In the novel 1984 by George Orwell, the author challenges the traditional humanist depictions of love and selflessness by showing that these human qualities are unattainable in the dystopian world portrayed. Orwell, however, does instill some hope with the fact that the proles maintain some sense of humanity. The Party is determined to extinguish all humanity within the party members by controlling all parts of their lives, but if the proles can maintain their basic human goodness then there is a small glimmer of hope that the party can be overthrown. Due to the extreme repression placed upon the party members, basic human qualities like love and selflessness are reduced to nothing more than pure instinctual behaviors. Upon being introduced to the dystopian world portrayed in the novel, the audience learns that Winston has a complicated viewpoint on love and relationships because of the party’s strict regulations. When Winston reminisces about his wife Katharine, an orthodox party member, he confirms that she was very against sex just like any other party member. He acknowledges that they never loved each other and were simply married “to beget children for the service of the Party” (65). Under the control of the Party, sex is turned into something that is seen “as a slightly disgusting minor operation” (65). The passion and love usually associated with sexual intercourse are reduced to the human sexual instinct because the Party monitors it so closely. Because
The ability to love is possibly one of the most recurring aspects of humanity. Everyday people fall in and out of love with each other 's personalities, opinions and lifestyle choices. In his novel 1984, George Orwell depicts a dystopian, loveless society. The technology, newspeak, and doublethink force conformity on Oceania, the setting of the book. The lack of diversity in people creates a world, where there isn’t any reason to love anyone else. Family relationships that were formerly built with love, support, and loyalty are ripped away and replaced with distrust, anxiety and hostility. Sexual relationships no longer have love or pleasure, which makes them mean virtually nothing, except the hope of
George Orwell’s theme in 1984 is that an omnipotent and all-seeing government is dangerous and will demean individuality as well as free will. He portrays this through Winston’s failure to rebel while showing totalitarian governments cannot be stopped after they have been completely established. He also depicts his message through the citizens’ total belief in government propaganda no matter how absurd or inconstant as well as through the international solidarity and seemingly permanent nuclear cold war.
However, because the Party is able to control the emotions of the public through events like the Two Minutes Hate and public executions, people are filled only with three blind feelings: hate, anger, and fear. When Winston meets Julia, he unlocks a whole new set of emotions such as happiness, curiosity, and love. At this point in the story, he becomes more human than those who allow themselves to be programmed by the Party. Orthodoxal members of Oceania aren’t able to feel the same way Winston does, since the Party destroys humanity by ridiculing love and approving only of marriages that are based on practicality. Humanity is destroyed in our society in a similar way, when people ridicule feelings such as depression and emptiness, and dismiss those who look for emotional help as attention-seeking. Without acceptance of all emotions, members of society cannot connect in a human
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
Love is both the foundation and the weakness of a totalitarian regime. At the heart of any totalitarian society, love between two individuals is eliminated because only a relationship between the person and the party and a love for its leader can exist. The totalitarian society depicted throughout the Orwell’s novel 1984 has created a concept of an Orwellian society. Joseph Stalin’s Soviet regime in Russia can be described as Orwellian. The imaginary world of Oceania draws many parallels to the modern day totalitarian regime established by Stalin. For example, in the novel it was the desire of the Party to eliminate love and sex, in order to channel this pent-up passion towards the love of Big Brother. Similarly, Stalin used propaganda
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.
1984, Orwell’s last and perhaps greatest work, deals with drastically heavy themes that still terrify his audience after 65 years. George Orwell’s story exemplifies excessive power, repression, surveillance, and manipulation in his strange, troubling dystopia full of alarming secrets that point the finger at totalitarian governments and mankind as a whole. What is even more disquieting is that 1984, previously considered science fiction, has in so many ways become a recognizable reality.
In the novel 1984 Winston Smith is undoubtedly a failure. Winston exhibits attributes that would lead one into believing that he in fact, is a hero. Winston attempted to rebel against society and over through the party. Winston nearly achieves hero status and as a result, his failure is substantially more devastating. George Orwell created Winston as a failure so that Winston could operate as a warning to others that the world is headed in a negative direction.
