Totalitarianism In George Orwell's '1984'

Anarchy is often considered a state of total loss of humanity, in its chaotic and lawless nature. However, in George Orwell’s 1984, he seems to argue the dangers of its opposite: that totalitarianism, in which an all-powerful government of one or many individuals controls every aspect of life, is a source of inhumanity. In his novel, Orwell uses jargon, paradox, and narrative voice to demonstrate that totalitarianism is an unjust ideology, as for in order for it to function and continue, human spirit must be repressed. Written in 1949, this novel serves as an allegory to a time in which Nazi Germany had been victorious in the Second World War, and their disturbing totalitarian conventions had been continued allowed to progress. Oceania,

The most basic form of humanity is our ability to interact with one another, and our advanced forms of language permit these exchanges, and have allowed for great accomplishments, from diplomatic outreaches to the masterful works of William Shakespeare. In 1984, the developing language is known as Newspeak, in which words are progressively destroyed by the government, and in which the range of emotions able to be expressed currently are seen as a language with “vagueness, and useless shades of meaning.” (Orwell 55). Jargon-like terms created by the government, such as “goodthinkful" (Orwell 317), and “duckspeak" (Orwell 57) are present throughout the novel. Furthermore, the deeper meaning of these terms is often only fully understood by members of the Party. The purpose of such a language is to eliminate the possibility of rebellious thought and expression by limiting words available for expression. For example, as the gray area between bad and good is erased, the government is given control over the black and white lines of good, and “ungood" (Orwell 54). This diminishes free thought and consciousness in the general population, allowing the government complete control over a people with similar thought processes, and over what is considered just. However, this is not just; the people are not able to express themselves, and as nothing is ever completely good or evil, it erases a whole level of depth to

Their slogan, “WAR IS PEACE / FREEDOM IS SLAVERY / IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH" (Orwell 6), is in itself three paradoxes that go unquestioned due to the principles of doublethink. In reading this, we as readers see the blatant falseness in these statements. However, through the psychological manipulation of doublethink, the people are able to read this and interpret meaning from these contradictory statements that are made true for a society as a whole. The first statement equates war to peace. This means that through the use of a common enemy, one country will be together in its hatred, and is in reference to the never-ending war between Oceania, and Eastasia or Eurasia. As the three powers are so evenly matched, there is never a loss nor gain, only a rallying point for the people to stand for. This keeps the population angry, and diverts attention from the doings of the government. The second statement leads the people to believe, that the illegal independent thought is acting like a slave to your instincts, rather than being true to them. Human expression is shown as vile, and through this, as inferior to the mindset of the party, effectively removing the desire to act independently, regardless of consequences. In cases of individual