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A+ Student Essay: Is Technology or Psychology More Effective in 1984?
Of the many iconic phrases and ideas to emerge from Orwell’s 1984 , perhaps the most famous is the frightening political slogan “Big Brother is watching.” Many readers think of 1984 as a dystopia about a populace constantly monitored by technologically advanced rulers. Yet in truth, the technological tools pale in comparison to the psychological methods the Party wields, which not only control the citizens but also teach them to control themselves.
To be sure, the Party uses technology in disturbing and effective ways. Its most notable technological weapon is the telescreen, a kind of two-way television that watches you as you watch it. Telescreens literalize the idea that Big Brother, the mysterious figure who represents the Party’s power and authority, is always watching the people of Airstrip One. Even the citizens’ most mundane actions are monitored by the telescreens, which must remain turned on at all times. When Winston performs his Physical Jerks exercises, for example, a voice from the telescreen criticizes his poor effort. When he is arrested, a voice from the telescreen tells him what’s coming. Another terrifying technology used by the Party is vaporizing, the means by which the government executes those who displease it.
Yet despite the power of the omnipresent telescreens and the terror of vaporizing, they are just two among countless methods of control. And the most powerful methods turn out to be non-technological in nature. Posters announce the watchfulness of Big Brother; mandatory daily meetings called Two Minutes of Hate rile up the citizenry, allow them to vent their emotions and solidify their xenophobia; public hangings make examples out of traitors; physical torture awaits those who commit thoughtcrimes; and Junior Spies turn in any adults they feel are not sufficiently loyal to the party, even if those adults are their own parents. None of these methods involve technology. Instead, they rely on psychological manipulation. Together, these methods produce a complex mixture of terror, paranoia, groupthink, and suspicion that keeps the citizens cowed and obedient.
In addition to, and as a result of, these government tactics, the citizens of Oceania are constantly policing themselves. In order to avoid being jailed or vaporized they closely monitor their own actions, second by second. Most citizens would find it unthinkable, for example, to demonstrate such blatant misbehavior as enjoying a torrid love affair, as Winston does. But the citizens go even further than simply regulating their outward behavior: they also monitor their private thoughts. They have been manipulated into believing that any independent cognition is grounds for arrest by the Thought Police, so they try to keep their inward selves as loyal and unthinking as their outward actions. Because they have been conditioned since birth to accept whatever the Party identifies as truth, they are also able to use doublethink, a method of believing absurd contradictions such as “war is peace.” Again, self-policing and doublethink involve no technology beyond the human brain, but they are perhaps the most effective means of control available to the Party.
The Party maintains power primarily through the use of psychology, not technology. We get the sense that if no technology existed, the Party would find equally effective ways of controlling the populace. Orwell wants to warn us against more than the power of technology; he wants to suggest that the human mind is the most dangerous and advanced weapon of all, and that we should never underestimate the ability of people to control each other—and themselves.
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George Orwells 1984 Essays
Nature and animals 1984 essay.
In George Orwell’s 1984, the reader follows a middle-aged man named Winston Smith. In Winston’s society, people can be under surveillance at any time, in any place. The reader follows Winston through his affair with a woman named Julia, and the consequences that they face after. Throughout 1984, many motifs are represented, one of them being nature and animals. The motif of nature/animals demonstrates how Orwell connects characters in his book to animals. In 1984, the first time the reader […]
1984 the Soviet Union the Parallels
George Orwell is an author who wrote the book 1984 and Animal Farm, two famous Dystopian novels. But what is a dystopian novel? A dystopian novel is where the author writes about a society being oppressed or terrorized from a group of people or person(Jennifer Kendall). Typically in dystopian novels, we are shown a character who don’t agree with the government structure and tend to rebel against them. Although dystopian novels are fictional, it doesn’t mean that it can’t happen […]
Big Brother is Watching you
In George Orwell’s 1984, Winston Smith wrestles with oppression in Oceania, a place where the Party scrutinizes human actions with ever-watchful Big Brother. Defying a ban on individuality, Winston dares to express his thoughts in a diary and pursues a relationship with Julia. These criminal deeds being Winston into the eye of the opposition, who then must reform the nonconformist. George Orwell’s 1984 introduced the watchwords for life without freedom: BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU. Big Brother’s role, his effect […]
1984 Compared to Today
In the world today, the internet is at the center of our actions. The internet and technology enable the recording of everything we do, which can be accessed by millions of people within a short time. This leads to the question of privacy in this age. In the novel “1984” by George Orwell, the main character, Winston Smith, and the rest of the population in Oceania are being surveyed. All their moves are followed with the help of telescreens purposed […]
Parallels between a Novel 1984 and Soviet Union
George Orwell is a politically charged author who writes novels as warning issued against the dangers of totalitarian societies. The novel is dystopian literature. A dystopian society is the not so good version of an utopian society which is pretty much a perfect world. While an utopian society IS a perfect world, a dystopian society is the exact opposite as it is dehumanizing and unpleasant in regards to trying to make everything ideal. The novel 1984 by George Orwell is […]
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Winston against the Party in the Novel 1984
In 1984, the main character, Winston Smith goes through moments where he is in need; His needs consist of physiological needs, safety, and security needs, love and belonging needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization needs. Winston is the main character in his novel it follows his around during this time. In 1984 Winston has his physiological met. These physiological needs include; water, pleasure, and food. Winston had taken up his spoon and was dabbling in pale-colored gravy that dribbled across the […]
Main Themes in 1984
There are many Themes in 1984 however there are two that show themselves as the most important throughout the story: The disastrous effects of both the control of information and complete and total domination of the people, or Authoritarianism. These two themes show themselves many times throughout the entire story. The main Villain of the novel, Big Brother, exists to show the reader what will happen when one single organization or entity controls all information, and every other facet of […]
The Party Control in the Novel 1984
1984 is a political novel composed for the people under a totalitarian government and to give awareness for the possible risks of it. George Orwell, the author, purposefully created the book give emphasis to the rising of communism in Western countries who are still uncertain about how to approach it. He also wrote it due to having an insight of the horrendous lengths to which authoritarian governments that could possibly go beyond their power such as Spain and Russia. Before […]
1984 Literary Essay
In the novel 1984 war ment peace, freedom ment slavery, and ignorance ment strength. This novel very intriguing yet dark and twisted, the novel all began with an average man with an average job and an average life named Winston Smith, but what you don’t know is how unruly the government is. The government believes everyone they have in their grasp they completely and utterly control, they have dehumanized humans to the point where they can’t hardly think for themselves […]
George Orwell’s Fiction Novel 1984
With new technology and advanced programs, the government is gaining more power than one may realize. George Orwell’s fiction novel 1984, depicts Oceania’s control upon it’s party members thoughts and freedom showcasing the harsh effects that it had on its population. Too much control can often lead to social repression, Winston being a product of this repressed society. The cruelty Winston is faced with serves as both a motivation for him throughout the novel and reveals many hidden traits about […]
1984 Technology
1984: The Effects of Technology on the Population Nineteen Eighty-Four, often published as 1984, is a dystopian novel by English writer George Orwell published in June 1949, whose themes center on the risks if government overreach, totalitarianism, and repressive regimentation of all people and behaviours within society. The novel is set in an imagined future, the year 1984, when much of the world has fallen victim to perpetual war, omnipresent government surveillance, historical negationism and propaganda. In the novel, Great Britain has become a province of a […]
What did 1984 Steal from 1922
There have been many dictators in the history of the world. They have been mostly bad for the people of the society, reducing their ability to stand up for them self. Most dictators used fear and intimidation to scare their opponents into complying with them, but in 1984 they limited their vocabulary (newspeak) and twisted what they were saying to make it sound nicer (doublespeak) to get the people to comply with the rules. The Party in 1984 is influenced […]
My 1984 Story
