What Are The Similarities Between 1984 And The Handmaid's Tale

In most dystopian literature, there is a form of a dominant government that exerts complete control over every aspect of its citizens' lives through strict rules that limit people’s thoughts and beliefs, surveillance, censorship, and propaganda. The dystopian novels 1984 by George Orwell and The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood, display this type of oppression and the dangers of totalitarianism. Rebellion against the government is a powerful way for citizens to create a better life for themselves and others and is a common theme in dystopian texts because it illustrates the power dynamic of society and the human desire for autonomy. Both novels highlight how individuals seek freedom and individuality both as an individual and as a group

One type of rebellion against this is small acts of individual resistance, such as buying or stealing things, writing in a journal, or even using beauty products. In 1984, Winston owned a journal and wrote down his thoughts and feelings, which defies the Party's strict control over all forms of communication and thought. “His pen had slid voluptuously over the smooth paper, printing in large neat capitals DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER” (Orwell 18). This quote is significant because it represents Winston Smith's growing rebellion against the oppressive government and the importance of individual resistance to retain humanity. The use of the word "voluptuously" suggests that Winston derives pleasure from this act of rebellion and the "smooth paper" and "large neat capitals" also serve as a metaphor for the care and effort Winston puts into his journal, showing how important he finds expressing himself. Another example of individual resistance from 1984 is when Winston purchases a glass paperweight from Mr. Charrington’s store. By buying the paperweight, Winston is defying the Party's strict control over material goods and expressing his own desires and individuality. "In the corner, on the gateleg table, the glass paperweight which he had bought on his last visit gleamed softly out of the half-darkness” (Orwell 136). The paperweight serves as a reminder of a time before the Party's rule, when art and beauty were valued, and when people had the freedom to own and appreciate such objects. The connotation of it glowing “softly out of the half-darkness" can be seen as a metaphor for Winston's own inner light, his individuality, and humanity, which the Party seeks to demolish. The diary and the paperweight describe the idea that any “queer thing, even a compromising thing, for a party member to have in his possession. Anything old, and for that matter anything