...In George Orwell’s 1984 language has become a tool of mind control of the oppressive government and consequently a tool of rebellion against the Party. Winston Smith and Julia fight for the freedom of knowledge that has been manipulated by the Party’s control of everyday and historical language. The Party has created a language called, “Newspeak” which uses the destruction of words to make it impossible for future generations to think for themselves. The role of language in 1984 defines themes of control and the decision to rebel or surrender in a dystopian society where mind control has finally been enforced through language. The Party’s influence on language becomes crucial for its existence when those in power realized that control of language is the control of thoughts. By hindering...
Words: 684 - Pages: 3
...The society The Party creates in Oceania, the setting of 1984, is a society of fear and distrust as The Party forces individuals to betray their core values in order to gain full control over society. In 1984 by George Orwell, a moment of betrayal of The Party can have outsized repercussions and a misplaced reaction or glance can result in torture and death. Furthermore, The Party sponsors programs, such as the Spies program for young children, to promote a culture of betrayal from a young age. By encouraging children to turn in parents and friends, betrayal becomes commonplace. Individuals often feign disloyalty to seek out truly disloyal individuals. For example, Mr. Charrington is seemingly only a shop owner but is actually a member of the...
Words: 1508 - Pages: 7
...Orwell’s 1984 Totalitarian Regime “Totalitarianism as Orwell saw it, thrives on the blurring of judgement, on vagueness of thought, of feeling, and most of all, of language.” Firstly, the party is stimulated by loyalty; it demands that its people bear every action necessary to pursue a superior Oceania. Loyalty implies the blurring of judgement; accepting without question or hesitation. Party members are loyal to the Party, Big Brother, and Oceania alone. Personal relationships are of no importance. Paradoxically, Winston pledges his loyalty to the Brotherhood but, he also agrees to accept the goals and requirements of the Brotherhood without question or hesitation. Winston agrees to do anything the Brotherhood wants, even if that means murdering innocents. However, he is as well loyal to Julia, and refuses to be separated from her forever. This divided loyalty is what disconnects Winston from the other Party members. Sadly, in the end O’Brien sees this flaw in Winston and successfully removes it using painful physical torture, making blurry Winston’s judgement in account to the perspective towards the party, the party’s perspective is the correct perspective. Using carnivorous rats, loyalty to Julia is also broken. In the end Winston comes to love and be loyal to the party, there is no possible personal judgement that is not blurred out thanks to the party methods. Secondly, the Party destroys all common sense of freedom and individuality. Life is standardized and systematic...
Words: 783 - Pages: 4
..."You must never be fearful of what you are doing when it is right." Spoken elegantly in the words of a leading historical figure in Civil Disobedience, Rosa Parks perfectly captures the meaning, integrity, and even necessity of nonviolent rebellion in situations of legal and social injustice. It is not only the right, but the moral duty of the people in a free society to stand up to the law if it violates the God-given rights of its people. If the citizens of a free society are never to protest legislation that oppresses them, how can such a society even be considered free? People of a free society have the ability and the obligation to stand up for their beliefs through nonviolent means. It is an obligation because we are conscious beings...
Words: 800 - Pages: 4
...‘Dystopian fiction is less about the powerful and more about the powerless’ To what extent is this true in The Handmaid’s Tale and 1984? Dystopian fiction usually revolves over a power struggle between an oppressor and the oppressed, alternatively this can be given the label of powerful and powerless. However, the exposure given to one of these groups is often inclined to be imbalanced. For example, The Giver by Lois Lowry has biased exposure towards the powerless due to the simple fact of the third person limited narrator perspective from Jonas, a member of the aforementioned sector of respective society. This is similar to the 1984 narrator where Winston is never truly aware of what goes on when he wasn’t physically present. But, it could be for this exact reason that in 1984 the dystopian genre inclines towards the powerful, highlighting the hold over the powerless. Contrary to this, The Handmaid's Tale (THT) has blurred lines as to whether the dystopian fiction prevalent in the novels are more or less about the powerful. This is majorly due to conflicting plotlines and enigmatic characters, significant in both of the books. For example, the character of Nick could be characterized for the powerful and powerless. Nick behaves with Offred in a manner which confuses the reader about his loyalties. Ultimately, this essay will aim to prove an option that is a fusion between the two rivals of dystopian fiction offering the complex concept of the powerful powerless. The powerful...