INTRODUCTION The Party did the people wrong and treated them poorly because the Party wanted them to do what they asked for and manipulating their minds. Orwell wanted to tell people how the Party treated other people and what they had to sacrifice in order to do what was told. For it to be one of the most powerful warnings that ever happened in the totalitarian society. George Orwell’s 1984 is a interesting and constructive book that is filled with […]
A Political Novel 1984
1984 is a political novel composed for the humans below a totalitarian authorities and to give consciousness for the feasible dangers of it. George Orwell, the author, purposefully created the e book give emphasis to the rising of communism in Western countries who are nonetheless uncertain about how to approach it. He additionally wrote it due to having an insight of the horrendous lengths to which authoritarian governments that ought to possibly go beyond their power such as Spain and […]
The Shadow of 1984
When people read dystopian text they often include topics with darker views of our political structures. George Orwell’s novel 1984 is about a place named Oceania in which the main character Winston, a member of the outer party,journeys into his end. He finds himself with these viewpoints no one else seems to have of how Oceania is runned and only continues to question and dig further until he is put to stop by the party. Although Orwell’s work is fiction […]
The Party Control in 1984
1984 is a story of tragedy and warns of a dystopian future, which day by day looks like it is becoming closer to a reality. The story starts out with Winston Smith, a member of the Party, living inside the conglomerate super-nation Oceania. Everywhere Winston goes, he is being watched by the Party’s leader, Big Brother, who is constantly monitoring to stop any and all rebellion. The Party controls everything and are trying to indoctrinate people, inventing a brand new […]
The Power of Words and Rhetoric in 1984
In a lucid moment Winston found that he was shouting with the others and kicking his heel violently against the ring of his chair (Orwell 14). Winston Smith is an average man in the world of 1984, at least that is what readers believe at first glance. However, there is a hidden life under the surface of his skin, this being the brewing hatred he feels for the, otherwise, worshiped Big Brother. Smith meets an unlikely companion in a young […]
About the Hazard of Controlling Governments in 1984
Dystopian literature has been around for quite some time, shaping the minds of young readers. However, in the course of recent decades, it has turned out to be increasingly popular, especially after the turn of the century. In a time of fear and anxiety, the dystopian genre has become more popular in pop culture, in that they provide audiences with a different aspect of entertainment, while offering a sense of comfort and control. The world that young adults of today […]
The Parallels of 1984 and the Soviet Union
George Orwell, a pen name for the author’s real name Eric Arthur Blair, is a man that had multiple professions, such as an essayist, imperial police officer, and a critic. However, he is best known as a novelist, writing such stories like Animal Farm, Burmese Days, and the main focus novel that will be talked about today, 1984. 1984 is the story about a man named Winston Smith, a man that lives in a totalitarian society where no one is […]
Dystopian Literature – 1984
The destruction of history causes people to obey the party more and become mindless objects to the party. The party imposed if all records told the same tale then the lie passed into history and became truth. Who controls the past ran the party slogan controls the future who controls the present controls the past And the through of its nature alterable never has been altered{ Orwell p.31}. It represent imagery and talks about how the party controls them and […]
Current Events Shaped Themes in 1984
Throughout history there have been dozens of examples of how the book 1984 relates to current events. A Prime example of this is Fidel Castro and 1960’s Cuba, Throughout his rule he was responsible for housing many soviet missiles, and limiting the freedoms of his people. The only news allowed in cuba was the news that was verified by either castro himself or his higher up officers. This is an example of censoring/controlling the media. Throughout the book there are […]
Wake up its 1984 again
War is peace; freedom is slavery; ignorance is strength In the book 1984 by George Orwell, Big brother is an omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent dictator of Oceania. Big Brother symbolizes the face of the Party and its public manifestation, which controlled people’s thoughts, actions, knowledge and way of living. By using secret police, surveillance, torture, propaganda, misinformation, and corrupted languages to control all aspects of one’s life. Even though the book was meant to be fictional, there is some elements […]
The Party and Power 1984
William Gaddis once said, “power doesn’t corrupt people, people corrupt power”; a truth that perfectly articulates the relationship between man and power. George Orwell’s prose novel, 1984, and James McTeigue’s theatrical film, V for Vendetta, are such quintessences of power abused by those in pursuit of reaching authoritative domination. They differ in textual form and perspectives however at their core, both texts are works of dystopian fiction and juvenalian satire against authoritarian style leaderships, depicting their respective protagonists as victims […]
1984 and Brave New World Comparison
As years pass by, human society has advanced in very unpredictable ways due to the evolution of ideas and technologies. It is somewhat cloudy to forseek what new advancements that may arrive in the future. In the 20th century, two dystopian writers had predicted the fate of the world that we live in today. The novels Nineteen Eighty-Four written by George Orwell and Brave New World written by Aldous Huxley both envisioned how society would end up as a dystopia. […]
1984 Surveillance Essay
George Orwell’s 1984 writes of a dystopian society that has become severally oppressed by the methods ‘The Party’ uses to control its society. The people do not think for themselves, and there is no independence from the government’s rules. One form that the party has control over everyone is with mind manipulation and constant surveillance, watching people actions and reactions to their messages that ‘The Party’ shares via the ‘telescreen’. A ‘telescreen’ is a two-way connection screen that people watch […]
The Tools and Actions of Totalitarianism in Cuba and “1984” by George Orwell
George Orwell’s book 1984 displayed an example of a real-life dystopia. Totalitarianism is shown in this communist-based society so ghastly that it coined its own term “Orwellian” in the dictionary. However, a country living in full surveillance with extremely nationalistic views in cookie-cutter world is not entirely fictional. Historical dictatorships are similar to Orwell’s telling of Big Brother, the man in control of Oceania’s economy and strictly enforced values. An example of such was the Cuban regime under control of […]
1984 and Brave New Word: Literary Criticisms
Although they seem to portray two completely opposite dystopias, Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and George Orwell’s 1984 are two sides of the same coin, as they both warn of the dangers of an all-powerful government. Both their personal lives and the social climate in which they lived in contributed in the shaping of their novels into the disturbingly brilliant pieces of literature that are praised today. Huxley’s childhood provides great insight into some of the many influences of his […]
Lack of Privacy in 1984 Essay
Privacy is a loose term in our world today because no one abides by it and the privacy of many people is invaded every day. People don’t even think about being watched when they’re posting personal experiences in their life on social media. Invasion of privacy is a serious issue concerning the Internet, as e-mails can be read and/or encrypted, and cookies can track a user and store personal information. Lack of privacy policies and employee monitoring threatens security also. […]
George Orwell’s 1984 Oppression
After reading and discussing the outcomes of high tech policing, I strongly take a stand with the critics of it. This is not only opinion, the data received by high tech policing technologies distort the true meaning of privacy and is a form of biased policing against poor and minority communities. Police are using high tech policing to target poor and minority communities. The main facts that support my claim are how high tech policing results in biases against minorities […]
Related topic
Essays About Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell Few argumentative essay examples leave an outstanding remark in the footprints of history like 1984 by George Orwell. Although the author wrote the novel in 1949, most scholars still see it as an important piece in our day. This is probably due to the manner it predicted the totalitarian government whom he said would leverage on the media and manipulate technology to exploit and control people. In this book, George Orwell provided an analysis of London, but not as a part of England. Instead, ‘ London ’ in the 1984 novel was a part of Oceania. Oceania was regarded as one of the vast governments in the book’s world. The author described the region as being under the critical influence of a dictatorship and powerful government forces. In this exciting piece, the government was described as ‘ big brother .’ and that it uses cameras and other gadgets to observe the behavior of its citizens. Why should this novel be of much significance to you? In college, it forms the basis of research and essay writing for many students. Therefore, reading and understanding the book will help you to write effective essays on it as part of your exam or a test. Those searching for research paper topics to write can draw inspiration from the essay on 1984. Whether you’re writing your paper yourself or outsourcing it online, we have a lot of essay examples on George Orwell’s 1984 novel to help you.
