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The Power Of The Past In George Orwell's 1984

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In the novel 1984, George Orwell enlightens us on a dystopian society. A society where Big Brother has found power in an ever changing past and present; resulting in a subjective truth. The book teaches us that the role of the past provides evidence for the meaning of the present. Our society may be informed of history but without the ability to connect our own past to the present, change will never be possible. Knowledge of the past means nothing without the ability to apply it to the present. As a society we are taught in school that without the knowledge of history we are doomed to repeat it. However the book teaches us that there needs to be true connection. People need a reason and meaning for the present. Without reason and meaning …show more content…

In the novel Winston is on a mission to find those that also see a problem in the society of Big Brother. Winston has a desire to change the way the society of Big Brother is. He only truly finds this possible in the Brotherhood. All the work of the Brotherhood secures its power through knowledge of the past. In The Book passed through the Brotherhood, we are given the entail that the Brotherhood finds its way not through public community justice but by continuing to have the same general knowledge, goal, and successfully concealing it through the party. In the Big Brother society, the way of the Brotherhood is how 1984 teaches us change can be made possible in the most extreme conditions. Those in the Brotherhood are all made to read The Book so that they all are secure in an objective truth of the past. We can see this in the present United States. It is not always those who riot publicly, who bring about change. It is those who stay true to one belief, one past, do not argue its relevance, but do all they can to keep their knowledge of an issue known and alive. Having one truth alive and consistent, is justice in the Big Brother …show more content…

The ability of history to be repeated and past down is through diction. I mentioned earlier in the essay that 1984 teaches us there needs to be a true connection of the past to the present. The only way this is possible is through thought, discussion, and connection. The party knows this. This leads to the creation of Newspeak. Winston tells us that, “the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought…” (Orwell 52). 1984 teaches that diction is important in connecting the past to the present. We see this today in our society, in the manipulation of advertisement. Whether the product has been seen in the past to not work. The beauty of advertisement is they can slap a new label on it and it is brand new, never seen before. Advertising is meant to be limited in word and solely persuasive so that we are unable to think for ourselves and have no knowledge of its past. But we have no clue so we blindly make purchases, insecure of the truth. Leading to an extreme example like the proles. People who are unable to think for themselves or represent any sort of change or justice because they have no secure

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In essence, reducing the vocabulary of a language is a powerful tool that has the power to control the way people think and communicate. Overall, 1984 exhibits the struggle against propaganda, the manipulation of history and language, and the Party's ultimate aim of complete control over

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