Words: 2380 - Pages: 10
...Literature often reflects the society we live in. Similarly, dystopian literature explores the unpleasant and overlooked components of society. 1984 was written by George Orwell in the year 1949 to reflect on the possibility of a totalitarian government in the near future. Furthermore, the book examined the harsh reality of living under total control of the government. It also demonstrated Winston Smith’s, the protagonist, efforts in challenging the whole system. Therefore, an analysis of Winston’s attempt in defeating his government and its outcome illustrates the manner in how to handle atrocities and evil under authoritarian rule. Winston’s decision to challenge the Party was more important to him than preserving his safety and dignity...
Words: 1162 - Pages: 5
...Seoul.” The standard of living in North Korea is almost inhumane. People are living without food, water, and electricity. But once someone comes to visit, everyone’s electricity is turned back on. One might have to paint their house, or fix things up to make everything look nice. People and animals are taken off the street so it looks cleaner than it really is. North Korea puts up a front to anyone and everyone that comes to their beloved country. For years they have been showing people the fake side of North Korea. (The Ethics of Taking a Trip to North Korea as a Tourist) North Korea is viewed as a laughingstock because it can barely feed its own people. Because of this, it has been predicted that the country will collapse or undergo a rebellion led by insiders that are tired of their standard of living. (Here’s How Lousy Life Is in North Korea) North Korea constantly looks economic disparity right in the eyes. About half of North Korea’s population lives in extreme poverty. A third of the children there have stopped growing because of malnutrition. The life expectancy for North Koreans has fallen to 69, 5 years less than...
Words: 1228 - Pages: 5
...In the book 1984, written by George Orwell, humanity is stripped away of everything that makes them, “human.” Human beings share many similarities to animals, so what makes us so unique? We all have free will and emotion, and we are all able to connect with each other, on a deeper level. Our minds work in a more complex fashion compared to even our closest relatives, the primates. Every single human being is unique but we all feel different emotions and see reality differently. In 1984, the Party aims to control all of humanity by distorting and restricting all emotions, actions, and thoughts. Emotions, one of the fundamental aspects of being human, are rare in Oceania due to the Party’s overwhelming stance on them. There are many different...
Words: 1256 - Pages: 6
...Totalitarian governments, by their very nature demand control over the people, encompassing all aspects of their lives, and through the use of surveillance, this control is maintained. Through the works of Anthony Burgess in A Clockwork Orange, Tom Rob Smith in Child 44, and George Orwell in 1984, these authors take a closer look into the necessity of surveillance in the survival of any totalitarian government. To begin with, the motivation for using surveillance over the people stems from the concept of power, maintaining the power of the state is the ultimate goal, and as long as the state is maintained, any measure taken is worth it. In addition, through the use of surveillance, governments are capable of creating an environment where the...
Words: 1946 - Pages: 8
...How do the Various Animals in Animal Farm Mimic Social Classes or Types Found in Human Society? After reading “Animal Farm” written by George Orwell, I have come to a realisation that it resembles much of the human society. Events from the book resemble greatly what happened during a historical period such as during the Soviet Union. In order to describe the pigs’ dictatorship and the role of the different animals, I will use the example of Stalin’s reign in Russia. Also, I will be describing the roles of the people under Stalin’s dictatorship in comparison to the animals. Starting with the role of old major, followed by the pigs, then the horses, the dogs, Mollie the sheep and Moses the raven. The roles of each animal will be described and then analysed by comparison to the social classes in a dictatorship society. In the beginning of the story of “Animal Farm”, Old Major preached about a dream he had the previous night. It was about a world in which animals lived without tyranny of men, where all animals roamed free as they wished. He described a world which is out of reach for the animals in their current situation. He preached an idealism called Animalism where animals do the work but humans keep the profit made. In animalism, there are no owners, no rich and no poor. Animals get a better life, because without owners, all animals are equal. In addition, every animal owns the farm. They work for themselves in order to get work done within the farm. With a poor leader...