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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Books — 1984
Essays on 1984
George orwell’s representation of authority as illustrated in his book, 1984.
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Orwell's Use of Literary Devices to Portray The Theme of Totalitarianism in 1984
The culture of fear in 1984, a novel by george orwell, 1984 by george orwell: literary devices to portray government controlling its citizens, the use of language to control people in 1984, dictatorship of the people: orwell's 1984 as an allegory for the early soviet union, the totalitarian government in george orwell’s novel "1984", searching for truth in 1984, a world without love: the ramifications of an affectionless society in 1984, on double-think and newspeak: orwell's language, the theme of survival and selfishness in the handmaid's tale in 1984, government surveillance in 1984 by george orwell: bogus security, george orwell's 1984 as a historical allegory, exploitation of language in george orwell's 1984, how orwell's 1984 is relevant to today's audience, the relation of orwel’s 1984 to the uighur conflict in china, parallels to today in 1984 by george orwell, symbolism in 1984: the soviet union as representation of the fears people, the relationship between power and emotions in 1984, proletariat vs protagonist: winston smith's class conflict in 1984, a review of george orwell’s book, 1984, o'brien as a dehumanizing villain in 1984, family in 1984 and persepolis, the philosophy of determinism in 1984, orwell's use of rhetorical strategies in 1984, control the citizens in the orwell's novel 1984, dangers of totalitarianism as depicted in 1984, dystopian life in '1984' was a real-life in china, dystopian world in the novel '1984' awaits us in the future, the internal conflict of the protagonist of the dystopia '1984', feeling stressed about your essay.
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8 June 1949, George Orwell
Novel; Dystopia, Political Fiction, Social Science Fiction Novel
Winston Smith, Julia, O'Brien, Aaronson, Jones, and Rutherford, Ampleforth, Charrington, Tom Parsons, Syme, Mrs. Parsons, Katharine Smith
Since Orwell has been a democratic socialist, he has modelled his book and motives after the Stalinist Russia
Power, Repressive Behaviors, Totalitarianism, Mass Surveillance, Human Behaviors
The novel has brought up the "Orwellian" term, which stands for "Big Brother" "Thoughtcrime" and many other terms that we know well. It has been the reflection of totalitarianism
1984 represents a dystopian writing that has followed the life of Winston Smith who belongs to the "Party",which stands for the total control, which is also known as the Big Brother. It controls every aspect of people's lives. Is it ever possible to go against the system or will it take even more control. It constantly follows the fear and oppression with the surveillance being the main part of 1984. There is Party’s official O’Brien who is following the resistance movement, which represents an alternative, which is the symbol of hope.
Before George Orwell wrote his famous book, he worked for the BBC as the propagandist during World War II. The novel has been named 1980, then 1982 before finally settling on its name. Orwell fought tuberculosis while writing the novel. He died seven months after 1984 was published. Orwell almost died during the boating trip while he was writing the novel. Orwell himself has been under government surveillance. It was because of his socialist opinions. The slogan that the book uses "2 + 2 = 5" originally came from Communist Russia and stood for the five-year plan that had to be achieved during only four years. Orwell also used various Japanese propaganda when writing his novel, precisely his "Thought Police" idea.
“Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.” “But if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.” “Being in a minority, even in a minority of one, did not make you mad. There was truth and there was untruth, and if you clung to the truth even against the whole world, you were not mad.” “Confession is not betrayal. What you say or do doesn't matter; only feelings matter. If they could make me stop loving you-that would be the real betrayal.” “Power is in tearing human minds to pieces and putting them together again in new shapes of your own choosing.” "But you could not have pure love or pure lust nowadays. No emotion was pure, because everything was mixed up with fear and hatred."
The most important aspect of 1984 is Thought Police, which controls every thought. It has been featured in numerous books, plays, music pieces, poetry, and anything that has been created when one had to deal with Social Science and Politics. Another factor that represents culmination is thinking about overthrowing the system or trying to organize a resistance movement. It has numerous reflections of the post WW2 world. Although the novella is graphic and quite intense, it portrays dictatorship and is driven by fear through the lens of its characters.
This essay topic is often used when writing about “The Big Brother” or totalitarian regimes, which makes 1984 a flexible topic that can be taken as the foundation. Even if you have to write about the use of fear by the political regimes, knowing the facts about this novel will help you to provide an example.
1. Enteen, G. M. (1984). George Orwell And the Theory of Totalitarianism: A 1984 Retrospective. The Journal of General Education, 36(3), 206-215. 2. Hughes, I. (2021). 1984. Literary Cultures, 4(2). 3. Patai, D. (1982). Gamesmanship and Androcentrism in Orwell's 1984. PMLA, 97(5), 856-870. 4. Paden, R. (1984). Surveillance and Torture: Foucault and Orwell on the Methods of Discipline. Social Theory and Practice, 10(3), 261-271. 5. Tyner, J. A. (2004). Self and space, resistance and discipline: a Foucauldian reading of George Orwell's 1984. Social & Cultural Geography, 5(1), 129-149. 6. Kellner, D. (1990). From 1984 to one-dimensional man: Critical reflections on Orwell and Marcuse. Current Perspectives in Social Theory, 10, 223-52. 7. Samuelson, P. (1984). Good legal writing: of Orwell and window panes. U. Pitt. L. Rev., 46, 149. 8. Fadaee, E. (2011). Translation techniques of figures of speech: A case study of George Orwell's" 1984 and Animal Farm. Journal of English and Literature, 2(8), 174-181. 9. Patai, D. (1984, January). Orwell's despair, Burdekin's hope: Gender and power in dystopia. In Women's Studies International Forum (Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 85-95). Pergamon. 10. Cole, M. B. (2022). The Desperate Radicalism of Orwell’s 1984: Power, Socialism, and Utopia in Dystopian Times. Political Research Quarterly, 10659129221083286.
