ipl-logo

What Is Technology In A Dystopian Novel 1984

881 Words4 Pages

Technology is not good, nor is it evil, but rather, it is humanity that determines its purpose and use. In the dystopian novel 1984, written by George Orwell, the government’s rule over the people is attainable through the means of a corrupt use of technology. Technology advances in warfare and mass surveillance, and develops simply to constrain the population. This is shown by the development of warfare and mass surveillance technology present throughout the novel. Since control of the people is essential to the success of the inner party, technology is advancing with the sole purpose of controlling civilians.
The government uses war technologies as a tool to render the nation obedient to their bidding. Funds in Oceania are made available …show more content…

Currently, there is no such thing as a “Floating Fortress”, but seeing that the setting is set in 1984, and such a feat is possible, simply expresses how much the government spends on the development of militaristic technologies. Notice also that the news preoccupies the entire nation with nonsense reports, of battles and such, that presumably do not even happen. Keeping the nation's attention on armaments of a new killing machine is used to diverge the masses’ scrutiny, and therefore quenches the regime’s thirst to secure complete control. Additionally, the inner party insists that everyone remembers the heroes on the Malabar front. Considering that all three nations are in a constant dispute, a successful conquest on the Malabar front requires unprecedented wartime technologies. Orwell demonstrates this when a news anchor exclaimes “A newsflash has this moment arrived from the Malabar front. Our forces in South India have won a glorious victory. I am authorized to say that …show more content…

Winston, and other characters confront the frightful face of the inner party, even in their own homes. Telescreens are an essential tool of the party to conduct espionage on its own citizens. Thought police watching the telescreens placed in everyone’s homes gives enough reason to be frightened enough to submit to the regime’s authority: “Any sound that Winston made … would be picked up by it, … You had to live … in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard, … every movement scrutinized” (5). Stories and rumors of people becoming “unpersons” is enough to convince the entire outer party population that allegiance to Big Brother and the party is required in order to survive. One’s life could be in danger from any suspicious signs seen through the telescreen. Rebels like Winston must act remarkably loyal to prevent being suspected. A single sigh as the national anthem plays is enough settle one down in Room 101. To survive, one must irrationally worship Big Brother and the party, or at least do so to the telescreen’s face. Furthermore, simple actions can be seen by the authorities as a crime against the state. Winston is anxious over turning his back to a telescreen “Winston kept his back turned to the telescreen. It was safer, though, as he well knew, even a back can be revealing” (5). Though

Show More
Related
546 Words | 3 Pages

Winston conveys the clear message to beware of the ‘eyes’ of the party, enforcing the slogan “big brother is watching you. Winston promotes this awareness towards the other rebels of the party and general people to overall spread his knowledge and hopefully influence revolt. While

Read More
631 Words | 3 Pages

Technology is a significant part of daily life. Everyone makes use of some form of technology every day. As technology evolves and its quality is made better, it is taking us closer to the world of Big Brother. In his book, 1984, George Orwell describes a world in which society is constantly being watched by “Big Brother,” or their leaders. With current technologies such as GPS and smartphones, our world is not far from the heavy surveillance experienced by people in 1984.

Read More
1408 Words | 6 Pages

For a Utopian society, Big Brother must watch everyone’s actions. In chapter one of book one, “Winston kept his back turned to the telescreen… even a back can be revealing.” This indicates how any behavior that is even small can seem suspicious to the Party. Orwell states in the novel that it is “terribly dangerous to let your thoughts wander when you were in any public place or within range of a telescreen… In any case, to wear an improper expression on your face… was itself a punishable offense.”

Read More
866 Words | 4 Pages

The telescreens operated as both televisions and security cameras and microphones and through them, Party members are able to hear if someone says something bad about the Party, which could result in death. He finds small ways to rebel against the Party, instead of completely overthrowing it, because he simply does not agree with their ruling. Owning a journal was illegal, but Winston owned one because he feels like he should not keep his feelings inside of himself, and chooses to write them down in a place where no one will look. Many of his thoughts and feelings surrounded Big Brother, his hate for it, and wanting to rebel. Many times in the journal, Winston had printed “in large, neat capitals, DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER”(18, Orwell).

Read More
1278 Words | 6 Pages

Since the Party was always watching through the telescreens it made it difficult for Winston to express thoughts about the way that the Party limited every individual and took away human rights, “The telescreen received and transmitted simultaneously. Any sound that Winston made, above the level of a very low whisper, would be picked up by it; moreover, so long as he remained within the field of vision…he could be seen as well as heard” (Orwell 3). Another way the Party made it difficult to express one’s thoughts was through the hypnotizing routine, Two Minutes Hate. The Party used Two Minutes Hate to rally the people through hatred and fear of traitors like Emmanuel Goldstein and rival troops from Eurasia. Then at the end of Two Minutes Hate the Party manipulated people by making them feel safe and secure, “The horrible thing about the Two Minutes Hate was not that one was obligated to act a part, but that it was impossible to avoid joining in” (Orwell 14).

