ipl-logo

The Role Of Individualism In George Orwell's '1984'

333 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Commentary On Orwell'S 1984

Every human being is born with the chance to be unique and individual; a quality that is vital to the survival of society. When people conform to be like everyone else they lose their sense of human spirit as it what makes the human species different. At the beginning of the novel when Winston is writing in his journal and actively rebelling he is unique and has his own thoughts, but as his story progresses his views change and the Party slowly succeeds in taking away his individuality. Winston continuously rebels and has his own beliefs and thoughts even though he knows that “the two aims of the Party are to conquer the whole surface of the earth and to extinguish once and for all the possibility of independent thought” (PAGE NUMBER). The
Show More
Related
2961 Words | 12 Pages

This thoughtcrime is what causes Winston to ponder these thoughts by himself and makes him more independent. Winston thinks about how everyone in Oceania is a corpse waiting to be sent to their grave because it is impossible to escape the thought police. (Orwell 97). The importance of individuality is represented through Winston’s thoughts. He knows what is wrong with the society he lives in which makes him different from all of the other people he lives with.

Read More
781 Words | 4 Pages

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.

Read More
1032 Words | 5 Pages

Corruption. Poverty. Terrorism. These are things most people say will cause society to fall apart if they are not contained or suppressed by the government, but in George Orwell’s 1984, none of these problems are a concern of the overbearing government known as the Party; instead, there is only one characteristic--one fatal flaw with the power to tug on that first string and cause the entire Party to unravel: individuality. In the book the character Winston, who is not blinded by the government’s propaganda, purposefully refuses to conform as an act of rebellion.

Read More
1012 Words | 5 Pages

Eventually, it becomes blatant that Winston cannot change society, nor what will happen to others, or to himself. As a result, it is evident that Winston has no control over his fate. Winston’s primary goal is to remove the power of the party, and his method of doing so is to maintain the hate for the party and commit acts that

Read More
1036 Words | 5 Pages

“Death. It doesn't have to be boring.” (Marry Roach, Stiff) Dead bodies aren’t supposed to tell stories, but in Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, Mary Roach reveals the beauty and purpose of human cadavers in a fun, intriguing, but respectful way. During my SOAR visit in spring of last year, it came to the part in our tour where we reached the cadaver lab.

Read More
404 Words | 2 Pages

The word humanity refers to the human race as a whole and the qualities that make us human, such as the ability to love and have compassion. In our modern world, we take human nature for granted, but in George Orwell’s 1984, he shows us a society in which there is no humanity, and those that fight for it die trying. The totalitarian government, known as the Party, uses isolation, fear, and lies to destroy the humanity in their citizens and maintain absolute power over Oceania.

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
1762 Words | 8 Pages

Totalitarian governments have consistently been searching for a method to obtain absolute power. It took Stalin years to find a system powerful enough to keep the people repressed until his downfall of the USSR. Hitler’s ideas were strong enough to maintain power for roughly ten years before he became to greedy. The required manner achieve power, to the extent of absolute control, is known to the party. The awareness of what needs to be done is the single distinguisher from past totalitarian governments that the party holds.

Read More
1018 Words | 5 Pages

That was his defining characteristic as an individual person; without it he was not Winston. However after going through his own unique torture, rats, in Room 101, Winston succumbed and “betrayed [Julia]” (Orwell 239). Only Winston’s conformity would have looked like this, and only Winston’s journey involved rats in Room 101. While there is not much research regarding the individual nature of conformity, important work has been done over the conditions and the nature of

Read More
1299 Words | 6 Pages

Eric Wills Themes Easily, the largest theme that comes through in 1984 from start to finish is psychological control is the way to a totalitarian government. By controlling the minds of the people who are in their country, they can keep everyone in check with no chance of revolution. The Party, or the main government has a motto. It goes, “Those who control the past, control the future: who controls the present controls the past.” (32).

Read More
867 Words | 4 Pages

Through the restrictions placed from the Party, the population of Oceania is forced into conforming. The cost of this is represented through Obrien explaining that there is a loss of beauty, of art, and no enjoyment of life. Individuality is shown through the development of Winston as a character. While meeting with Julia and expressing himself more, Winston becomes more of an individual rather than one of the other Party members. This initially has a positive affect on him, with the immediate increase in his health, however he eventually suffers deeply for it.

Read More
1446 Words | 6 Pages

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.

Read More
1404 Words | 6 Pages

The idea of freedom in 1984 In modern politics, we are very accustomed to word such as “fake news.” Politicians use statistics and make statements that are not based in any facts, present them as hard evidence for their stances, and watch as people instantly believe what they say, simply because they are in a position of power. That is why George Orwell’s novel, 1984, is more relevant today than it ever has been before. In the past, people have viewed this novel as simply a story, a different look at how history could have been changed.

Read More
1784 Words | 8 Pages

Totalitarianism in 1984 and the Real World The concept of a totalitarian society is a major theme throughout the novel 1984. This theme of totalitarianism can also be applied to the world today. The definition of totalitarianism, a concept used by some political scientists, is a state which holds total authority over the society and seeks to control all aspects of public and private life wherever possible. Totalitarianism can be related between the novel 1984 and current events in the real world. George Orwell incorporated the theme of totalitarianism into his novel 1984 to display the ever changing world around him during the time it was written.

Read More
878 Words | 4 Pages

In 1984, George Orwell writes about a dystopian society called Oceania with a totalitarian government. Winston, the main character, is an Outer Party member and works for the government who is under the rule of “Big Brother” and the Inner Party. The Party’s purpose is to rule Oceania with absolutism and have control over its citizens by using propaganda, censorship, and the brainwashing of children. Today, many modern-day countries use these techniques to maintain their power including: North Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Nazi Germany. First, North Korea and Oceania use propaganda to encourage patriotism to make themselves look better to citizens in order to keep a totalitarian rule.

Read More

More about The Role Of Individualism In George Orwell's '1984'

Related Topics

Open Document