Preview

George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four: A Society Ruled by Totalitarianism

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1536 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four: A Society Ruled by Totalitarianism
George Orwell’s book Nineteen Eighty-Four presents a negative picture, a society that is ruled by totalitarianism. The government that is created in the novel is ruled by Big Brother and that consist of three branches. “The Ministry of Truth, which concerned itself with news, entertainment, education and the fine arts. The Ministry of Peace, which concerned itself with war. The Ministry of Love, which maintained law and order. And the Ministry of Plenty, which is responsible for economic affairs.” (Orwell 6). The main character Winston Smith does not accept the ideology of Big Brother. There are three states in the Novel Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia. In the novel Orwell subscribes that Oceania is at war with Eastasia and alliance with Eurasia. Nationalism is really important in this novel because there is totalitarianism in the novel and people are racist. The effect of Nationalism in the novel is that there is no freedom in the city. Nationalism ruins everybody’s life’s because they go to work then they go home there is no social life. In the novel the Party controls everything and that is part of Nationalism. Freedom is a really important theme in the novel because the novel is based on how people do not have freedom in 1984. Freedom is something that is controlled by nationalism because the Party “Ingsoc” is controlling everything in the city and they do not let there citizens express there feelings and have friends. In the novel people do not have freedom because there are telescreens everywhere, so wherever you go somewhere there will be telescreens. The technology if telescreens started after the Revolution that means before people had freedom and privacy but they still were not treated well. The telescreen is a powerful metaphor for the loss of privacy in a totalitarian state. “It is inessential to the political them of the novel, which is the feasibility of thought control through propaganda, education, psychology, censorship, lobotomizing, stirring up

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    Some major and recurring themes become apparent in the novel from quite early on; obedience is instilled into the members of society; conformity is compulsory, and we see this through the character of Winston describing how “the horrible thing about the Two Minutes Hate was not that one was obliged to act a part, but that it was impossible to avoid joining in”. Orwell has used Winston to emphasize this idea that the hatred for Big Brother was almost contagious, and that even if you did not hate Emmanuel Goldstein’s ideals, you still must deceive yourself and join in so as not to get caught by the Thought Police. Totalitarian control of Oceania is apparent through the use of a fear-invoking government and brutal police force, as well as the telescreens who symbolize the idea of ‘big brother is watching you’ – there is nowhere to hide, and every moment and every sound made is under constant scrutiny. Another key theme is the manipulation of the government into forcing its people to have a constant hatred for Emmanuel Goldstein’s…

    • 1815 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In Nineteen-Eighty four, the protagonist begins a diary and finds that he hates the party that rules and watches over him. With that being said Winston begins to do things to rebel from Big Brother. Towards the middle of the book, Winston meets and falls in love with Julia. Winston and Julia believe that they are sneaking around behind Big Brothers back undetected. However we find out later that they have been betrayed and turned in. After being beaten, they separate the two and drag them to the Ministry of Love. This incident affects both Julia and Winston, they have to be separated and tortured to wipe away any rebelling thoughts about Big Brother. Once they have been captured we begin to wonder if they will crack under the pressure and accept…

    • 294 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell is a dystopian story set in Oceania (London). It depicts a society, with an oppressive controlling government, which manipulates past events and puts the people under constant surveillance. The citizens of Oceania are driven to fully submit to the authority of the omniscient, Big Brother. The Party puts the population under constant surveillance and brainwashes them by sending messages and propaganda blaring through the ubiquitous Telescreens. These Telescreens cause people to live in fear and use propaganda to manipulate their thoughts, so that they believe whatever they are told.…

    • 733 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the novel, 1984, the protagonist, Winston Smith, live in a world full of thought policies, telescreens and proletarian. In Oceania, proletarian are under watch within 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, which mean they are being watched without any privacy. Also, they are not allowed to have any other thought other than what the party told them to have. For the people who do have the thought will being vaporized; never exist in the world, nobody will remember who they are anymore. The party slogan is "War is peace, Freedom is slavery, Ignorance is strength." It's apparently the opposite of reality, and it showed Oceania have a psychological control over their people. Every proletarian is required to be as orthodoxy as they can, but Winston still attempted to "stay human" by having thought on "Down With Big Brother."…

    • 729 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    1984 begins on a cold April day, the totalitarian superpower during World War II Europe. We are introduced to Winston, which is depressed and oppressed, and starts a journal on his rebellious thoughts against the Party. On which, if it’s discovered he will be executed. Winston becomes curious about Julia, and is in paranoia of her being a member of the Thought Police, but that changed when she slips him a note reading “I love you”.…

    • 260 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In this age where information is accessible at our fingertips, it pays to know what is real. It takes a quick search to find out if what you’re seeing is fake or not. Yet, many people still fall into the trap of alternative facts and fake news, unwilling to challenge their biases and merely accepting what they see without any semblance of skepticism. Imagine how worse this could be in a heavily controlled, totalitarian society. What we are experiencing now, where the government itself purveys fake news and oppresses dissenting voices, bears great resemblance to the premise of my favorite book, 1984.…

    • 619 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the Dystopian novel by George Orwell Oceania is a country which is a totalitarian state that controls each aspect of people`s lives using propaganda, language,and brain-washing as their manipulation methods. Even though its two main characters show a kind of acceptance as they follow their daily routine as party members. In spite of the fact that they are very courageous and both know that they way of thinking can lead them to be captured, and tortured; they are very different as regards outlook, temperament, age. and experience. However, these differences influence the nature of their rebellion.…

