages

The desire for power is very prominent in The Handmaid’s Tale. In the Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, Atwood uses figurative language including, symbolism, diction, and dramatic irony to show multiple characters struggles with reproductive rights and the struggle of gaining power in the male dominated society; It is not always the lack of power that these characters, but the desire to not be underpowered. Offred is the main character in Handmaid’s Tale. The first struggle that is known right away is her name. Her name is forced upon her by others choosing.

Read More

Handmaid's Tale: Essay Drawing From An Interview With Margaret Atwood

1317 Words | 6 Pages

The Handmaid’s Tale: Essay Drawing from an interview with Margaret Atwood, it examines the author's intentions and motivations in writing The Handmaid's Tale through exploring her perspectives on feminism, how this novel connects back to real world events, and the dangers of authoritarian governments. In the beginning of Atwood’s interview, she discusses her views on feminism and how she decided to create a balance between the modern day beliefs through storytelling. For example, she makes note of more conservative views through the inclusion of Handmaids and how they live more isolated lives, through staying at home. This is obviously seen multiple times throughout the novel as Offred is isolated from the rest of the household, is under complete

Read More

The Handmaid's Tale By Margaret Atwood

574 Words | 3 Pages

Women must be respected. Equality for women is an essential and wonderful part of democracy. One of the themes present in Margaret Atwood’s novel The Handmaid’s Tale is that theocracy is unacceptable because it limits women’s rights. Atwood uses symbolism to communicate how the evil theocratic regime in the story is the antagonist against women.

Read More

Gender Roles In The Handmaid's Tale

173 Words | 1 Pages

In the dystopian novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood illustrates the consequences of suppressive gender roles and norms. Set in the 1990s, The Handmaid’s Tale takes the reader through the life of a woman serving as a handmaid for her final time. Through Offred’s narration, the rise of the Gileadean society and downfall of the American society is revealed. Offred’s responsibility as a fertile woman in Gilead is to be a handmaid and her only purpose is to conceive children. Offred soon gets comfortable in the new society because of her new commander which ultimately leads to her downfall.

Read More

The Handmaid's Tale By Margaret Atwood

1199 Words | 5 Pages

Handmaid’s are unable to retain any freedom or rights, stripped of their names and generalized as a whole group based on their “rare and hard to get”(Atwood,114) abilities. Of which will become, “Ordinary, said Aunt Lydia,.... This may not seem ordinary to you now, but after a time it will be "(Atwood,33) trying to

Read More

The Handmaid's Tale Power

1126 Words | 5 Pages

Margaret Atwood's didactic novel The Handmaid's Tale (1985) serves as a cautionary "tale" to warn readers about the destructive nature of power and oppression. Atwood portrays a dystopian totalitarian regime, Gilead, with a firm hierarchy motif where gender separation is established to reveal how an abuse of political power results in the oppression of individuals. Atwood uses her novel as an artistic tool to encourage the need for heightened political and social awareness by examining the way individuals are controlled through oppressive means, giving rise to a frightening loss of individualism and freedom. Hence, Atwood's novel communicates the dangers of a passive acceptance of power and oppression within societal and political movements

Read More

How Does Atwood Present The Feminism In The Handmaid's Tale

1550 Words | 7 Pages

Margaret Atwood’s Handmaid’s tale raises questions and presents the issues regarding feminism in society. Feminism is essentially the idea that there is to be equality between both sexes and has a primary focus on giving women more rights and freedoms to make women equal to men in society and is presented in the Handmaid’s Tale through an alternative lens: Gilead is a male-dominated society that challenges the presence of feminism. The Handmaid’s tale is set in a dystopian society that was previously the USA, where the previous society was rid of and became an entirely male-dominated society where the only purpose of women is to serve these men who rule. The novel, The Handmaid’s tale is a strong feminist text because although it challenges

Read More

Oppression In The Handmaid's Tale

1010 Words | 5 Pages

This chapter will deals with the resemblance of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale (1985) to Present societies. Atwood’s this novel has become increasingly relevant read in the today’s world we live in; situated in the republic of Gilead where rise in totalitarian theocracy which strips off women of their rights in near future. Atwood told in her recent interview that she made “Sure I wasn’t putting anything into it that human beings had not already done somewhere at sometime”, there are many components in the novel which can be found somewhere in the world. Female oppression today can be found everywhere around the world, example of oppression in the novel are: women are segregated into groups based on their social functions, women are

Read More

Theme Of Marxism In The Handmaid's Tale

2035 Words | 9 Pages

Works of literature often portray ideas relating to Marxist theory, this is why in a dystopian society, class distinctions dominate the social climate, using Marxist ideologies as a tool to define the lives of the narrator and those around her. In Margaret Atwood’s novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, ideologies from Marxist theory dominate the society in which Offred, the narrator, lives in, evidenced by the strict class systems and limited interaction between them. In writing the novel, Atwood makes a point to create a world that could exist using technology and ideas already accessible in today’s society, meaning the events that take place in The Handmaid’s Tale could happen in present day. Offred lives in a reality where class distinctions dominate society, and women, especially fertile women. These women are displaced downwards, although there are those women who attempt to resist the grip of society.

Read More

Essay On The Oppression Of Women In The Handmaid's Tale

1620 Words | 7 Pages

Throughout history, women have often been subjected to prejudice and an inferior status to men. Due to sexist ideologies of men believing that women are not capable of controlling their own lives, women have often been reduced to the status of property. This concept is prominent in many pieces of literature to demonstrate the struggles women have to go through in a predominantly, male structured world. In the novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood, the author illustrates a woman’s battle in an extreme society ruled by men to express the misogyny occurring in the time period when it was written, 1894. Benet’s Reader’s Encyclopedia summarizes Atwood’s story as one that “depicts one woman’s chilling struggle to survive in a society ruled by misogynistic fascism, by which women are reduced to the condition of property.”

Read More

The Power Of Power In George Orwell's 1984 By George Orwell

815 Words | 4 Pages

George Orwell’s 1984 has resonated with many who have experienced first-hand what life is like under a dictator. The novel describes how everything is controlled and monitored by the government and how even mere thoughts can be detected by ThoughtPolice. Readers get to experience Oceania’s system of ruling through the eyes of an Outer Party member, Winston Smith. At first, Winston is adamant to destroy The Party and its figurative leader Big Brother, but eventually is captured and converted into a lover of Oceania’s system of government. Children, although not playing a significant role in this book, are mentioned as devious little spies.

Read More

Femininity In The Handmaid's Tale

1008 Words | 5 Pages

cultural constructs of femininity, identity, and the extent of government control. The story explores the affects social and political trends have on society. The Handmaid’s Tale evaluates gender roles and the subjugation of women. Atwood’s use of aphorisms, symbolism, and allusions urges readers to examine the juxtaposition of cruelty and vulnerability in femininity.

Read More

The Power Of Power In George Orwell's 1984

1684 Words | 7 Pages

In George Orwell’s novel 1984 Orwell gives the reader a preview of a negative utopia. Big Brother, being the Government of Oceania holds all the power. Orwell conveys Big Brother to the Governments today. Orwell also shows the reader to rethink how their government is being run and or if they 're having too much power. Orwell makes the reader realize that their government has power it should not be having.

Read More

A Room Of One's Own

903 Words | 4 Pages

The ideas presented in Virginia Woolf's article A Room of One’s Own, have been the building blocks for many feminist theorists. Among these theorist Rosi Braidotti, expands on various key points brought forward in Woolf's essay. Among these concepts, there is a strong criticism of the patriarchal binary system of sexes present in London. Rosi Braidotti analysis this in particular in reference to her first levels of sexual difference. This essay will look at how this insight first formulated by Woolf is addressed by Braidotti, as well as evaluate the value of the revision in terms of its contribution to feminism today.

Read More

More about George Orwell Abuse Of Power 1984

Open Document