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Totalitarianism In 1984

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1984, written by George Orwell, is a dystopian novel depicting a fictional, futuristic society ruled by a political force named the Party and its rather all-knowing leader, the Big Brother. The book features topics such as corrupted power, totalitarianism, psychological manipulation, and limited freedom - or a complete lack thereof. Overall, Orwell aims to satirize the political authority he witnessed in Spain, Germany and the Soviet Union in his time through social science fiction. The novel’s main character is Winston Smith, who initially comes off as an everyman of the society, working for the Ministry of Truth as revisioner who corrects historical events to reflect the Party favorably. In reality, he hides rebellious thoughts that are …show more content…

In Oceania, a fictional setting where the story takes place, propaganda is incorporated into the daily lives of its people. In fact, the ever-so repeated slogans of the Party are ‘War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength.’ At first, I had a difficult time understanding the contradicting nature of the sentences; however, after connecting them with the themes of the story, they became plausible. For the first slogan, the paradox comes from the fact that the people believe peace can only be maintained through warfare. Oceania is constantly at war, and the people are joyous when broadcasting systems announce victories in battles. As for the second slogan, I realized that they are pointing out how complete freedom leaves an individual to be exposed to their own weaknesses and vices, and preventing any action at all will institute one to a different interpretation of freedom. The last slogan, I believe, refers to the old proverb, ‘The truth is not always beautiful’. Lack of true knowledge keeps a person in the dark, and the Party would benefit from the ignorance of the citizens, as they do not know they are being manipulated by the Party. To summarize, these slogans ensure the citizens’ passive states, not to mention the Party’s continuing

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1984: Totalitarian Government

955 Words | 4 Pages

Marcelo Navarro Mr. duryea English 12 March 15, 2018 Inhumane The Book 1984 is a book based on a totalitarian government where the government has complete and total control over every aspect of someone's life. In 1984 you couldn't even have privacy in your own home, you would be under constant supervision and if you were caught doing something illegal the thought police would come and arrest you. In 1984 the government controlled its people through fear, the people of 1984 where always scared of being caught doing anything illegal and where also scared because the government would bomb itself saying that they were in a war. This book shows what could happen if people would let

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Examples Of Totalitarianism In 1984

380 Words | 2 Pages

Totalitarianism is a system of government that is centralized and dictatorial and requires complete subservience to the state. 1984 Is the concept of what a complete totalitarian government could’ve been. 1984 brings in multiple ideas and concepts that represent our current world, using Proles, Goldstein, Telescreens, and doublethink to represent this. An example of the poor/working class translated to both sides of this is the Proles, the Proles are the 85% of Oceania’s workforce. They are the physically strong, yet unconscious mass of people.

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Examples Of Totalitarianism In 1984

884 Words | 4 Pages

According to Merriam-Webster, totalitarianism is defined as “the political concept that the citizen should be totally subject to an absolute state authority.” This concept has been used in countries including North Korea, the Soviet Union, and Iraq, by the leaders, Kim Jong Un, Joseph Stalin, and Saddam Hussein, respectively. In addition, totalitarianism is a prevalent concept in George Orwell’s 1984, due to the repressive nature of the Party. This is exemplified in their use of censorship, indoctrination, secret police, and other methods of absolute control. The totalitarian government shown in North Korea, Iraq, the Soviet Union, as well as in George Orwell’s 1984, is unethical and infringes on the people’s basic rights as stated by “The

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Examples Of Totalitarianism In 1984

982 Words | 4 Pages

Throughout the novel, The 1984, the theme of totalitarianism is very present and significant, it defines the structure of government and life for the protagonist, Winston Smith. The environment around Winston Smith, and the rest of the citizens of Oceania is highly controlled by the government through surveillance and propaganda. A totalitarian government is a centralized governing style that seeks absolute control over everything, what people’s actions are, their level of freedom, and even what people think and believe. The governmental power that embodies the citizens of Oceania creates a lack of freedom, and lack of identity. The people of Oceania no longer have the ability to express themselves or change themselves to be different from

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Allusions In 1984

1969 Words | 8 Pages

1984 is a dystopian novel written in 1949 by George Orwell. Winston Smith navigates through his life working as a Party member for Ingsoc, a totalitarian government, but soon rebels against it. Insoc aims to control its society through surveillance and propaganda. Aspects of 1984 such as Big Brother, the Brotherhood, the war between Eurasia, Eastasia, and Oceania, and other features of the novel are clear allusions to Orwell’s surroundings in 1949. The Red Scare, the Russian Revolution, the World Wars, Orwell’s time with BBC, and the rise of communism influenced Orwell’s writing of 1984.

