1984 Control In 1984

“Who controls the past, controls the future. Who controls the present, controls the past.” This is the slogan that the Party conforms to in George Orwell’s novel, 1984. In this story, the citizens of Oceania are controlled and manipulated by a form of totalitarian government known as the Party. The Party withholds and alters the past to further their own goals and keep their citizens ignorant and under their control. Under totalitarian rule, all power is taken from the people and all knowledge is withheld or altered. The citizens are manipulated into thinking only one way, in order to impede rebellion. The concept of freedom is entirely abolished. When a totalitarian government is in power, they hold all knowledge and control the way

This torture also aids in forcing the people into one way of thinking. The Party brainwashes citizens into despising whomever they choose through an event called ‘The Two Minutes of Hate.’ This event gives the citizens an outlet in which they can release any pent up anger or hatred they have. The party provides a face, or target at which this anger is aimed towards on the telescreen. Winston goes along with everyone and states “Of course he chanted with the rest: it was impossible to do otherwise...to do what everyone else was doing, was an instinctive reaction.” Another example of psychological torture was when the Party exploited Winston’s greatest fear in order to force him into submission. In addition to psychological manipulation, the Party also uses physical torture to keep citizens in check and to reform them. When Winston is finally captured and detained by the thought police, he experiences horrendous torture. The Party tortures citizens so brutally that anyone who had experienced said torture, would be completely willing to betray anyone else, and admit to any crime in order to avoid the brutality a second time. When Winston is waiting the holding room he witnesses a man get beaten for offering a starving man food. The Party is quick to assault anyone that doesn’t do exactly as they say. When used

The citizens become frightened into submission, unable to trust anyone, or retaliate effectively. For example, citizens have no time to themselves. Everything they do or say is being watched and recorded. Even if the people find time to themselves, their own private thoughts can cause them to give away something crucial in their facial features. Winston stated that “nothing was your own except the few cubic centimeters inside your own skull.” Furthermore, there is absolutely no one that you can trust. The few people that Winston put trust in betrayed him in the end. Even your own children are wholly ready to report you to the thought police if you reveal any suspicious behaviour. Your children are brainwashed, throughout their lives, into believing that this is what they’re supposed to do. You can’t trust anyone, so you’re completely own your own if you do decide to rebel. This shows how difficult it is for rebellion to take place when the people hold no power. There’s no time to think to yourself and no one to fully trust. The Party doesn’t have to worry about retaliation occurring if the ones under power don’t have the opportunity to retaliate in the first place. Nothing you do makes a difference. Your actions mean nothing. Your existence means nothing. This is how the Party retains their status of