The Threat of Love in Totalitarian Regimes as Depicted in Orwell's 1984

Striking similarities can be drawn when looking at the fictitious government of Oceania in George Orwell’s 1984 and Joseph Stalin’s Soviet Republic. When looking at the way Stalin ran his regime, as well as the effect it had on the citizens of the nation, it’s clear to see that Orwell may have drawn inspiration from Stalin’s Soviet Union when designing the fictitious Oceania. The quality of living in the Soviet Union at the time was almost identical to that portrayed in 1984. The division of wealth among the people of Oceania also seemed inspired by life in Stalin’s Soviet Union. Most strikingly similar though was the lack of freedoms and rights in 1984 and in Stalin’s Soviet Union.

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.

In George Orwell’s novel 1984, the nature of love and friendship in the nation of Oceania that Orwell writes about, the Party tries desperately to erase love for anything but Big Brother from the lives of its members. (Reese) 1984 displays that the party’s unlimited and absolute control of the people. For an example the telescreens are used to surveillance the people in their homes. The party has eyes in many places too. For instance the love of Winston and Julia somehow compromised by Mr. Charrington when he disclosed the relationship to the Party about them. Another example of the love in Oceania is the marriage of Winston and Katharine ended horrendously. (Reese) Winston thinks deeply about the condition of the world. (Notes) He said he wanted to throw her off of a cliff.

It was Friday the 13th and I was walking down the street. Unlike everyone else, Friday the 13th was usually a lucky day for me, so I thought nothing bad would happen to me on this day. But then I tripped and fell into a muddy puddle on the side of the road. A theme of 1984 by George Orwell is Don't expect to never get hurt in the end as this story portrays, I believe that I could be careless and not get hurt in the end but I did get hurt in the end just a Winson did. 1984 by George Orwell is about a man named Winston Smith, who lives in a time where he is not allowed to love or write, which if he does he will be punished by death. But Winston finds a diary and decides to write about memories that stands out to him, when he does he starts to go against Big Brother. He finds love and writes in his diary, but soon the Ministry of love finds this out and they decide to torture the love out of Winston and Julia and in the end the ministry of love succeeds, Winston is forever faithful to Big Brother. Winston had went against Big Brother and had expected to get away with everything with no consequences, he was caught and punished because of this he had lost her own feeling and ideas.

Everyone has different perceptions of love and hate, in the novel 1984 by George Orwell, an interesting new perspective on these concepts is conveyed through the story. Within the book, concepts of love and hate coexist for the sole purpose of manipulation through the ruling government, The Party. The nature of love, happiness, and friendship in the country of Oceania, where the book takes place, simply is that they do not exist with exceptions for their leader, Big Brother. The Party influences all concepts of emotion for the purpose of manipulation in order to remain in control over society. With all that was said, the true message of the book is that love and hate cannot exist without the other.

Stalin also implemented a cult of personality, which is similar to the likes of Hitler and Big Brother in 1984. He renamed sixteen Soviet Union cities after himself. Some examples of these cities names are: Stalino, Imeni Stalina, Stalingrad, Stalinisi, and Stalin. Just like Big Brother in 1984, Stalin appeared to the citizens as all knowing, all powerful, and omnipresent. Stalin made the public perceive him as a father figure, the phrase "Thank You Dear Comrade Stalin for a Happy Childhood!" appeared above doorways at nurseries, orphanages, and schools. He eradicated religion and arrested priests so that the religious could sway their devotion towards him. He soon became the focus of every artistic endeavor and large posters of him appeared of him everywhere. Stalin rewrote soviet history so he could appear more heroic and godly to everyone. He also developed an illusion of unanimous support so the public felt like they had not choice to submit to his ways.

When power goes too far, you get to see what people are really like. George Orwell’s 1984 demonstrates a strong sense of totalitarianism in a society called “Oceania”. The leader of Oceania is the Inner Party, or “the Party” for short. The Party is a group of elites who use a symbolic figure they call “Big Brother” to control the middle and lower classes. They use the Thought Police, which is a government group of unknown individuals that aim to suppress these lower classes and their individuality. This helps to accomplish the Party’s goal of complete control. In a world with manipulation and surveillance, it is inevitable that government corruption exists.

Love in the Novel 1984 by George Orwell, plays an important theme as it shows us how the inner party uses love as a form of control over its’s people.

In 1948 George Orwell published 1984, a prescient view of the future based off of the Soviet state under Joseph Stalin. In which he controlled his citizen s under the guise of communism, which was merely the mask in which totalitsarianism hid behind. Despite the novel being a criticism of post world war ii Russia, the concepts of manipulative government control still exists in Russias modern age.Through Vladmir Putins assassinations of political dissengters and a war based purely on the premise of power demonstrate that the fears emmited in 1984 still exist today.

George Orwell’s 1984 is a great allegory about life under communist rule. Throughout the book there are many concepts that directly relate to the rule of Josef Stalin in the U.S.S.R.

O’Brien, an antagonist in George Orwell’s novel, describes a society based on hate and suffering would be able to exist for very long time. The intoxication of power and the thrill of victory would be enough motivation for people to continue living without friendship or love because people naturally want to feel superior to others. Although the ability to live or adapt in such a society is not what the majority can survive for a long time in because the society could destroy itself. A society can survive in this kind of society only if it was isolated and if its leader is able to alter history, manipulate language, and physically control its constituents. This kind of society has also happened in our world which already proves that a society based on hate and suffering can survive and exist for a long time.

Totalitarianism was a very important theme in George Orwell’s 1984, as it is constantly shown throughout the novel. Orwell was living in a time, the 1940s, where the Soviet Union was a powerful force in the world, and the strong totalitarian government shown in the novel was based off of the Soviet Union. Not only did totalitarianism happen in the 1940s, but it also continues to occur today in countries such as North Korea and China. In George Orwell’s 1984, Orwell makes many similarities to today’s world by warning what could happen in the future.

George Orwell’s message in his novel 1984, is that love and hate are seen as the backbones of the society.Sometime one can outshine the other and vice versa. However, in his book there is no room to love anyone or even yourself. All your time and devotion is put into supporting and believing in Big Brother or the antagonist of the novel. Hatred is encouraged, and is portrayed as the backbone of the society. There is only love for Big Brother, friendship and happiness can easily turn to anger and an enemy if the totalitarian society deems it necessary. The government uses the emotions of citizens to control them through the mind.

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.

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.