ipl-logo

Illusion Of Knowledge In George Orwell's Book 1984

1277 Words6 Pages

“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge” - Stephen Hawking. People tend to believe they know more than they really do. They turn to the news, books, music, or even art to learn about the world surrounding them. What people don’t understand is everything you learn from the media is being told by another person just like yourself. Someone with feelings and emotions and most likely a different opinion and agenda than most people. Can people truly trust the sources they are given? In George Orwell’s book 1984, the citizen’s in Oceania are given this illusion of knowledge in order to leave them ignorant of what is truly happening around them and instill a common enemy and we can see this happening in The United States today. They can not trust their sources, so can we? In 1984’s dystopian society The Party control’s all information given to the public. They have the power to alter the past, future and present. “The Party said that Oceania had never been in alliance with Eurasia. He, Winston Smith, knew that Oceania had been in alliance with Eurasia as short a time as four years ago. But where did that knowledge exist? Only in his own consciousness, which in any case must soon be annihilated.”(Orwell). …show more content…

Throughout 1984 we see this illusion of knowledge and how this has affected the people of Oceania. Having the illusion makes it easier to manipulate and have control over people's thoughts and emotions. Controlling media outlets and installing common enemies is something that The United States does today. Through Operation Northwoods we see both controlling information and common enemies. In both The United States today and Oceania depriving knowledge is the best way to control the

Show More
Related
2265 Words | 10 Pages

A great example is the Chinese government. The way that China handled COVID-19 can relate to how the Party in 1984 controls the minds of the people. China's leader Xi Jinping had a signature policy called zero Covid there goal was “propaganda campaign to rewrite the public’s memory”(Nicole) The quote suggest that china is trying to manipulate and alter history, Propaganda just like in 1984 is hiding the past and can go back to the quote used before from George Orwell's novel “"The past was erased, the erasure was forgotten, the lie became the truth." (Page 95)

Read More
868 Words | 4 Pages

In many ways this phenomenon has roots deeper than the media. In her book “Argument Culture”, Deborah Tannen discusses how western society 's need for conflict has shaped the way that information is presented. The societal belief that

Read More
284 Words | 2 Pages

Throughout part two of the novel 1984 written by George Orwell, the author incorporated the psychological lens. Orwell was able to do this by psychologically manipulating the characters by not only the use of Big Brother but also by the cameras that have been placed everywhere, and the Thought Police reporting thoughtcrime. George Orwell conveyed this lens by mentioning “This was, that the message did not come from the Thought Police at all, but from some kind of underground organization” (Orwell 107). An analyzation of this quote is that the author is keeping his readers thinking, but also having Winston’s mind running knowing that he has been with this girl named Julia who could be a part of the police. The purpose of this lens is so that

Read More
1361 Words | 6 Pages

From a young age, humans learn that truth comes from authority. This concept is addressed in the dystopian novels 1984 by George Orwell and Anthem by Ayn Rand when they convey the possibilities of a totalitarian society. The controlling governmental figure in 1984, Big Brother, uses psychological torture to convince his citizens that life is better when he is in charge. In Anthem, the society has reverted to times before electricity and everyone is convinced through their loss of information that individual thought, even if it is to advance society, is dangerous. Regardless of both novels differing, they are unified through their author’s warning that the destruction of individualism by the government can quell the growth and progress of humankind.

Read More
1387 Words | 6 Pages

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,

Read More
1008 Words | 5 Pages

Oceania, where war is peace, slavery is freedom, and ignorance is strength. In this dystopian society the majority is controlled by the minority and they have complete authority over not only the people but the past future and their minds. Oceania does many things to control the minds and actions of its population. These issues include the hiding of history, the creation of enemies, and the control through silencing and tricking the people.

Read More
983 Words | 4 Pages

When a government knows that its people are ignorant and dependent on them, it will do whatever it wants which most likely takes advantage of its people. That exactly happened in 1984. Therefore, we need to take Orwell’s warning seriously by receiving our news and information from more than one source. Most importantly, we can never become dependent on the ones that govern

Read More
819 Words | 4 Pages

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.

Read More
870 Words | 4 Pages

Government Manipulation in 1984 People generally rely on the government as a source of protection and stability. However, the government does not always have the citizens’ best interests in mind, as shown in 1984. The government has the power to distort realities and the ability to detect the truth. They can manipulate, or influence people’s minds without them even knowing. George Orwell’s 1984 uses a futuristic dystopia to show how the government is able to manipulate human values through the use of fear.

Read More
1052 Words | 5 Pages

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.

Read More
1182 Words | 5 Pages

Physical versus Psychological tactics in 1984 Is it possible that the nursery rhyme “Sticks and Stones” is a common misconception? The children’s rhyme states that “ 'Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me”. Although sticks and stones may break bones, the bones usually heal. However, words can have a lifetime impact on people. In 1984, slogans and manipulation of language scar citizens more than the Party’s physical control.

Read More
853 Words | 4 Pages

In 1984, a dystopian novel written by George Orwell, proles are represented as being generally incompetent in the ability to think and rebel against their stolen rights. However, as the story progresses, Winston comes to a realization that proles are the only ones with the character of human beings and the strength to gain consciousness to overthrow the party. Through this characterization of the proles, Orwell satirizes the detrimental effects of Stalin’s totalitarian government in employing total control and perpetual surveillance of the people in USSR to maintain an established hierarchy. The nature of how the system views the proles is clearly visible through the treatment and description of the proles in the eyes of Winston.

Read More
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
1664 Words | 7 Pages

Thesis: In the novel “Nineteen Eighty-Four”, “Newspeak” and various other principles, are implemented by the Party in order to manipulate and diminish the people’s thoughts, so as to fulfill its own political agendas. The Party is able to diminish the people’s thoughts, as the Newspeak language only comprises of words that are relevant to particular concepts and subject areas that the Part approves of. Additionally these have been given only “one rigid definition” [Pg 53, Part I, Section V].

Read More
688 Words | 3 Pages

As human beings, it has become very easy to fall into a trap of being mindlessness. When we read or hear something, we often accept the information as true because we do not go as far as verifying the information we received. Everything we hear on TV or read online is only one piece of the puzzle, by not looking at the bigger picture we succumb ourselves to the “single story catastrophe,” Chimamanda Adichie spoke about. A single story is powerful, it influences and creates our perception of cultures we are not tied to. People become close minded and only focus on the single story they were told or heard about.

Read More

More about Illusion Of Knowledge In George Orwell's Book 1984

Related Topics

Open Document