Good Morning/ Afternoon class, today I will be discussing the cultural fear that totalitarian governments bring and how that influenced George Orwell's writing of 1984 as well as how that contextual understanding has influenced my interpretation of the novel.
The society in 1984, although fictional, mirrors the political weather of the societies that existed all around George Orwell. Orwell's Oceania is a terrifying society reminiscent of Hitler's Germany and Stalin's Soviet Union where he witnessed the danger of absolute political authority in an age of advanced technology. A society where there would be complete repression of the human spirit, absolute governmental control of daily life, constant hunger, and the systematic "vaporization" of individuals who do not, or will not, comply with the government's values. Orwell, tried to illustrate that peril harshly in his novel, In an effort to convince readers to avoid any path that might lead towards such social degradation.
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Moreover, both regimes consistently demonized their enemies, just as the Party and Big Brother do in 1984, through the Two minutes Hate, Hate week and daily mass propaganda. Other aspects include the Thought Police as a reinvention of Gestapo which were the secret police of Nazi Germany that orchestrated large scale purges and terror. The spies and Youth league was a reinvention of the Hitler Youth, which indoctrinated young people to the Party and encouraged them to report disloyalty observed in their elders and among family members. This is similar to the case when Parsons is convicted for thoughtcrime after his daughter reported him for saying “Down with Big Brother” in his
1984, George Orwell used fear in the novel to cause people to ignore the parties’ actions and transform their reality. The fear the party implants in the citizens is how they have complete control over Oceania, and provides harsh punishments if they decide to go against Big Brother. Therefore, making the population of Oceania obedient to Big Brother’s laws because they are scared of the consequences of breaking the law and being tortured. Citizens fear for their own lives and that is why they do not disobey the Party. In 1984, fear is a method that is used for manipulation.
In the book 1984 by George Orwell, a totalitarian government is emphasized. Throughout the story, it is revealed that all the government cares about is war and power within themselves. It is clearly shown that the intentions of the government in Oceania are self-serving and not benevolent. With the use of Newspeak and Doublethink, Orwell further shows that the intentions of the government are one sided and are only effective for themselves. The way in which the government runs its people expresses the idea of selfishness and that all benefits are only for the government. Through the use of surveillance, torture, and complete removal of people's privacy, the government is able to manipulate and scare people into obeying the government, which in turn only makes the government stronger.
1984 has come and gone. The cold war is over. The collapse of oppressive totalitarian regimes leads to the conclusion that these governments by their nature generate resistance and are doomed to failure. The fictional world of George Orwell's novel, 1984, is best described as hopeless; a nightmarish dystopia where the omnipresent State enforces perfect conformity among members of a totalitarian Party through indoctrination, propaganda, fear, and ruthless punishment. In the aftermath of the fall of capitalism and nuclear war, the world has been divided among three practically identical totalitarian nation-states. A state of perpetual war and poverty is the rule in Oceania. However, this is merely a backdrop, far from the most terrifying
In the face of fear people often betray the ones closest to them. Other automatically give up without the need of torture because the fear is so strong it controls the ability to make decisions. Fear is often a powerful emotion that come with selfishness and every person for themselves idea. Sometimes people can overcome the pain or fear for a loved one but in Orwell’s book 1984 shows how fear can override that love and can force people to betray the person closest to them. Fear causes selfishness and survival instincts to activate. A person who is the kindest person and is very altruistic in many different ways but when face with their greatest fear that person could fail or betray their loved ones. “All you care about is yourself,” in a crisis, a person might give up sensitive information or put another in harm's way(Orwell page, 292). Even after you can pretend that they did not mean or it was only a trick but at the time they meant every selfish word they said.
Orwell is making a statement that describes how fear is a way stronger force than love. The Party works to rebel all physical temptations of love, and depersonalizes sex to the point where it is referred to as a "duty to the Party". Some Party organizations even advocate complete abstinence and procreation only through insemination. Fear is an element of human nature that cannot be changed fear has always existed within every human being and always will. The fear of physical pain, fear of the loss of something, fear of commitment, or fear of consequences.
