1984 Essay, Destruction with Total Control
Destruction with Total Control
In the book Nineteen Eighty-Four George Orwell shows the thesis to be that totalitarianism is destructive. He shows this by the rather unfortunate setting which has been put this way because the lack of concern. The conflict with the characters shows how a place being led by totalitarianism will unravel even what were at some point the closest relationships. Also with the plot development, eventually the government will destroy everything, including your brain throughout threats and torture.
One of the first things it starts off with is the physical being of the city, the setting of the novel. Winston notices how the apartments could use a lot of work and they need constant fixing such as;“The plastered flakes fell constantly from ceilings and walls, the pipes burst in every hard frost” (22). The government could care less about what the city looks like and peoples wellbeing so most of the average people have to deal with problems like that with their homes. Winston mentions “On each landing, opposite the lift shaft the poster with the enormous face gazed on the wall...Big Brother is watching you, caption beneath it ran” (1-2). This is showing the complete take over by the frightful posters being plastered everywhere making sure everyone knows they aren’t safe. The city was filled with telescreens that would watch their every move, “It was terribly dangerous to let your thoughts wander when you were in any place within range of a telescreen” (65). The telescreens made it so that people had no place to think freely because there were practically no places where you weren’t under constant surveillance. Which is how totalitarianism destroys the setting in the novel. The destruction of relationships though conflict plays a big role in the book. Mr. Parsons, Winston’s neighbour, talks about his daughter who “Heard what [he] was saying and nipped off to the patrols the next day” (245). He was sleep talking about bringing Big Brother
In the book Nineteen Eighty-Four George Orwell shows the thesis to be that totalitarianism is destructive. He shows this by the rather unfortunate setting which has been put this way because the lack of concern. The conflict with the characters shows how a place being led by totalitarianism will unravel even what were at some point the closest relationships. Also with the plot development, eventually the government will destroy everything, including your brain throughout threats and torture.
One of the first things it starts off with is the physical being of the city, the setting of the novel. Winston notices how the apartments could use a lot of work and they need constant fixing such as;“The plastered flakes fell constantly from ceilings and walls, the pipes burst in every hard frost” (22). The government could care less about what the city looks like and peoples wellbeing so most of the average people have to deal with problems like that with their homes. Winston mentions “On each landing, opposite the lift shaft the poster with the enormous face gazed on the wall...Big Brother is watching you, caption beneath it ran” (1-2). This is showing the complete take over by the frightful posters being plastered everywhere making sure everyone knows they aren’t safe. The city was filled with telescreens that would watch their every move, “It was terribly dangerous to let your thoughts wander when you were in any place within range of a telescreen” (65). The telescreens made it so that people had no place to think freely because there were practically no places where you weren’t under constant surveillance. Which is how totalitarianism destroys the setting in the novel. The destruction of relationships though conflict plays a big role in the book. Mr. Parsons, Winston’s neighbour, talks about his daughter who “Heard what [he] was saying and nipped off to the patrols the next day” (245). He was sleep talking about bringing Big Brother