The Thought Police

Mankind today has many sources predict that the future is likely headed into a world of tyranny, controlled by technology and secretive authorities playing us like marionettes. In the novels 1984 by George Orwell and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, it explains the stories of two middle aged men, Guy Montag and Winston Smith, who live in dystopian societies where stupidity is conventional and knowledge is a crime. Bradbury teaches his audience that books are extremely vital for knowledge, while Orwell shows how technology and the manipulation of perception can easily be used to brainwash others into believing almost anything. While the high forces attempt to hypnotize everyone, the heroes of the story share similar fates, escape it and realize that the controlling forces in their society are performing an eradication of intelligence and freedom in order to manipulate mankind and they make a stand to fight for the truth.

This shows that the author’s depiction of future society, which consists of lack of freedom and a somewhat totalitarian government, helps develop his

Several conflicting frames of mind have played defining roles in shaping humanity throughout the twentieth century. Philosophical optimism of a bright future held by humanity in general was taken advantage of by the promise of a better life through sacrifice of individuality to the state. In the books Brave New World, 1984, and Fahrenheit 451 clear opposition to these subtle entrapments was voiced in similarly convincing ways. They first all established, to varying degrees of balance, the atmosphere and seductiveness of the “utopia” and the fear of the consequences of acting in the non-prescribed way through character development. A single character is alienated because of their inability to conform – often in protest to the forced

Similarly to Napoleon’s training of the puppies, the Party trains children to follow their rules and report thoughtcriminals. Children fill parents with the dread that they shall be determined a thoughtcriminal and taken away to the Ministry of Love. Inner and Outer Party members therefore aim to obediently conform to Big Brother’s laws. Fright of rebellious acts’ punishment cause members to discard opposing thoughts, permitting tyrannical authority to continue controlling citizens. The Party slogans are another insightful factor to examine. “Ignorance is Strength,” “War is Peace,” and “Slavery is Freedom” all induce fear and control the populace of Oceania. Power is gained and sustained by citizen’s ignorance to government manipulation. Lack of knowledge is retained by enslaving the citizens to obey laws without questioning. Citizens’ ignorance causes them to accept the atmosphere of apprehension that war creates. Together, the regulations control citizen’s education and stimulate fear, both of which promote totalitarian government’s power. Each of George Orwell’s novels, Animal Farm and 1984, simulate societies in which the government uses the next generation and laws to

In a dystopian society, there is no such thing as “freedom.” The basic rights that human beings are born with are non-existent. Life for the citizens is made unjust, unfair, selfless, and cruel in order to satisfy the needs of the corporate control, also known as the party inside of the novel. In 1984, the depicted world where the party members lives are attracted to the government in every way possible is portrayed , just as a gear would turn a wheel. The strong government power implants lies and false beliefs inside the minds of citizens, making them brainwashed and unable to contain any other substance. In every case their is always a protagonist, or two, itching to escape the tight grip of the mental and physical hold that is placed upon them by the controller. Inside of the powerful novel 1984, propaganda, rigorous laws, and surveillance characterizes the society.

In the midst of the Cold War, the fear of communism was spreading across the US like wildfire. In 1949 George Orwell publishes 1984 to depict a future dystopian society controlled by a totalitarian government. He hopes to show his readers what effect communism can potentially have through the government in the novel known as the Party. This government makes numerous efforts to control not only all aspects of the present life for its citizens but also all aspects of the past. It is seen as the ultimate power striking fear in all of its citizens’ minds. In Orwell’s novel, he uses the character Winston to show how a totalitarian government attempts to control its citizens’ free will to order to be the supreme power; Winston, however, does his best to not conform.

The totalitarian government realized that when history is present, different forms of government, living standards, and philosophies are exposed to the public. If the people knew different ways of living they could possibly disagree with their current society’s living standards, which could lead to rebellion, which would then lead to reducement in the government’s power. In the end, they could not achieve the full potential of their power if history with different ways of life was still present. This then lead to the altering of history, where the government made up their own past so that the civilians would believe that life had always been that way. If the government’s way of

George Orwell and Aldous Huxley both penned novels about their prophecies of a future ruled by totalitarianism. Neil Postman juxtaposes these prophecies in an excerpt from his book, Amusing Ourselves to Death. Orwell’s vision proclaims the oppression of an external source, while Huxley’s states that the greatest oppression comes from within a society. Postman argues that Huxley’s vision pertains to today’s society more than Orwell’s. His assertion correctly expresses the fears about society’s future, identifying the power of internal passivity over external captivity.

Through this novel, the government tries to change society in way that they are really changing history. The government tries to delete words and phrases and if people in the society ever spoke about them, they could get in serious trouble like being arrested or worse. “And If all others accepted the lie which 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.” (1.3.18).

In the book 1984, George Orwell describes a world similar to that of the Nazi Germany. An assortment of parallels can be drawn between the totalitarian governments of Adolf Hitler and Orwell’s fictional “Big Brother.” Complete power, propaganda, and dehumanization are three main topics related to both Orwell’s novel and Nazi Germany. Complete power is achieved by the dictatorship and totalitarianism. Brainwashing in both cases uses tactics of propaganda and invasion of privacy. Dehumanization is created by torture and death of the weak. This ties directly with George Orwell’s dystopian, or an imagined place in which everything is grim, society in 1984 because Big Brother aimed to achieve the complete power by brainwashing and dehumanizing his people.

At the time when this book was written, George Orwell was living in a world where communism was alive and well. The message Orwell was trying to get across to the people of his time was that the communist party’s main outlook was to gain absolute power. With World War II in progress, communism may look pleasing to the people because no one has more power than another, but more often than not, they end up turning into dictatorships, which is what George illustrated in the book. He has seen the disastrous effects it left on the Soviet Union, and he wanted to steer the people away from the tight grips of communism. Orwell’s ability to depict the future as being ruled by a totalitarian government by using violence, greatly assists the people living in his time to steer clear of communist ideas and ways.

In today’s world, People have been accustomed to love freedom, liberty, and the ability to choose. However, authors have been writing about a dystopian world where no one … Political and social repression will always fail, leading to the people’s desire for freedom and liberty. Once the masses know about freedom, they will fight for it their last breath. This is shown by Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and the Soviet Union’s repressive regime on Poland.

When exploring a world where an omnipotent government is in control, an air of hopelessness and oppression is present. A regime where the people are full of resentment towards the government’s control and demoralized by the same government to be human brings to mind North Korea, Russia, among other communist countries. In 1948, when communism was a threat to the United States and its government, the novel, 1984 was born. Nearly 60 years later, the novel’s themes, symbolisms, and historical impacts are still relevant to current generations and even hint at the future of our country if we maintain our current course in history. A theme of utmost importance in 1984 is the control of information, which brings to light the issue with totalitarian governments: they attempt to control all aspects of life.

“No one is free, even the birds are chained to the sky.” This quote is not from 1984 but it may as well could be. Bob Dylan said this probably not knowing the connection it has with George Orwell’s 1984. 1984 depicts a dystopian world in which the civilians are watched and brainwashed constantly. There is no conventional freedom, there is no real individual in this world, there is a sense of coldness in 1984. The main character Winston is trying to figure out his past and what is real and what is propaganda in this world. In the novel the “Big Brother” changes people and the human race to fit what they want. George Orwell through his novel, 1984 addresses the idea if human nature can be changed in such a way we

1984 “WAR IS PEACE. FREEDOM IS SLAVERY. IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.” This is a common phrase used in George Orwell’s 1984. The statement itself is extremely contradictory by stating the opposite of the truth.