Words: 1517 - Pages: 7
...Superman, Terry Fox, and Mother Teresa are well-known people that are considered heroes in today’s society. A hero is typically someone in society who is strong, good looking, and stands out over the average person. From the beginning, in George Orwell’s novel 1984, Winston has been portrayed as a fat old man with a gross varicose ulcer above his ankle. This shows that right from the start he is not the average hero. Winston’s name is ironic because it stands for the greatness of Winston Churchill, but on the other hand his surname is very common. Winston maintains heroic qualities that lead one to believe he will defeat the party, but against their public demands, he is just another one of the many citizens who conform to society. The government controls Winston through doublethink, mutability of the past and love, even though he is a man who can maintain his private virtue, he never stood a chance. The government makes public demands on Winston through forcing him to doublethink, changing the past and love. Doublethink is the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them. It is not lying because lying is saying something that is wrong and knowing that it is wrong but still saying it. The party forces Oceania too accept both beliefs for example one week when the chocolate ration was 30 grams and the very next week is was lowered to 20 grams. Even though the ration is lowered drastically the party holds such a...
Words: 1839 - Pages: 8
...Converse Inc. Situational Analysis ID: 936605550 ID: 911484064 ID: 933327329 ID: 919538922 ID: 938345647 Table of Contents Company Analysis ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3-‐6 Consumer Analysis………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……. 6-‐7 Product Analysis……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……………. 7-‐9 Competitive Analysis……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 9-‐14 Market Analysis……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 14-‐15 Other Considerations (Past and Present Communications)…………………………………………………………………… 15-‐17 SWOT………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….… 18-‐19 Primary Research Considerations………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 19 Work Cited and Appendix……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 20-‐29 2 ID: 936605550 ID: 911484064 ID: 933327329 ...
Words: 8366 - Pages: 34
...consistent theme in Goffman's work is the analyses of the various ways in which people manage to maintain dignity and self respect in the face of societal standards that demean them (Branaman, 2003, p.87). This theme echoes the work of John Scott (1985), who in Weapons of the Weak introduced the concept of 'everyday resistance.' Scott focused on subtle methods of rebellion that stopped well short of collective outright defiance amongst people who lacked the formal means to oppose authority. Greater attention, Scott asserted, should be paid to everyday acts of resistance which are quiet, dispersed or otherwise invisible (Vinthagen, Johansson, 2013). Importantly, these forms of resistance, said Scott (1985) do not, 'throw up the manifestos,...
Words: 2142 - Pages: 9
...The Novel Project Your name: Giselle Gonzalez Your Novel: 1984 – George Orwell 1. Explain how the novel represents two or more concerns of its historical time period; these concerns may be economic, political, cultural, social, or moral concerns. Clarify the author’s view on one of the following as s/he presents the concerns: right vs wrong; conservative vs radical, or elite vs commonplace. Orwell published “1984” in 1948 just after the end of World War II. Although at this time, Hitler’s reign was brought to an end, Joseph Stalin, another ruthless leader was still in power. Though they were adversaries during WW II, both men shared acute similarities in their success towards creating a totalitarian government much like the one seen in “Nineteen Eighty-Four.” The ghastly, but impressive ease with which each ruler rose and remained in power is possibly what caused Orwell to focus so heavily on political concerns in his novel. While there are no direct allusions to the Adolf Hitler or Stalin, the political devices used by the Party to control Party members in Oceania are undeniably parallel to the manipulation and brutality that each ruler used to control government. Big Brother for instance, is a fearless leader who is loved by all of the Party members. Though it is never confirmed whether or not he is a real person or just an idea, citizens praise him almost instinctively, posters of him are found in every building, and badmouthing him is not only an act of audacity, but punishable...
Words: 4296 - Pages: 18
...against Big Brother, the Inner Party quickly eliminates them before they realize their true intentions. The Party can only do this if someone's subconscious betrays himself. No one is safe anywhere because just the tiniest movement will be noticed by the Thought Police. If people are caught, the Party can say that the reason they are being punished is not because they went against Big Brother, but because their subconscious betrayed themselves. By manipulating the situation, the Party convinces the people that the only one with fault is within the population, not the ones in power leading them. This helps the Party to reinforce love and loyalty for Big Brother, since people realize they are at fault and want to change for the better. This also allows them to eliminate the outliers, who might have been able to band together and start a rebellion. 3. "They were like the ant, which can see small objects but not large ones. And when memory failed and written records were falsified-when that happened, the claim of the Party to have improved the conditions of human life had got to be accepted, because there did not exist, and never again could exist, any standard against which it could be tested" (79). Orwell uses a simile in this passage to compare people to being an ant. Winston sees society as being too vulnerable and able to be easily stepped on by the Party. If ants were trapped in an ant farm, they would not actually realize that they are trapped. They would continuously dig, convinced...
Words: 2538 - Pages: 11
