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What Is 1984 Ignorance Is Strength

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Ignorance is Strength As Americans, one of the best things we have is our freedom. Imagine your freedom of speech, thought, and actions were stripped away and forced into the belief of a totalitarian government. One may have the capability to alter another's beliefs; however, one cannot diminish knowledge. Corrupt authority figures utilize tactics to manipulate their society’s beliefs, yet still fear the knowledge of the people. In the novel 1984, written by George Orwell, an English novelist, a society in which people are taken advantage of is displayed. The story tracks Winston, a thin, frail, contemplative, and intellectual thirty-nine-year-old, who lives in a society where the government constantly watches the people, limits thoughts, …show more content…

Members of the party were manipulated by the higher party members to cease all independent thoughts. In the novel, the Party participates in the Two Minutes Hate every day. The Two Minutes Hate is where members of the society meet and watch clips of the enemy. They unite and scream at the screen creating a common enemy among them. Among the crowd, this creates a “ hideous ecstasy of fear and vindictiveness, a desire to kill, to torture, to smash faces in with a sledgehammer” (Orwell 14). During the Two Minutes Hate, intense emotion unites the crowd distracting them from their own corrupt government. Big Brother practices this tactic because it makes the society focus on something other than the inhumane and manipulative government they are living in. It shifts their hatred toward the enemy rather than Big Brother. Throughout the novel, an irrational authority is portrayed through Big Brother. Because of the propaganda and constant surveillance, the society members are being taken advantage of. Since there is no benefit for society, the authority benefits through stripping rights from the people, and …show more content…

In the story, Big Brother limits the thoughts of the people by creating Newspeak, erasing or altering records and people of the past, and belittles the people causing them to be desensitized to terrifying events. Through the various tactics used by Big Brother and the Party they are able to manipulate society’s beliefs, yet certain individuals, like Winston, overcome the manipulation by using their own knowledge to oppose the government. Because knowledge is dangerous and difficult to suppress, it is almost impossible for one to corruptly maintain authority over a group of people as portrayed in the

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On page 242, the book states,”The picture had fallen to the floor, uncovering the telescreen behind it(Orwell).” This shows that Big Brother wanted to ensure that no one was thinking of rebelling or committing crimes. He can see what they are doing at all times even if the citizens did not think so. Therefore, there is no opportunity to rebel or break laws. He continuously goes to extreme extents to fulfill

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In addition he delivered the Second Inaugural Address. President Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address was carried out on March 4, 1865 during his second appearing as President of the United States. A point that was stated in his address was slavery. He reminded everyone how slavery was the main point of the Civil War and he felt and proposed it insulted GOD. Another point was about the war.

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During the beginning sections of the book, Winston narrates his average life as a party member under the control of Big Brother. The Big Brother is deemed the upper echelon of the hierarchy presented in the story. Very few go against Big Brother, but those who

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In Orwell’s 1984 there is a political party that believes in English socialism called Big Brother. They are the rulers of a nation called Oceania and hold absolute power. The tactics they use are based on techniques used by other totalitarian rulers and dictatorships throughout history, mostly focusing on German Nazisam and Stalinistic Communism. However, since this book was written over fifty years ago and is based in a dystopian future, some of the predictions Orwell made about dictatorships abusing technology have come to fruition in the modern day. The thing that sets Big Brother apart from dictatorships of the past is that they admit to themselves that the only reason they want to be in charge is so they can have power.

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In 1984, thoughts against the government are dangerous because they can lead to individuality. Moreover, a collaboration of ideas against the government is a threat as it could have the possibility of an increase in rebellious ideas. Therefore, the Party uses different methods of control such as Big Brother, double-think, etc to cause the society to fear monger so the upper classes could maintain control and hierarchical power. For example, the Party implants the concept of ‘thought crime’ into people’s minds, so people can not even properly think for themselves or else they will get vaporized. This causes the characters to suspect others as no one is truly safe if they report it to the Party.

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Do people really follow the beliefs of a government or are they forced to follow the beliefs? How could this shape the way a government is run? Some may argue that governments always do what is best for the people. Although this may sound like the right thing to do governments do not always follow that way. In the novel 1984, by George Orwell, an English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic, the psychological state of manipulation and fear are explored.

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In 1984, the restriction of information makes the population ignorant and easy to manipulate, allowing the government to stay in control by making society conform to whatever they desire. Winston states that if there is any hope that the Party would get overthrown, “it lies in the proles” (Orwell 208). However, Proles are unable to revolt against their government because they are too ignorant to question the Party’s authority. The Party uses “prolefeed” (Orwell 201) to control the population with a constant supply of entertainment and spurious news, which fills their mental horizon. Along with a lack of knowledge that keeps them from organizing themselves or questioning the powers that oppress them, the Proles are unable to rise up and overthrow the authoritarian regime, demonstrating the party slogan, “Ignorance is Strength” (Orwell 3).

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the party would endure forever” (26). When describing the Party at the beginning of the novel, Orwell's tone portrays hopelessness as the citizens fall entrapped by Big Brother. Towards the middle of the novel, a tone of fear overwhelms the citizens. The Thought Police reviews all writings, and if the writings happen to go against the governments' teachings: death follows. “But before death, there was the routine of confession… groveling on the floor and screaming for mercy, the crack of broken bones, the smashed teeth and bloody clots of hair” (103).

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In 1984, George Orwell depicts a dystopian society pervaded by government control and the obsolescence of human emotion and society. Winston is forced to confront the reality of a totalitarian rule where the residents of Oceania are manipulated to ensure absolute government control and servitude of the people. The theme of totalitarianism and dystopia is employed in 1984 to grant absolute power to the government and ensure the deference of the people through the proliferation of propaganda, the repudiation of privacy and freedom, and the eradication of human thought and values. The repudiation of privacy and independent thought and the ubiquity of government surveillance is employed to secure absolute power to the government over the populace

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The Big Brother controlled dystopia that Winston lives in is the representation of humanity’s evil side. Humanities evil side really is the worst parts of us that makes us human. Controlling, manipulative, spiteful, selfish, harmful, saddistic are characteristics of evil proccesses done by humans. Difference between an "evil" person and a "good" person is how much these traits persist and dominate over the good traits. Big Brother and the inner party members express what we would see as evil.

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