In the novel 1984 by George Orwell, the totalitarian government is adamant that all citizens not only follow its policies, but wholeheartedly agree with them. In order to maintain his individuality and avoid the Thought Police, Winston lies about his allegiance to the government and his beliefs and thoughts. He learns that his lies are weak and shallow after he is caught, and he eventually realizes the true power of his lies when he deceives himself. The totalitarian government Orwell presents encourages deception as a means of survival, increasing the government’s power when the citizens are eventually driven to lie to themselves. As the Party grows stronger and individuality crumbles, Orwell displays the loss of humanity as a result of a government built on deception.
The Book 1984 was written by George Orwell shortly after W.W.II. I think this book really shows us what would happen if the government gets too powerful. It was written long ago and set in the future, but I feel like the message is still very relevant today.
For all of history there has existed the struggle between the strong and the weak. The establishment of government gives the power to a particular group to decide the amount of freedom the majority is allowed, however, though not ideal it provides necessary order. The benefits of security that limitations on freedom provides must be balanced with the individual's pursuit of happiness for citizens to be content. To prevent the governed majority from destabilizing the rulers and seeking power, the government will oppress political and personal freedom of thought. In result, the majority will live under the illusion of contentment and not wish to revolt; those enlightened to the idea that the government should be ruled by the governed, would associate happiness only with ignorance and consequently seek freedom.
One day when I was eleven years old, I told my mom that I believe I should own a phone. I would tell her every day, “please get me a phone” and then listed a bunch of reasons on why I should own one. My mom would disagree with me and say, “no, it’s too expensive” or “no, your not responsible enough.” Despite this, I continued to try and convince her, it took several months of convincing and pleading, and then finally, on Christmas morning, I ripped open my present and there was the iPhone 6s lying in my hands. Now I was able to socialize and connect with friends and family. In the dystopian novel, 1984 by George Orwell, Winston Smith lives under the control of Oceania’s government called the Party. The citizens of Oceania are dehumanized
Many people in a censored society desire to show their individualistic nature, but "until they become conscious they will never rebel, and until they rebel they cannot become conscious" (Orwell70). In George Orwell's 1984 he shows the authority a government can have on one's life even when all they want is self-expression. Many are too frightened to rebel, yet when one does it impacts his life forever. Even though the society of "1984" by George Orwell claims to be complete and total censorship, the problem of wanting more self-expression is still evident which is shown through indirect characterization, symbolism, and themes.
George Orwell’s dystopian novel, 1984, examines a society in which the overwhelming domination of Oceania’s leading party of the totalitarian government, Ingsoc, causes its citizens to become automatons—except for one citizen: the protagonist, Winston Smith. Like the masses, Winston is subjected to the regime’s use of constant surveillance, alteration of historical records and memories, psychological and ideological manipulation, and torture. Although Winston is subjected to the regime’s various manipulations, which have the final goal of eliminating all individualism, Winston stands out from the masses. Throughout the novel, Winston actively rebels against the regime primarily by having independent thought and by forming a meaningful relationship with another citizen, a relationship that is restricted by the regime. As Orwell depicts Winston’s strong desire for individuality, he compels readers to pay attention to the totalitarian regime’s deliberate restraint of distinctiveness. By using Winston’s role to demonstrate the importance of individual thought and meaningful relationships in the identity of a human being, Orwell suggests that a totalitarian regime demands the loss of individuality in order to have and preserve total control.
The party also controls love between men and women. For example, the party must give approval for marriages and never lets a compatible couple wed. Similarly, the Party highly discourages sex through the Junior Anti-Sex League and permitting sex for procreation only, never pleasure. This is well described when Winston recalls his relationship with Katherine, "As soon as he touched her she seemed to wince and stiffen... She would lie there with shut eyes, neither resisting nor cooperating, but submitting."(58). This shows how the party successfully morphed the act of sex into dirty and painful, there by taking control of yet another aspect of love.