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Essay Service Examples Literature Books
1984 Essays
45 samples in this category
Each text or literary work is interpreted differently by various readers. After reading a novel or a short story, the reader asks himself questions about the reasons why the author wrote it and what it means. Questions lead readers to interpret links to literature. People refer to what they read by connecting to their own lives, other texts, and the state and events of the world. The interpretation depends primarily on where the reader reads the text. That is also the case in the fictional novel by George Orwell 1984.
The book 1984 depicts a great deal of totalitarianism. A totalitarian government is one in which the government controls all aspects of life. How people spend every minute of their time, even in private, with whom they can relate and what they can say. Totalitarian governments are even trying to control what people feel and what they think. In the late 1940s, George Orwell wrote 1984. He knew that totalitarianism was based on the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. These governments did not take place long before 1984 but were still not well understood. Orwell’s aim was to give his readers a clear picture of life if a free country such as England had a totalitarian system. In 1984 totalitarianism was written into practice in the world. Of course, different generations of the audience differently interpreted 1984.
Two major readers read 1984: people who lived in the past war and young adults in the 21st century. The main difference between the two groups is that one group has experienced a totalitarian state, while the other group has just been told stories of totalitarianism. The fact is that both pay attention to various factors from 1984.
The group of readers with totalitarian experience, on the one hand, will pay attention to how the government oppresses its people. The group of readers who have not experienced totalitarianism, on the other hand, read 1984 in search of certain aspects of 1984. An example of this is the increased supervision of the lives of its citizens by the government. Since both groups focus on different aspects of the book, they interpret it differently. In 1984, the first group interpreted totalitarianism as an explanation and a response to the question, what if a free country like England had a totalitarian regime? The reason for such an interpretation lies in the world’s state. When readers read it when it was written (1948), Britain was at war and these people knew that the government was watching and controlling them. They would also recognize the propaganda in the book as: ‘WAR IS PEACE,’ ‘FREEDOM IS SLAVERY,’ ‘IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH’ and ‘BIG BROTHER IS YOU’ This group could easily recognize the similarities between the 1984 propaganda and Hitler’s propaganda. They will remember the Nazis ‘ contradictory views that promised peace and wealth but brought only war and poverty. This can be compared with the contradictory ministry of peace, the ministry of abundance, the ministry of truth, and the ministry of love, which deal with war, hunger, lies, and torture. In 1950, a reader first knows more about the fear of being monitored and controlled. The media were controlled by the Nazis during the Second World War. Radio, for example, broadcast only positive news for Germany. Houses were checked regularly to ensure that nobody heard anything else secretly. It was not only to see if people listened to an illegal radio station but also to see if they hid Jews. When they were founded guilty, they were immediately sent to a concentration camp. This is compared to Thought Crime and the Ministry of Love. P 21: “they’ll shoot me in the back of the neck I don’t care down with big brother they always should you in the back of the neck I don’t care down with big brother.” This is a quote from the Winston diary. Even writing in his own private diary is a crime at home because he did not obey the party leader, Big Brother. The fact that he caught it so quickly and was full of errors demonstrates that fear is caught and observed.
In 1984, the second modern group could be seen as a future forecast. Many years later, the foreknowledge of the book continues to drive its popularity, but the focus is changing. In the current cycle of news and politics, which includes alternative facts, false news, post-truth, and most recently, pre-knowledge, Winston Smith’s news world, doublethink, the Ministry of Truth, and Big Brother’s personality cults seem all the more relevant. For these readers of the 21st century, the book may be prophetic, but it certainly stores, moves, creates, and can not be denied. The 60-year-old book is more relevant than ever, as it alarms us too.
These subjects are information control technology. The theme of control is the most prevalent and most important message reflected in 1984 for the second group. It is closely linked to the last two topics because they appear in the lives of the second group every day. When these readers think about the world of 1984 they picture surveillance cameras, government spying, and monitoring through personal technological devices. The level of technology is very sophisticated and there is a lot of control over government information. Since the second group is so connected, they pay more attention to these aspects of the book than to other aspects, giving their group of readers a unique interpretation.
With technology advancing faster than it has ever been, the second group faces a different problem. For example, military-level software that has been harnessed by a company called Hidden Technologies allows users to insert a thumb drive into any device and extract all the information from it. This means deleted search history, private messages, encrypted files, and everything in between is vulnerable to the user. The scariest part is that this device leaves no trace and you will never know that the information was ever
The Themes Of Individualism In 1984 By George Orwell
Surveillance in 1984 by george orwell, 1984 by george orwell: the regime of soviet russia, 1984 by george orwell: the dangers of submitting to oppressive ideologies, the importance of freedom in 1984 by george orwell.
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Totalitarian Society In 1984 By George Orwell
1984 by george orwell: political ideology, the role of deception in george orwell’s 1984, human behaviour in george orwell’s 1984 and stanford prison experiment, loss of individuality in 1984, the concept of big brother in the novel 1984, theme of rejection to political apathy in 1984, the character of big brother in george orwell's 1984, the problem of evil in lord of the flies, othello and 1984, living the life: 1984, allegory of the cave, and why do people follow the crowd, rhetorical analysis of george orwell's 1984, the themes and ideas in 1984 and brave new world, totalitarian hegemony in dystopian fiction (brave new world, 1984, fahrenheit 451, lord of the flies, a clockwork orange and a handmaid’s tale), allusions in brave new world and 1984, how dystopia is portrayed in utopia, 1984 and fahrenheit 451, the sources of complex human emotions in 1984 and fahrenheit 451, repression of freedom and importance of memory in 1984 and the giver, human experience in 1984 and the brave new world, human behaviour in 1984 and lord of the flies, the human experience in 1984 and fahrenheit 451, 1984 and fahrenheit 451: the understanding of reality and the need to challenge injustices, an oppressive society in george orwell’s 1984 and animal farm, 1984 and panopticon: utopia and dystopia, social commentary of 1984 as a dystopia, the elements of dystopia in the handmaid’s tale and 1984, top similar topics.
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An Essay on George Orwell’s 1984: The Role of the Past in Examining Truth
G eorge Orwell’s novel, 1984, is a dystopian novel which takes place in a time where the government, otherwise known as The Party, controls everything. In the novel, a certain interpretation of truth can be perceived from the Party’s view of the past. This interpretation is different from the one we look to when we examine truth through history. History sees past…
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Absolute Control in the Novel 1984 by George Orwell Essay
Government control, no freedom in 1984 by george orwell essay.
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People hear about political issues all over the news and form their own opinions on them, but are they really deciding beliefs for themselves or are they just believing whatever the media tells them? Because of the modern day media biased, many people do not think independently, even when they think they are. They merely believe the lies the media feeds them and do not research the matter themselves to get an accurate idea of what is truly going on and how the control of information will impact the world around them. Because of people’s tendency to accept any piece of information that gets shoved down their throats, the US is slowly digging itself into the same government-controlled, no-freedom world as in the book 1984 by George Orwell.
Government Control In 1984 By George Orwell
The novel 1984 was written by George Orwell at the closing of the Second World War, where the political ideologies of the Stalin and Hitler regimes are combined and amplified. The story is set in Airstrip One, a province in the highly impoverished superstate of Oceania which is under the control of a totalitarian government. Oceania is also in perpetual war with three other superstates, and the Party utilizes various methods to retain their absolute control over the entire population. The Party runs under the ideology Ingsoc, a term used by the Party for English Socialism. The story revolves around the life of Outer Party member Winston Smith who unsuccessfully attempts to rebel against the Party and is ultimately erased from existence. By controlling every aspect of a citizen’s life and preventing the formation of political opposition, the Party is able to maintain their superiority. The Party uses three main tactics to remain in power: public manipulation, widespread government surveillance, and the concept of fear.