Read More
500 Words | 2 Pages

This supports that the Party knows everything and is always watching. In Airstrip One, technology takes away the freedom given to the citizens, which differs from the real world where improvements in technology give more freedom to people. In "1984," Orwell highlights that "The telescreen, which was used to instruct the populace, blared an endless stream of propaganda and monitored citizens' every move, installing fear and ensuring compliance” (Orwell C 3). This shows how the Party caused fear in the citizens by using different technology which makes them feel like they are being watched and losing their freedom. As Winston is normally in his apartment, "behind Winston’s back, the voice from the

Read More
879 Words | 4 Pages

Mark Haddon’s novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time outlines the struggles individuals with developmental disorders face that can be deemed a societal norm ( i.e. understanding social cues and using figurative language ). Unplanned routines or sudden changes in events can have an impact on the way the individual views the world around them—the novel stars 15-year-old Christopher, who has autism. Mark Haddon hints at this throughout the novel with key techniques like repetition, symbolism and metaphor. Christopher’s way of understanding the world is immediately brought to the reader in the first few chapters of the novel.

Read More
1241 Words | 5 Pages

Rough Draft Is Technology taking us closer to the world of 1984? The fact is; our world has been caught upon the fence of Orwellian ideals for over a century now. Since the earliest days of swift communication, things have been monitored and hijacked, then used as incriminating evidence. The true problem which faces us, is the legislation nations across the globe are trying to pass.

Read More
1083 Words | 5 Pages

They had held on to the primitive emotions which he himself had to relearn by conscious effort” (165). Winston, a member of the Outer Party, is exasperated by the internal workings of the Party as he lives in a terrifying society that completely represses humanity, while also demanding complete control of all aspects of daily life. Throughout Winston’s lifetime, Big Brother and the Party instill fear and paranoia in him through their persistent surveillance aimed at eliminating deviation from the Party and dehumanizing him, causing him to eventually misplace his loyalty as he lives unhappily. Orwell emphasizes how the Party demands not only loyalty and respect from their citizens, but also absolute obedience, causing them to live as puppets of the regime. While sitting in the Chestnut Tree Café, Winston is reminded of a conversation he had with Julia, where she remarked, “‘They can’t get inside you,’

Read More
179 Words | 1 Pages

In the by novel George Orwell, 1984, the author reveals to the reader a theme. The book teaches us about the world we live in today by trusting technology can also harm us in the future by letting it become powerful and letting it become part of the society. When Winston the main protagonist in the novel, states “The instruments (the telescreen), it was called could be dimmed, but there was no way of shutting it off completely” (2), the reader understands that humans can be using technology to help or to harm the society. Winston is showing us the world he lives in is all being operated by technology and it harming the people by giving society no potion be get away from, which shows technology is powerful. In today’s world there has been situations

Read More
1271 Words | 6 Pages

In that reason, Winston “kept his back turned to the telescreen. It was safer, though, as he well knew, even a back can be revealing” (Orwell 3). Winston fears the party and thinks that even turning the back from the telescreen can be ‘rebellious’. Winston often does things that are regarded as rebellious; he writes how the party is doing is wrong on his diary. But he tells no one about his thoughts because he is afraid of Thought Police who is a secret police in the book, they discover and

Read More
1620 Words | 7 Pages

In George Orwell's novel "Nineteen Eighty-Four," the Party's use of surveillance is a central aspect of its oppressive regime. The omnipresent telescreens, an embodiment of Big Brother's watchful eye, infiltrate every aspect of daily life, leaving no space for privacy or individual autonomy (Orwell 3). This relentless surveillance is not limited to public spaces but extends into the privacy of people's homes, leaving individuals with no escape from the watchful eyes of the Party. This constant state of surveillance serves multiple purposes: to deter any form of dissent, to ensure compliance with the Party's ideologies, and to instill fear and obedience among the populace. This pervasive surveillance is a crucial aspect of the Party's control over the minds and actions of its citizens, instilling fear and preventing any form of dissent.

Read More
1194 Words | 5 Pages

Moreover, “Orwell's rediscovery of his sense of patriotism deepened his understanding of how fascism had used patriotic and nationalist concepts to win over the masses,” highlighting another crucial aspect of 1984,

Read More
1873 Words | 8 Pages

They have complete control over their people, and have the ability to rewrite the past and drive the future in their direction. They instill fear into every single person by having them on constant watch by these telescreens that monitor the people. This fear factor causes people to question every decision they make because they know that “Big Brother is Watching.” Main character Winston knows that he even a certain flinch is dangerous, because the party is always looking for disloyalty towards them. When describing this he states, “To keep your face expressionless was not difficult, and even your breathing could be controlled, with an effort; but you could not control the beating of your heart, and the telescreen was quite delicate enough to pick it up” (1984 79).

Read More
608 Words | 3 Pages

Throughout history, technology has been and enticing and scary part of our developing world. As the technology sector grows, many things become possible, such as televisions, cell phones, and government surveillance. In his novel 1984, George Orwell analyzes the potential effects of the rapidly expanding technology industry on our world. In this cautionary tale, Orwell tells of a dystopian society called Oceania in which technology is controlled by a corrupt oligarchy and used for evil. Ultimately, technology is detrimental to Oceania and its citizens because it is used to spy on, brainwash, and torture the public.

Read More

More about What Is Technology In A Dystopian Novel 1984

Related Topics

Open Document