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Totalitarianism In 1984 George Orwell

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No freedom, no purpose, no opinion, no choice. All of these thoughts accompany the terrifying concepts of totalitarianism and dictatorship. Every day, we believe that we are safe from falling victim to these forms of reign, but what if we have been placed within one all along without truly knowing the difference? We are aware of power and who may possess it, yet this may not be sufficient for those that seek it. In 1984, George Orwell creates a dystopia where the common people live in conditions set forth by their totalitarian government, known as Big Brother. How did Big Brother come to be, did this system suddenly come to Orwell in a dream, a thought, or was it a result of endless revision? Nevertheless, we must not forget that history always plays a …show more content…

Fear is possibly the strongest emotion that can compel a person to do what they would least expect, both Stalin and Orwell were aware this and exploited it every opportunity they were given. Within the novel, Orwell inserted fear through the main character Winston’s thoughts and experiences. He constantly created a sense of paranoia in different settings, but one of the most effective is when Winston becomes paranoid in his own home. We all imagine that our home is our sanctuary, impenetrable to harm and danger yet, “He could not help feeling a twinge of panic... It was always at night—the arrests invariably happened at night. The sudden jerk out of sleep, the rough hand shaking your shoulder,” (Orwell 23,24). Orwell quickly learned the power of fear as he saw it being displayed by Stalin among his public. His own fear increasing along with the common people’s as the dictator continued to rise until his hatred, like Winston’s, was combined with the terror. “Orwell 's fear of the rise of a world totalitarian order... became a worst threat to human well-being and freedom” (Kellner

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