Control Of Power In George Orwell's 1984
In 1984, controlling the information and history of the society is revealed to be an effective method of controlling and oppressing a population. Since the Party has ultimate control over Oceania, they exert their power in every way possible. This includes their manipulation of history and information to paint themselves in a better light, and ensure absolute control over their populace. The Party manipulates history to turn it into truth to control. They constantly change and rewrite history to better fit how their society should be. While doing the mandatory Physical Jerks, Winston ponders how the Party controls people with their control over society:
Examples Of Doublethink In 1984
For example, if one were to “Doublethink”, one would say the sky is yellow and at the same time claim it to appear blue. Doublethink pits logic against logic; it allows you to reject morality, but then claim it to be true. While employing doublethink, one can forget certain knowledge, and then draw it back into memory when it comes of use. By utilizing doublethink, one can control one’s memories by choosing to forget an occurrence or experience. The process of “Doublethink” runs rampant in 1984 as it is heavily displayed in the society. For example, the Party’s four ministries have origins in “Doublethink” as the Ministry of Plenty supervises resource shortages, the Ministry of Love emits maltreatment and harsh retributions, the Ministry of Truth who unfurl propaganda and adulterate historical knowledge, and the Ministry of Peace who instruct war (Orwell 7). Also,
George Orwell 's 1984 : A Totalitarian Government Essay
George Orwell’s 1984 is a prime example of a deep dystopia with a totalitarian government. Totalitarian governments have full and total control. The Inner Party, which is the main form of government in Oceania, has total control over its people’s thoughts and actions. They use many forms of abuse in order to control them. The Inner Party controls the government and is the upper class. The middle class is called the Outer Party. These people are given jobs from the government and are more educated than the Proles, which make up the lower class. The Outer Party is in charge of executing the Inner Party’s policies, but they have no say in them. The government uses many forms of manipulation to control their people. The members of Oceania’s society do not misbehave out of fear of punishment. People who betray the government vanish. They disappear and there is no evidence that they even existed. The government also uses the threat of abuse to keep its people in line. People of Oceania know they can be tortured or killed for even the slightest misdemeanor. The middle class is led to believe that they are living a high quality life through a method of false prosperity. The government fools people by changing history so the only form of truth the people think they have is their own memory. Many people discard their own memories and believe whatever the Party tells them is truth. Winston Smith is the character in which the book is centered around. He has doubts
Orwell’s Totalitarian Government in 1984 Essay
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George Orwell’s key objective throughout his novel, 1984, was to convey to his readers the imminent threat of the severe danger that totalitarianism could mean for the world. Orwell takes great measures to display the horrifying effects that come along with complete and dominant control that actually comes along with totalitarian government. In Orwell’s novel, personal liberties and individual freedoms that are protected and granted to many Americans today, are taken away and ripped from the citizen’s lives. The government takes away freedom and rights from the people so that the ruling class (which makes up the government), while reign with complete supremacy and possess all power.
Manipulation And Power In George Orwell's 1984
In the novel 1984 written by George Orwell, Winston Smith is a thirty-nine-year-old man who lives in the city of Oceania. Oceania is controlled by a strict government regime known as the Party in which the leader is Big Brother. Throughout the novel, Winston outwardly conforms while questioning inwardly the morals and existence of the Party and Big Brother. However, Winston’s unsuccessful questioning and attempt to overthrow the Party and Big Brother symbolize the collapse of mankind at the hands of Socialism. The manipulation and control that the Party has over its citizens throughout the novel is a subtle way for George Orwell to tell the readers that one day the world he created could become a reality.
George Orwell Use Of Control In The Book 1984
In George Orwell novel nineteen-eighty four Winston is being alienated by the Party because it try to make Winston think, act, do everything a certain way. The Party controls Winston by the telescreen, thought police, and the children spies. The social regime/ the Party shapes or influences the characters because of the way they use brainwashing and physical control for punishment.
George Orwell's Use Of Control In The Novel 1984
The new words were invented and the old undesirable words were eliminated . It was beneficial for the party as it kept the secrets of the party and anticipated the political movements . No negative terms were there in the Newspeak . There were no such words by which rebellious thoughts arise , all of them were eradicated . Double think is mainly the concept that makes people bound to two decisions . It manipulated the people to allow the control of the government on their past and memories . It enabled the party to change the historical records , the people were brain washed and they considered the rule of the party as a good thing. .As a result of double think it was possible that Winston started loving Big Brother in the end
Mentally Control In George Orwell's 1984
There is a psychological purpose behind this concept but one to know will have to look into the world of Winston and what he believed in and stood beside at all times. In 1984 there was a so called doublespeak which basically meant saying one thing and meaning another. This feature shows what their society made all these people fear of getting caught by Big Brother which was their ideal the one they lived by. As it says in (page 34) “if the party could thrust its hand into the past and say of this or that event, it never happened.” words can speak by themselves and here you could tell Winston was trying to say that the party can basically control one's mind to what
Control In George Orwell 1984
The novel 1984, by George Orwell, shows the world through a totalitarian government. The main protagonist, Winston Smith, is a party member who works to cover up the Big Brothers propaganda. However, he begins to write in a journal of his hatred for the society he exists in. This is considered an act of treason and is punishable by death for committing a “thought crime.” Winston is aware that he is being watched every day, everywhere, and anywhere. Despite this fact, Winston and a woman named, Julia, both defy Big Brother and begin an affair. This is the world where everyone is against everyone, and those who break the rules are punished severely for their crimes. Big Brother wishes to gain total control of the population by banning or prohibiting
1984 By George Orwell Analysis
The strongest people are poor, starving, and treated like animals. In 1948, author George Orwell wrote the dystopian novel 1984. In 1984, Orwell created a world without freedom of speech, motion, and thought to portray an idea of our world with totalitarian power. In the book, it follows a member of the Outer Party named Winston, and his fight to keep his freedom of thought through love, rebellion, and secrecy. Throughout the book, it portrays three important themes, War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, and Ignorance is Strength. The statement, “Ignorance is Strength” is a deep meaning throughout George Orwell’s 1984 due to the jocundity of the Proles, the rigid rules and expectations of both the Inner and Outer party, and Big Brother’s strive
The Danger Of Totalitarianism In 1984 By George Orwell
Over seventy years after he lived and wrote, the works of English journalist and democratic socialist George Orwell, continue to fascinate, stimulate and enrage his readers concerning the structure of society and the organization of government. The controversial writer openly spoke out against the absolute power of any government, warning that a fascist government would deprive its people of their basic freedoms and liberties. Orwell’s novel, 1984, serves as a reminder of the danger of totalitarianism by depicting a future in which all citizens live under the constant surveillance of the “Big Brother.” Through the main character, Winston Smith, Orwell demonstrates the dangers of totalitarianism; writing of the consequences of absolute government in several essays and proposing socialism as an alternative. To Orwell, the role of government is to represent the common people rather than the old and the privileged.
