“1984” by George Orwell

Do you think you can be brainwashed? Most people will tell you that they could not be brainwashed or manipulated into doing something against their will, but in reality most of us can be convinced into doing something we would not normally do. George Orwell, in his novel “1984”, shows how mind power can influence people and society. The group that controls the mind power is known as the Party, and the state where this society lives is called Oceania. The only way the Party can maintain total power over a large population within Oceania is by insuring that past is controlled, by keeping people under constant fear through the use of telescreens and violence, and by an ongoing brainwashing to love the Big Brother. Controlling the past is very important for the Party to maintain power. Historic records are changed or completely deleted in order to fit the needs of the Party. People, events can be entirely wiped out if they don’t fit the Party’s standards. This power gives the Party a great deal of authority.. In the book, one of the characters, Syme, is caught by the Party and when the people in the society arrive for work that day, he is gone. Winston later finds out that Syme was taken out of the documented papers at the records department. “One of the notices carried a printed list of members of the Chess Committee, of whom Syme had been one. It looked almost exactly as it had looked before-nothing has been crossed out-but it was one name shorter. It was enough. Syme has ceased to exist; he had never existed” (147). This passage is significant because it shows the power that the Party hold in dealing with non compliance. Society is once again reminded of the consequences for not loving the Big Brother, leader of the Party. Fear is a powerful weapon that the Party relies on for unconditional compliance from the people. Violence is used as disciplinary tactic. The Party keeps a close eye on everyone through the use of telescreens, surveillance cameras, which allows no privacy for anyone. “BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU, the caption said, while the dark eyes looked deep into Winston's own” (2). Having access to people’s lives 24/7 allows the Party to have total control over them. Since no telescreens were placed in the neighborhoods of Proles, low class Oceanians, the Party kept them in poverty. Revolting against the Party would be difficult under these conditions. Daily bomb droppings were implemented in this are to keep the fear alive. “Steamer! he yelled. Look out, guv’ nor! Bang over’ ead! Lay down quickly!.....The bomb had demolished a group of houses two hundred meters up the street.” (83-84). This quote is important because it shows the daily life struggles of Proles population. To maintain power, the Party is brainwashing the people of Oceania into believing how great and wonderful the Party really is. Brainwashing is an effective tool for soliciting total and complete loyalty to the Party. This strategy is effective because the Party starts with young children, the spies, since they are most vulnerable and easily influenced. People of Oceania are influenced into believing that there is a thought police observing them at all times. Thought police is capable of recognizing their love for Big Brother and can tell whether or not people’s thoughts are in compliance with the Party. “Thoughtcrime does not entail death; thoughtcrime is death” (28). When a person, Winston, is caught by the thought police for keeping a diary of historic events and being with a woman, he gets sent to the Ministry of Love. It is a place where non compliant citizens endure torture and are brainwashed into loving the Big Brother and accepting total loyalty to the Party. “But it was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother” (298). This passage is significant because Winston no longer seeks any information other than the one given to him by the Party. Winston’s views have been altered and his loyalty is with the Party.

Revolting against the Party is impossible when every aspect of every individual’s life is an open book. Orwell gives a realistic picture to what can happen in any society that is governed under such tight controls. The Party was able to keep its full power over the people through altering the past, having access to all personal information and making people believe only in what they told them.