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1984 Contradictions

389 Words | 2 Pages

However, the party is right and these slogans do make sense. If two countries are at war with each other, there will be peace within the countries. The individuals who are in those countries would have a “with us or against us” attitude. People will all have one common enemy and put their hate towards that common enemy instead.

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Examples Of Doublethink In 1984

1126 Words | 5 Pages

Doublethink In 1984 by George Orwell, the Party uses doublethink in order to maintain total totalitarian control over the thoughts and actions of their citizens. By incorporating doublethink into their slogans the party consolidates their power. It guarantees that civilians internalize and truly believe in the “truths” they present even if they are completely illogical. The active acceptance of the Party’s ideology suppresses individuality and consciousness.

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Examples Of Totalitarianism In 1984

608 Words | 3 Pages

Achieving Totalitarianism in 1984     Before the concept of government existed mankind still attempted to gain dominance over one another.  Once the concept was developed governments remained constant in their attempts to gain control of their people and other nations. Adolf Hitler and other dictators were prime examples of totalitarianism “attempt[ing]  to control every aspect of its subjects, viewing any sign of independence as treasonous centralized party” ( Quinn 1). George Orwell noticed this tug of war for control and wrote about it in his novel. In George Orwell’s 1984, Oceania achieves a utopia through totalitarianism.

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Totalitarianism In 1984

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Our generation,the millennial, are born along with all these modern technologies. From high tech phones, cameras, and computer, the world is changing every second of the day. As the tech companies increase its scope of potential so as the rise of the threat. Social media collect information about our daily lives which is sold to other companies for profit, including the government. Government like the CIA, Central Intelligence Agency, and NSA, National Security Agency, are created in order to spy on their own citizens.

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1984 Totalitarian Government

696 Words | 3 Pages

My topic for this ISP will be the positive role of Big Brother in the novel 1984 by George Orwell. Big Brother is a type of totalitarian government that invades the citizens’ privacy, personal lives, and individual rights. With these forms of invasions, along with Big Brother’s strict laws and penalties, such as torturing the citizens, Big Brother strives to instill firm order in Oceania. Since the laws are so strict and invasive for the citizens, some citizens attempt to rebel and overthrow their government. This shows that some of the citizens have a pre-disposition for violent behavior.

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Totalitarianism In 1984

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In George Orwell’s novel 1984, a totalitarian society is described by the main character Winston Smith. Winston experiences exactly what the government does to those who do not believe in the party, those who want to and those who do rebel against the party. After Winston and Julia get caught in Mr. Charrington’s room by the thought police they are both sent to the Ministry of Love to be tortured until they are “pure”. The government seems to be brainwashing these individuals until their mind is a blank sheet of paper then they can begin writing whatever they want that individual needs to know, which is very minimal. Some may ask is it possible for a government to control the minds of its citizens so much that they no longer believe scientific

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Totalitarianism In 1984

450 Words | 2 Pages

In 1984, Winston work was to rewrite past events, and to make it sound as if the government was always right. The ministry of truth was in charge of this activity and once reprinted the original copy was destroyed. In real life, governments cannot rewrite the past, however they try to do it through different ways. Although the party in Oceania tried to keep its citizens away from past memories important material could not be destroyed.

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Totalitarianism In 1984

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America has slowly and continues to develop new technology, carnivore wiretap software, that is used to keep track of citizens as well as gather personal information on individual citizens regardless of them obtaining a criminal background or not. The government argues these are the new technologies being used to keep us safe from things such as terrorism. These technologies are an invasion of privacy. Individuals may argue they are keeping us safe, but is it worth losing your natural rights and privacy? Today's technologies are in our present day society are reflecting those used in Orwell's vision in 1984.

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1984 Totalitarianism

884 Words | 4 Pages

Throughout 1984, Winston is forced to confront a society which rejects the central tenets of humanity and independent thought, and which presides over society through the dissemination of propaganda. Orwell’s novel explores the dangers of totalitarian government and absolute control and is a prophetic tale of power and control that must be heeded in modern times. Totalitarianism is employed to grant absolute power to the Party and ensure the deference of the

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Totalitarian Government In George Orwell's 1984

951 Words | 4 Pages

In 1949, a man predicted the domination of citizens by the totalitarian government and their custom of technologies to dictate the society. His name is George Orwell, a well-known British author, who wrote one of the most famous dystopian novels, 1984. The novel 1984 illustrates the totalitarian society and the life of Winston Smith, who works at the Ministry of truth and his humiliation by the party of the country, Oceania. George Orwell’s exaggeration and mockery of the totalitarian governments in the novel 1984 is now turning out to be one of the nightmare come true in our modern society.

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