A Totalitarian Government In 1984 By George Orwell
The governments in today’s society have brainwashed their citizens into believing everything their leader says and thinks is correct and everything else is wrong. This can sometimes be known as a totalitarian government. George Orwell’s novel 1984 revolves around totalitarianism. The members of the party in Oceania are taught and required to worship their leader Big Brother whether they believe in him or not. In the novel 1984, George Orwell shows the problems and the hatred with a totalitarian government through his use of symbolism, situational irony, and indirect characterization.
1984 Critical Analysis
In Comparison of the three slogans the number one thing they all have in common is they are all false and are all contradictions of each other; “War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, and Ignorance is strength.” Each slogan has it 's own purpose and reason to help the inner circle to control everybody to make sure they do not rise up against the inner party. If someone does go against the inner party the inner party sends their “task force” in to take that person and to have them do manually labor for the rest of their life. Which having the Thought Police a.k.a “task force” in the mix of everything adds even more anxiety and fear into the people of this society. In truth the inner circle uses fear and repeats the slogans to get people brainwashed into believing everything the inner circle is telling them.
Related Topics
- Nineteen Eighty-Four
Home ➔ Free Essay Examples ➔ George Orwell’s 1984 Essay
George Orwell’s 1984 Essay
George Orwell’s novel 1984 demonstrates a dystopian society and explains the nature of totalitarian government, using extensive imagery. Orwell shows the anti-utopian regime from the perspective of a civil worker — Winston. He is an outer party member whose job is to rewrite history. In the book, we discover his viewpoints and get an impression of the dystopian world of Oceania, one of three countries that antagonize one another. Below, you will find tips on how to choose a topic for your 1984 essay.
George Orwell’s 1984 resides on the list of the best books ever written. It is a must-read literature piece; its characters are being discussed by people of all age groups, and the novel has become an inspiration for writing essays on many attention-grabbing topics. Most of the readers note the outstanding and detailed historicism of the book and the description of the leading political party’s deeds.
Some of you might think that the novel is too old and that most essay topics have already been covered. However, this is only partially true. You should remember that an essay is an explanation of the author’s thought process, and even if you take on a theme that has already been written about, your opinions can differ from the views of others.
For example, you might want to express your attitude to the doublethink phenomenon depicted in the book. You can find volumes of think pieces about this crucial Orwell’s idea, but it doesn’t mean that it’s not up for debate. Another solution is to contemplate a more complex issue that the novel brings up.
How to Choose an Effective Topic for Your 1984 Essay
To choose a relevant topic for Orwell’s 1984 essay, you should pay attention to social problems raised in this piece of literature. Below is a list of issues that could make an interesting subject for research:
- Gender balance in the novel — pay attention to the roles of men and women in the book. How is the relationship between the main character, Winston, and Julia depicted?
- Symbolism in the novel — what images and ideas have a direct relation to real-world events? What did the author want to say about historical events by using metaphors?
- Brainwashing — how does manipulating the history affect the novel’s characters? How does doublethink impact their behavior?
- Room 101 metaphor — think about the symbolic meaning of Room 101, where people meet their worst nightmares. What are the effects of this procedure?
- Power display — look at how power is demonstrated in the book. How does the Party show its supremacy?
- Technology use — in the novel, technology is used not to expand but to limit people’s freedom. You can write about how imposing machinery of this fictional world imprints itself on the mental and physical health of the characters;
- Historicism — find the correlation between the events in the book and real-world history. How does the struggle Orwell wrote about can be contrasted to the Second World War or the Soviet Union? Take a look at the past: when was the last period without any wars?
These research ideas can become fascinating and purposeful essay topics. Consider each of them and choose a subject that other students hadn’t yet delved in, or work with the more familiar ground. But, make a point of expressing your opinions and attitudes.
How to Come Up With an Innovative Idea
Coming up with an essay idea based on the novel nineteen eighty-four is a tall order. If you wish to be innovative and investigate an unconventional topic, pick a research area from the previous paragraph, and connect it to your imagination, or find a relation with the real world. Next up, we will propose some courses of thinking that might help you find an excellent idea for your subject.
First, think about the impact of technology in the book and real life. Are there any correlations between the antisocial effects of mass media? What details did the author want to exaggerate? Also, you can analyze the use of technology in the consequential nightmarish world of the novel and real countries. You might find some unexpected similarities.
Another thinking direction can be the connection between family and politics. In the novel, internal control enforced their order, and forbade people to express their feelings — you couldn’t have a love affair; you couldn’t even be open with your family. George Orwell’s 1984 demonstrates powerfully a dystopian society without love, where family ties are less important than respect from party members. Think about the Thought police in Oceania and their influence on a person’s mental health.
One of the most intriguing and impressive characters in the novel is Big Brother — a mysterious figure who is omnipresent. In one of the biggest power moves of the regime, the characters are continually reminded that Big Brother loves them. Orwell uses several literary techniques that reveal the meaning of the symbol of Big Brother in the real world. Can you recall some examples of the same governmental apparatus in real-life countries?
In your 1984 essay, your tutor might allow you to go beyond the novel and compare it to other literature pieces and their ideas. One of such options is Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. Utopian and dystopian literature, although considered extreme polarities, can often be found to have a lot in common when juxtaposed.
1984 Novel Essay Topic Examples
If you’ve ever tried to come up with a dystopian novel essay idea, you know you have to choose the subject first. Below is a list of essay topics that can be useful to you. `
- It is essential for the inner party that the citizens of Oceania are kept in a perpetual state of paranoia. Consider how this state of constant fear is achieved.
- George Orwell based the totalitarian society of 1984 on real dictators and civil war. Write about historical elements that influenced the author. Use examples from both history and the text.
- Winston finds himself fighting an overbearing, totalitarian government. Finally, he fails. Bring up the reasons concerning the characters and the politics that contribute to either success or failure.
- Choose the most useful method Big Brother utilizes to keep the population in a totalitarian state and discuss why it works the best in comparison to other such practices in the book 1984.
Doublethink in Orwell’s “1984” (Essay Sample)
In Orwell’s novel “1984”, the word “doublethink” has been developed to illustrate the way the citizens blindly supported the corrupt British government. Many people define this term as the capacity of one to hold two conflicting ideas at the same time as truth. A perfect example of doublethink would involve a case in which “two and two equals five,” as presented in the seventh chapter of Orwell’s story. The author uses this slogan as a false dogma that citizens were forced to believe as the ruling party was very influential to the point that if they said, “three plus three equals seven,” everyone would have to agree. Many people did not think of the conflicting ideas as enslaving since the administration would force them to think, value, as well as act in their favor. The latter allowed the government to make changes at any point without facing any opposition from the subjects by leading them into believing in the new propaganda and suppress the previous truth (Moran, 2018). Thus, this paper will argue that the use of the doublethink doctrine is wrong and should not be in place as it inhibits people’s freedom of thought as well as creates an atmosphere in which objective reality is continuously denied.