1984 examines a future under the rule of a totalitarian society. One of the unique notes about Orwell's 1984, is the views that Orwell presents on humanity, and human nature. Orwell presents humanity as divided into two sides- the dominant, and the submissive, with few quickly-eradicated anomalies in between. Human nature, however, is universal, and all humans
George Orwell's horrendous yet prophetic vision of the future in his novel, 1984 has come and gone. In this nightmarish novel, Oceania, where the story takes place, is the perfect depiction of "Negative Utopia" in which the government is in total control of their citizens. They control every aspect of their life. From the smallest things as the clothes their citizen wore on a daily basis to the person they were allowed to marry to their thoughts. Freedom of choice and thought was unquestionable and was not allowed and anything or anyone that went against this principle or resisted oppression was completely suppressed themselves. Now, under our current government there are a lot of similarities
In the novel 1984, Orwell produced a social critique on totalitarianism and a future dystopia that made the world pause and think about our past, present and future. When reading this novel we all must take the time to think of the possibility that Orwell's world could come to pass. Orwell presents the concepts of power, marginalization, and resistance through physical, psychological, sexual and political control of the people of Oceania. The reader experiences the emotional ride through the eyes of Winston Smith, who was born into the oppressive life under the rule of Ingsoc. Readers are encouraged through Winston to adopt a negative opinion on the idea of communist rule and the inherent dangers of totalitarianism. The psychological
Paranoia an uncontrollable emotion that refers to the suspicion or perception that one has against a hostile or aggressive figure or horror. It can often lead to the point of delusion or irrationality in the person. This emotion is catastrophic, it takes over people's minds and bodies, making their “true” self disappear. Once the fear is inside of a person it is hard to overcome. 1984, is a dystopian novel written by George Orwell. He writes about what he imagines the year 1984 will be like, based off of his knowledge about war, fear, and totalitarian governments in the 1940s and 50s. George Orwell, has personal experience of innocent people that were haunted by paranoia, and is one of the key reasons he decided to become an author and write this book. Paranoia is a frequent recurring topic in this novel, that many citizens in the city of Oceania experience, most importantly, the main character, Winston. People in Airstrip one are haunted by Big brother and the Party, because of their cruel ways of order. Big Brother is a real life representation of dictators from World War Ⅱ, but mostly portrays qualities like Joseph Stalin, the dictator of the Soviet Union. The party ruled under Big Brother, making policies, claims, and decisions for Oceania. Paranoia always has been an analytical part of governments, and is so influential in 1984. This feeling exhibits the true meaning of fear and the alterations that come along with the power a certain group or figure holds above a
Fear within the ignorant animals of Animal Farm and defeated humans of 1984 exist to uphold each novel’s totalitarian government. Each of these George Orwell novels delve into the power and manipulation of an absolute dictatorship. Napoleon in Animal Farm and Big Brother in 1984 both claim the newly established system of authority is of superior quality than the preceding regime. Apprehension is due to both fictional and realistic threats, twisted for the government’s power-hungry use. Feelings of fear permit the pigs and the Party to control devotion and independence in ignorant citizens. Animal Farm and 1984 simulate fear utilized by authoritarian rule to control, keep citizens loyal and modify reality. George Orwell’s two novels warn
The Party also uses the element of instability to keep the public on its feet. One day the ration of food is lower than the next, and they're praising on the news channel the amount of food they are allowed. They're never at war with the same country, but people are not encouraged to notice these changes since they are trained to just accept them as the beaten-down manipulated robots that they are. This is how corrupt Oceania's society is. The ones with the power and the voice have all the say and everyone else in the society follows and accepts. Everything is aseptic in Oceania. Also, there are no emotions since people are afraid of the surveillance on the street and the telescreens in their homes. The Thought police are everywhere, therefore,
Based on events from the past and what is shown in 1984, I believe a society focused on fear and hatred will not be able to flourish. O’Brien argued, in the novel, that The Party has control over external reality because nothing exists outside the mind, only The Party exists (Orwell). Winston responded to this by saying that a society that lives on fear and hatred would have no vitality, it would disintegrate, and it would commit suicide (Orwell). I personally agree with Winston because a society needs to breathe or have freedoms in order to survive. In essence, I believe a society based on hate and suffering, such as what O’Brien described, could not exist for long, and the intoxication of power and thrill of victory could not be enough motivation for people to continue living without friendship or love, and I could not live in such a suffering society.
George Orwell’s 1984 is more than just a novel, it is a warning to a potential dystopian society of the future. Written in 1949, Orwell envisioned a totalitarian government under the figurehead Big Brother. In this totalitarian society, every thought and action is carefully examined for any sign of rebellion against the ruling party. Emotion has been abolished and love is nonexistent; an entire new language is being drafted to reduce human thought to the bare minimum. In a society such as the one portrayed in 1984, one is hardly human. In George Orwell’s 1984, the party uses fear, oppression, and propaganda to strip the people of their humanity.
“No one is free, even the birds are chained to the sky.” Bob Dylan said this probably not knowing its profound connection with George Orwell’s novel “1984”, but the as well could be in “1984”. Orwell depicts a totalitarian dystopian world where there is no freedom and citizens are being brainwashed constantly. Without any sense of individual fairness, people work for the party just like the gear wheels in a machine. In order to achieve this, the politicians in “1984” suppress people’s thinking and eliminate their freedom by creating fear through propaganda, strict laws and incessant surveillances.
“Self-preservation is the first law of nature.” (Samuel Butler 1675) It’s common sense and hard wired into the minds of all humans and animals, that if your safety is questioned then your minds will make you do anything to return to whatever makes you feel peace. Playing on common fears of people, will strengthen power and will erase any inquiring into their policies (commandments). Orwell not only wanted to show fear in a fictional sense, but in the non-fictional sense as well. Orwell produced this by the characterisation of the pigs, with the progression of pig to man and this general stigma of pigs being used to describe man; this is largely evident at the end of the novel, “The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig,