Similarities Between Salem Witch Trials And 1984

Similarities Between 1984 and The Salem Witch Trials

Sydney Bickett Honors Literature II Mr. Spalding 7 May 2024

Imagine living in a society where anyone could be thrown in jail or condemned to death with only a shred of proof. This type of society can be seen in the novel, 1984 by George Orwell, and the historical event of the Salem Witch Trials. Although these two appear to contrast and come from different periods, they share multiple ideologies and similarities. While one is about a totalitarian government and one is about false accusations, they can be compared to common themes seen throughout each event. The “1984” and the Salem Witch Trials compare because they each explore the themes of control, abuse of power, and manipulation.

This took control over their thoughts, actions, and lives just because they could. Hidden cameras were watching every aspect of their lives and they did not even know or realize it. Another way the government abused its power was by altering history. A regular job to have in the novel was working in the Ministry of Truth. This job entailed changing any published writing to make the Party and Big Brother sound like they were the reason for every good thing. If a civilian accomplished something and it was published, one would have to completely change it to make it seem like the Party was the one who did it. Another time history could be altered was if someone had been vaporized. If, for some reason, someone was published anywhere in Oceania who had since been vaporized, they would be erased from the publishing society. “1984” shows multiple examples of abuse of power throughout the government, while the Salem Witch Trials showed power being abused in the legal systems. During this time, it was considered a felony if you were suspected of witchcraft. The Salem Witch Trials happened under the guidance of the law, which is one of the reasons these trials were so public and brutal. If a “witch”

For example, one way to prove your innocence in front of the court is to cite the Lord’s Prayer from memory. No mess-ups or even stutters were allowed. If one occurs, you will be thrown in jail. But, if you could recite the prayer, it wasn’t actually from your memory; it was because the Devil was whispering it into your ear. Both “1984” and the Salem Witch Trials show multiple examples of how power was abused within their societies and how they can be compared to this shared theme. The events of the Salem Witch Trials and the novel “1984” can be seen as similar by their similarities in control and abuse of power, as shown. But, they also share a theme of manipulation. In “1984”, manipulation was prevalent in almost every chapter. The government manipulated all of society into believing that they had to listen to Big Brother and that the correct and best form of society was one with a totalitarian government. “1984” shows a type of physiological manipulation where the government can control their society by brainwashing citizens to make sure no one can challenge their power. An example of this in the novel can be seen in the act of “The Two Minutes of Hate.” Every day at the same time, a siren would sound and everyone would