Doublethink slogan was utilized by the government to ensure that they pass corrupt bills with the least level of opposition. For instance, in the novel, the use of this principle allowed citizens to blindly support beliefs brought forth by the totalitarian administration, even if it was against their personal opinions. Studies have shown that doublethink is an outcome of deprivation of people’s freedom to act and think based on their free will (Anderson, 2016; Kaye & Chin, 2017). Thus, this model was employed by a corrupt government to enslave the people and deny them their right to speak in society. Researchers claim that by following the doublethink slogan, “people are trained to tell deliberate lies while genuinely believing in them” (Orwell, 1990). The quote reflects a situation in which the subjects are coerced into trusting in false information until they take them as truth regardless of the position they hold on the case.
Doublethink is also a risky practice as it tends to block the reality and fiction of the line in society. The author claims that this doctrine “denies the existence of objective reality and all the while to take account of reality in which it negates” (Orwell, 1990). The quote implies that supporters of the doublethink slogan are only persuading themselves to follow an idea regardless of whether it conforms to objective truth or not. In the novel, if the totalitarian administration tells people that the use of fruits such as mangoes is harmful, they will have to believe even though they know it is a valuable source of vitamins. The party delivers messages that are designed to entice the people rather than help them face the truth (Orwell, 1990, p.52). There is also a case involving Winston sharing lies while writing a tale that he had been assigned to amend. Thus, doublethink is a terrible practice as it is used to further the interests of selfish leaders instead of all the people.
To conclude, Orwell’s novel has been able to show that since doublethink is developed based on totalitarian beliefs, it is perilous to use it in society today. The truth is that this model hinders people’s free will as well as their freedom of thought, which allows the administration to continue enslaving its citizens. Lastly, doublethink results in people denying the objective reality by making them believe what a corrupt third party, in this case, the British government, tells them.
- Anderson, M. (2016). Charter school reform: doublethink and the assault on the vulnerable. Journal of Thought , 50 (3-4), 33-48.
- Kaye, S., & Chin, C. (2017). Donald Trump’s use of post-truth double-think politics is a threat to liberal democratic norms. USA pp–American Politics and Policy Blog .
- Moran, S. (2018). Control in WWII Novels: 1984 and Brave New World (Doctoral dissertation, Worcester Polytechnic Institute).
- Orwell, G. (1990). Nineteen Eighty-Four. 1949. The Complete Novels , 7.
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George Orwell’s “1984” Analysis
Introduction / thesis, analytical part.
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Ever since George Orwell’s famous novel “1984” has been published in 1949, its semiotic significance was being discussed from a variety of political and sociological perspectives, with most literary critics concluding that “1984” was meant to increase people’s awareness as to the sheer wickedness of Communism, as a political doctrine. In his article “Utopia, Dystopia, and the Middle Class in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four”, Robert Paul Resch states: “Both admirers and detractors alike have tended to assume Orwell’s notion of totalitarianism to be straightforward and thus unworthy of any particular theoretical reflection” (1997, 138). However, this Orwell’s novel is not being concerned with the discussion of totalitarianism’s evils as much as it is being concerned with exposing what happens when society’s functioning gets to be adjusted to correspond to purely utopian theories that actively deny people their right to be endowed with natural instincts.
Therefore, we can say that “1984” does not only contain many ideological but also philosophical implications, which explains the fact that Orwell’s insight onto the very essence of totalitarianism remains fully valid even today, especially given the fact that the oppressive ideology of political correctness is now being forcibly imposed upon citizens of Western countries despite their will, as we speak. In this paper we will aim at exploring this thesis even further, while bringing readers’ attention to the fact that if self-appointed “experts on tolerance” are going to be allowed to proceed with their agenda of suppressing the truth, the horrors of “1984” will come to reality in very near future.
One of the most memorable aspects of Orwell’s anti-utopia is the fact that in it, author was able to predict the emergence of truly effective totalitarianism as such that would be closely associated with the invention of a new language “newspeak”, designed to serve the needs of a ruling party, while depriving ordinary citizens of even a hypothetical possibility to express their contempt with surrounding reality: “Whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought. In the end we shall make thought crime literally impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it” (Orwell, 22). And, as we are all well aware of – nowadays, the hawks of political correctness apply a great amount of effort in trying to convince people that under no circumstances should they be resorting to utilization of emotionally charged words, due to these words’ often offensive connotation.
In his article “The Age of Newspeak”, Lee Congdon points out to the fact that Orwell’s “newspeak” is actually the part of today’s politically correct realities: “Although some Americans dismiss “political correctness” as an aberration, its purveyors have succeeded in replacing standard English with a form of “newspeak”… Universities have attempted to impose speech codes in order to outlaw language that makes some students “uncomfortable” or that contradicts doctrines that, because they are difficult to defend in argument, must be insulated from criticism” (2002). Nowadays, the promoters’ of “tolerance” willingness to alter English language often assumes truly comical subtleties. For example, according to neo-Liberal whackos in governmental offices, the children’s fairy tale about Snow White and Seven Dwarfs should be referred to as “The Story and Seven Vertically Challenged Males and one Caucasian Female”.
Yet, there is nothing funny about these people’s intention to act as thought police’s officials. Whatever the improbable it might sound, but they seriously believe that there is no existential difference between the representatives of opposite genders, which in its turn, causes them to actively strive to undermine the very concept of gender differentiation. As of today, men try not to even look at women while in the same elevator, for example, simply because they are being utterly terrified of a prospect of losing their jobs on the account of “sexual harassment”. It might very well be the case that in very near future, men will be required to refer to women as “representatives of vaginal group” or something like that.
One cannot help but to draw a parallel between anti-sexist hysteria, which continue to gain a momentum in today’s Western countries, and governmentally sponsored anti-sexist hysteria, described in “1984”: “Sexual intercourse was to be looked on as a slightly disgusting minor operation, like having an enema. This again was never put into plain words, but in an indirect way it was rubbed into every Party member from childhood onwards. There were even organizations such as the Junior Anti-Sex League, which advocated complete celibacy for both sexes” (Orwell, 27).
One might wonder as to how come the contemporary enforcers of “newspeak” were able to convince many citizens that it is namely the neo-Liberal political agenda that should be considered as the only legitimate one? The answer to this question is simple – the hawks of political correctness have succeeded in taking over Western Medias in the same manner that members of Inner Party in Orwell’s “1984” have taken over the Medias in Airstrip One, while turning them into the ultimate tool of ideological brainwashing. In Orwell’s novel, Medias served only one purpose – perpetrating the most blatant lies 24/7: “War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength” (Orwell, 3). If we take a closer look at how Medias operate into contemporary equivalent of Airstrip One – a politically correct Britain, it will appear that the foremost principle of their functioning is also being solely concerned with perpetrating lies and with promoting intellectual decadence.
For example, it now being estimated that, during the course of so-called London’s “race riots” of 2001 and 2003, close to 500.000 Londoners and the residents of London’s suburbia had openly expressed their growing concerns about the process of Britain’s Islamization. And yet, British mainstream Medias still refer to these events as “racist provocation”, “crime against the spirit of tolerance” and “neo-nazi conspiracy”, even though that people who participated in mass rallies against the process of their country being gradually turned into Northern Pakistan, were ordinary citizens, who simply got fed up with newly arrived Muslim immigrants’ tendency to “celebrate diversity” by gang-raping White women and bringing explosives to London’s subway.