    • 553 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    In the book 1984 by George Orwell, there is a lot of symbolism that represents one major themes of the book. These symbols reflect the theme that a totalitarian government does not allow freedom. The goal is to control the thoughts, the hearts and the minds of the population. Those that are different are centred out to be changed and if they cannot be changed they are eliminated. Free thought is not free. The price for free thinking can be your life. Winston, the protagonist, is a free thinker who has rejected the norms of the totalitarian regime, but to survive he must pretend for a large portion of the book that he is in step with the rest of the population. The telescreen is the ultimate symbol of a totalitarian government. It dominates the lives of every person giving nobody a chance for privacy or free thought. Another symbol in the book is Big Brother. He is the face of the Party and the leader with the most power, however it is never determined in the book whether he exists or if he is a fictional figure head. Big Brother acts as the source of charity and well-being of the people but he is really your worst enemy. Winston is constantly troubled by the totalitarian regime and in order to find a release he has developed a love for Victory gin and Victory cigarettes. He drinks the gin to calm his nerves and to allow his mind to escape. He smokes the cigarettes to relax and to think of things to write in his journal. All combined the three symbols that represent the theme of the totalitarian government are the telescreen, Big Brother and Victory gin and cigarettes.…

    • 1419 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    1. George Orwell’s Classic 1984 depicts a totalitarian government that aims to repress and control its people. It does this in many ways; the most notable are the destruction of the family structure, destruction of language and the most dangerous the rewriting of history. With these tools—and others not mentioned—The Party maintains control of its people and ensures its continued existence.…

    • 2401 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    At the beginning of the novel Winston is obedient, he is trying to survive in his society, but all the while doubtful, questioning, and hateful towards Big Brother. He knew things weren't right, but didn't know why or how. He knew that he couldn't be the only one that hated the party, but felt as if he could never again connect to anyone in the world ever again to ask such a personal question. Winston only cares about two people in the world one of which is Julia, she is an engineer where Winston works, Winston hates Julia mainly because of the fact that he wants her but can’t have her. He is also afraid that she will turn him into the thought police.…

    • 654 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the novel 1984, George Orwell predicts to some extent, totalitarianism in everyday life. He uses setting, characterization, and action to set the scene for increasing government control. The setting of 1984 consists of…

    • 689 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    During the 1930’s, the popularity of totalitarian governments were at an all-time high. With people like Benito Mussolini, Adolf Hitler, and Joseph Stalin, the idea of democracy itself was in danger. Fortunately, the rule of Hitler and Mussolini were shut down by the Allies, however, the communist regime persisted throughout the next couple decades. The novel 1984, by George Orwell, depicts society under a totalitarian government. The people of that society are forced to conform to society: act how the government, or Big Brother, wants you to act, be what Big Brother wants you to be, and hardest of all, think how Big Brother wants you to think. Although this is a fictional novel, even the most fictitious novels have some amount of truth to…

    • 2146 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The society of 1984 by George Orwell is a frightening one, what with there being only three countries, and the country of Oceania being ruled by one man, Big Brother. The government system is greatly based off of communism, which was a touchy subject at the time the book was written. Many people fear that our society has begun to edge closer to the society of 1984; however, this is not the case. Our society is not edging closer that of 1984’s because of the outlandish changes that would be necessary for our government to take full control of our society, and our brains. In the novel, the government, called The Party, has control over everyone’s brain, and any person who chooses to think differently is annihilated by the “thought…

    • 896 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the novel 1984, the author George Orwell uses diction and symbolism to convey the message that in order for a government to obtain absolute control over its people, it must demolish the past and human spirit. When Winston revisits Mr.Charrington’s shop, he finds himself searching through endless, insignificant items from before the Revolution. Rummaging through more meaningless items, Winston comes across an exquisite and precious item. The paperweight “[had] such depth of it, and yet it was almost as transparent as air. It was as though the surface of the glass had been the arch in the sky, enclosing a tiny world with its atmosphere complete…” (80,81). Orwell uses diction to describe how delicate and beautiful the coral paperweight was, and to accentuate the sentiment Winston felt towards it; it represented another world which was enclosed inside the coral. Through his description of the coral and his diction choices such as “enclosing” and “depth”, Orwell illustrates the idea that the coral not only represents the past, but is metaphorically trapping the past beneath the surface of the glass, “enclosing” it within its “depths”, concealing it from the outside world. Similarly, Orwell uses symbolism to show that the coral is a representation of the government and the Party; while the past is inside, the government is “enclosing” itself around it, creating a barrier so that it may not escape. Not only does the coral symbolize the government, but it also represents Winston’s and Julia’s life as well. The paperweight was not mesmerizing to Winston due to the appearance of it, but “What appealed to him about it was not so much its beauty as the air it seemed to possess the belonging to an age quite different from the present one” (80,81). Although he found the coral beautiful and delicate, the real attraction was what it symbolized. Being an object from the past, the coral represents the past Winston and Julia had dedicated…

    • 648 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Cellphones and technology have become a major part of todays’ society. A totalitarian government is centralized and has total control over its people. On the other hand a democratic government makes major decisions through majority vote. In George Orwell’s novel 1984, Winston’s perspective depicts his life living in Oceania under a totalitarian. In this age of cell phones and mobile devices equipped with recording capabilities, when anyone says or does could wind up on the “internet” within minutes, showing similar tactics as Big Brother, but not entirely. Oceania’s totalitarian government is different from contemporary Canada by eliminating independent rights, creating psychological control and allowing no freedom of any sort.…

    • 789 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays