The book 1984, written by George Orwell, acts as a warning against the fascist and controlling governments of the time. 1984 was published in 1949, only a few years after the conclusion of WW2, so it can be inferred that the war-obsessed, hyper-vigilant, no-tolerance policy world of 1984 was highly inspired by the climate of WW2. Since the novel is set in the future, (relative to its publication) it can also be viewed as a warning against extreme government types. Fascism, as described in the Britannica Dictionary, is, “a way of organizing a society in which a government ruled by a dictator controls the lives of the people and in which people are not allowed to disagree with the government”. The novel pushes the Idea of fascism to the extreme,
The novel 1984 by George Orwell depicts a dystopian society in which a single ruling party controls every aspect of its people's lives through different forms of propaganda. Winston, the main character of the novel, is a middle aged man who recounts the totalitarian society through his eyes. The Supreme leader of the ruling party, Big Brother, uses propaganda by not only posting his face around the land, but also by engraving children's minds with an allegiance to himself. In 1984 Winston makes the observation that “Nearly all children nowadays were horrible” due to the immense use of propaganda to brainwash them (Orwell 24).
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”.
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.
George Orwell wrote 1984 back in the midst of World War II, which is alluded to multiple times in the book. He discussed what this world might turn into if we do not take action against the European leaders. The book depicts a over-controlling government, referred to as the Party, which is constantly spying on the citizens of the dystopian society called Oceania. One of the Outer-Party members named Winston Smith realizes the wrongdoings of the government and starts to rebel against them. Throughout the entirety of 1984, Winston can be seen as a hero by his defiance against the Party, his hatred toward the Party, and how he may have sparked a rebellion.
In dystopian literature human rights are stripped away from the common population to ensure the maintenance of power from the government without the threat of rebellion. The lack of basic human rights in these societies prevent forming close relationships and force citizens to become extremely loyal to the government. Also by preventing the freedom of speech, these governments can easily promote their own propaganda without the threat of opposition. In the dystopian novels written by George Orwell and Margaret Atwood the survival of the structure of these societies are supported by the suppression of human rights. Self expression by definition is communicating your own inidividuality through clothing, hairstyle (etc.).
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.
In World War II, the increased aggression of the Axis Powers and further knowledge on their ideologies caused widespread fear across the world. This fascist threat from Germany, Italy, and Japan brought the powers of the Allied countries into the war to fight for their freedom. Ultimately, the Allies were victorious against fascism, and many people believed–and still believe–that fascism could never again exist in the modern age. This idea then begs the question: what would our world look like if fascism prevailed? Although this thought is distasteful to most, author George Orwell published his most popular novel in 1984 concerning this same prospect.
Imagine being followed everywhere by a government agent. They’re watching your every move, and they’ll report you if you even make a wrong facial movement. This is essentially the case in George Orwell’s novel, 1984. Run by an English socialist government called the Party, the people’s every move is watched through telescreens. Citizens are not individual, but rather an extension of the Party.
Patriotism is the love that people feel for their country; in the novel 1984, George Orwell consistently utilizes a three sentence slogan to illustrate a world with patriotism taken to the extremes. These sentences are “War is peace” where individuals accept the constant warring, “Freedom is slavery” where the people ignore their own thoughts, “Ignorance is strength” where the individuals blindly follows the Party’s orders. Through this slogan, Orwell describes a future where the ignorant and loyal prevail and support an endless war. The first phrase “War is peace” advocates war because it promotes patriotism and devotion to the country.
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.
In the novel 1984, George Orwell describes an ideal totalitarian state that is able to have ultimate control control over its party members. This state successfully governs the members by means of internal and external control of the people’s daily activities. The state leaves very little room for rebellion because the people of Oceania live in fear of being caught for not following the states ideologies. The following essay will examine both internal and external modes of control and how these relate to each other. Furthermore, the possibility of rebellion and liberation will be discussed.
By:Aman Parmar Internal conflict and strife affects people throughout their lives and the way an individual handles it may speak to who the character is, and how they view the people around them. In the book 1984 George Orwell created a world in which Winston, and many others lives are controlled by the party, resulting in fear, which may lead straight into conflict with themselves. Conflict between the characters and the party, and strife between O’Brien and Winston. The internal conflict and strife that is developed by the characters can lead to a certain thought or representation of an individual or group that can lead to two different outcomes, one in which makes the character understand, or the complete opposite, as they face challenges that they aren’t used to. Conflict between a person and themselves, can lead to both positive and negative thoughts of a person or a party, leading to realization, and the truth, and may also lead to believing what’s not the truth, regrets and overthinking.
In 1984, Orwell paints a nightmarish picture of a totalitarian system gone to the absolute extreme. He believed that totalitarianism and the corruption of language were connected and he integrated it into the novel by using language as the ultimate weapon of destruction. Big Brother uses the power of language to oppress, persuade and control the people of Oceania. The official language of Oceania is Newspeak, which the party use to control its subjects and outlaw subversive thoughts.
The Warwick debate provides approaches to the study of nationalism. It laid the foundation for the development of two approaches to the study of nationalism. The first approach is Smith’s primordial approach and the other is Gillnets modernist approach. Smith’s argument begins with the definition of nationalism and the difference between a state and a nation.