Another example – in 1999, when NATO planes were bombing innocent civilians in Yugoslavia, so that world’s attention would be diverted from Clinton-Lewinsky affair, British Medias used to provide people with a live “entertainment” of buildings being destroyed and people being blown to pieces, much like Airstrip One’s Medias used to expose citizens to the graphic sights of destruction and death: “Then you saw a lifeboat full of children with a helicopter hovering over it… Then the helicopter planted a 20 kilo bomb in among them terrific flash and the boat went all to matchwood. Then there was a wonderful shot of a child’s arm going up up up right up into the air a helicopter with a camera in its nose must have followed it up and there was a lot of applause from the party seats” (Orwell, 5). The reason for this is simple – throughout the course of history, it was in enforcers’ of ideological dictatorship best interests to keep ordinary citizens intellectually marginalized. And, the best way to achieve it is make sure that crowds never lack “bread and entertainment” – the more graphic and violent such entertainment is, the better.
However, despite having been subjected to politically correct brainwashing for a long time, many citizens in Western countries were still able to retain their ability to think in terms of logic. And, such their ability poses clear and immediate danger to those who work on behalf of New World Order’s secret bosses. This is exactly the reason why neo-Liberal governments in Western countries are being in such a rush to introduce more and more of so-called “hate speech” laws.
Nowadays, in such countries as Britain, France, Germany and Canada, one can easily be sentenced to 3-5 years in jail for simply stating that Jews were not only the people who had suffered during the course of WW2 (the “crime of historical revisionism”). The editorial “Holocaust Denier Irving is Jailed”, available on the web site of BBC News, leave no doubt as to validity of earlier suggestion: “British historian David Irving has been found guilty in Vienna of denying the Holocaust of European Jewry and sentenced to three years in prison” (2006). Why would the representatives of world’s Plutocracy be so terrified with people’s absolutely legitimate strive to reexamine the history? Orwell’s novel provides us with the ultimate answer to this question: “Who controls the past,’ ran the Party slogan, ‘controls the future: who controls the present controls the past” (Orwell, 15). As we all know, the representatives of “chosen people” have now attained a status of “holy cows”, simply because they were able to turn the issue of Holocaust into a profitable industry.
Nowadays, even a slightest criticism of Israeli genocidal policies in Palestine is being considered the “act of anti-Semitism” – a punishable criminal offence. If Holocaust did not occur, Jews would have invented it, because the “historical guilt” on the part of “goyms” benefits them in so many ways – Germany alone pays Israel $700 millions annually in reparations. In order for the “chosen people” to be able to proceed with their traditional activities of money laundering, promoting sexual perversion and destroying the economies of whole countries, the issue of Holocaust simply cannot be reexamined – those who control past, control future.
Thus, it will not be an exaggeration, on our part, to suggest that Orwell’s “1984” should not be considered as much as the literary insight onto the probable future – this novel is actually about the present. People, who read the novel in fifties, would naturally come to conclusion that “1984” was the ultimate criticism of USSR, which explains why in Soviet Union Orwell’s novel was officially banned. However, despite the fact that in 1991 Soviet Union had collapsed just like a stack of cards, we now have its ideological descendant – European Union.
In his article “Former Soviet Dissident Warns for EU Dictatorship”, Paul Belien quotes a former Soviet dissident Vladimir Bukovksy, who had suggested that slowly but surely, EU transforms itself into the miniature replica of Soviet Union: “The Soviet Union used to be a state run by ideology. Today’s ideology of the European Union is social-democratic, statist, and a big part of it is also political correctness… When you look at the European Commission it looks like the Politburo. I mean it does so exactly, except for the fact that the Commission now has 25 members and the Politburo usually had 13 or 15 members. Apart from that they are exactly the same, unaccountable to anyone, not directly elected by anyone at all” (2006). EU’s unelected bureaucrats really do believe that it is up to them to tell the citizens of European countries not only how should they live their lives but even what kind of thoughts they are allowed to keep in their minds – the similarity between Orwell’s vision of a grim future and today’s realities of living in politically correct Europe are being just too obvious not to be noticed.
Whereas; in “1984”, people were expected to openly express their love to Big Brother, in EU, people are being expected to openly express their love to countless “Holocaust survivors”, who were born in fifties and sixties. Whereas, in “1984”, Medias used to mislead citizens about the history of wars with Eastasia and Euroasia, in EU, Medias mislead citizens as to the history of WW1 and WW2. Whereas; in Orwell’s novel, it were namely the members of Inner Party, entitled with undisputed power of exercising control over ordinary people’s lives, in EU, this function is being performed by unelected and often anonymous bureaucrats.
Just like what it used to be the case with Oceania’s citizens, people in countries of EU simply cannot afford the luxury of being honest with their friends and neighbours – all it takes for an individual in today’s “tolerant” Europe to be instantly fired from work and to face the prospect of criminal prosecution is to suggest that Europe might not be benefiting a whole lot from the hordes of immigrants from Third World being allowed to settle here.
Apparently, the fact that Orwell novel’s many implications seem to be clearly concerned with the present, is being slowly realised by promoters of political correctness, which is exactly the reason why it might only be the matter of time, before “1984” will be banned from public libraries in Western countries, just as it used to be the case in Soviet Union. In her article “Cultural Sensitivity and Political Correctness: The Linguistic Problem of Naming”, Edna Andrews says: “There are instances of censorship not only in contemporary American media, but also in educational systems, where not only are teachers restricted in their speech, but literary works, such as Salinger’s “Catcher in the Rye” and Orwell’s “1984”. The reasoning behind the exclusion of such works from the classroom generally entails a belief that the “word” is so powerful that an inappropriate one can harm innocent children and destroy public morals” (1996, 396). Andrews’ suggestion does not appear being altogether deprived of rationale – in today’s Western countries, which suffer under the yoke of neo-Liberal dictatorship, the criticism of Communism is not being tolerated, simply because the closer look at hook-nosed proponents of neo-Liberal agenda reveals them as being nothing but spiritual and often biological descendants of Communist commissars. This is exactly the reason why children in American schools are now being taught to think of Hitler as the “embodiment of evil”, while being simultaneously indoctrinated to refer to Marx, Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin as simply the “misunderstood geniuses of workers’ liberation”, even though that the magnitude of Communist atrocities cannot even be compared to that of Nazis.
The conclusion of this paper can be formulated as follows: George Orwell’s novel “1984” is an absolute must for reading, because this literary masterpiece does not simply provide us with the better understanding as to what world would have been like, had Commies succeeded with their original intention of conquering the whole planet, but it also specifies techniques, used for ideological brainwashing. However, the greatest benefit of reading “1984” is the fact that this novel contains a clue as to the fact that the proper functioning of just about any utopian society cannot be achieved, without such society’s members being turned into brainless robots. This is why “1984” is not being particularly liked by today’s Marxists, who now operate under disguise of neo-Liberal sophisticates – apparently, they are being well aware of the full spectrum of novel’s ideological, political and philosophical implications. Therefore, “1984” must be referred to as to what it really is – one of 20 th century’s most important literary masterpieces, the publishing of which had revealed the true essence of Communism; thus, contributing a lot to the process of this bloodthirsty ideology being deprived of its popular appeal.
Bibliography
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Congdon, Lee “The Age of Newspeak”. 2002. Virginia Institute for Public Policy . Web.
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