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Reflection about novel 1984 by George Orwell
Reflection about novel 1984 by George Orwell
Reflection about novel 1984 by George Orwell
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Recommended: Reflection about novel 1984 by George Orwell
It has always been man’s dream to see and understand the future in an attempt to prepare himself for events which will eventually unfold. This hope is the premise for futuristic novels like George Orwell’s 1984, which, step by step, moves through the life of a rebellious citizen trapped in a world of deceit and propaganda. Very few people have been exposed to such a treacherous environment as Oceania, where Winston, the main character, resides. Therefore, it was necessary for the author to interject certain literary devices to allow for the ability to better relate to a character in Winston’s situation.
To accomplish this, Orwell utilizes the theme of individuality versus tyranny, foreshadowing, and irony, in order to fully extract all possible motives behind Winston’s actions.Many countries, such as the United States, are founded on principles of individuality reigning over tyranny, more specifically, the freedom of choice. However, in the futuristic Oceania, run by “Big Brother”, such freedom and individuality is, for the most part, completely suspended. To act impulsively, or choose to oppose Big Brother, is a “thoughtcrime” of dire consequence. This is the basis behind the Inner Party’s control of Oceania. Winston however, from the commencement of the novel, showed that he was not willing to conform to such a tyrannical society. From his writing “DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER” in his diary as the novel opened, to his relationship with Julia, which was considered sexcrime in Oceania, Winston proved his thoughts were antiparallel to those of the Inner Party.
The fact that Winston was so ready to rebel was quite courageous in that he knew people who opposed The Party, or were to educated, like Syme, were vaporized. The members of the Inner Party recognized the abilities of an educated man to see through the propaganda of Oceania, and would therefore tolerate nothing but ignorance. Winston, however, continued to oppose the state, and commited, in many ways, both thoughtcrime and sexcrime. He joined the Brotherhood, run by Oceania’s first public enemy, Goldstein, and even reads a book published by the man. This action follows Winston’s open attempt to befriend O’Brien in a society which would not condone such outward behavior.
The reasoning behind the condemnation of friendship was that it was believed that friendship could lead to alliances that would threate...
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...at such a situation could actually become a reality where that mere thought of a situation could bear vaporization. Though the United States has remained a society based around choice, the antithesis of the fictional Oceania, it cannot be denied, that as technology gains more and more influence over common lives, the destruction of choice by misused technology becomes more and more realistic. Orwell uses literary devices like foreshadowing, themes, and irony to constitute a world he invented in 1948.
Though the overall mechanics of Oceania are false, many of the inventions and beliefs put forth by the novel, have come to exist. Between computers, mind-control experiments, and the overproduction of technological propaganda, the purpose of Orwell’s novel, a forewarning of possibilities facilitating in society’s inability to control the monsters it creates, is well served. Society must continually advance, for the health and survival of civilization. But, as evidenced by a common hope that no situation similar to that of Oceania occurs, this continuous advance must be made with continuos knowledge and restraint, in order to preserve a way of life society to often takes for granted.
Diction: While George Orwell used fairly simple and uncomplicated diction to tell the story many of his words still have a very powerful diction. In the first chapter the protagonist Winston is attack by the smell of “boiled cabbage and old rag mats”. This is the first indication to the nature of the living conditions of our protagonist. However, Orwell also uses his diction to create the atmosphere of Oceania with lines like “the world looked cold. Down in the street little eddies of wind were whirling dust and torn paper into spirals, and though the sun was shining and the sky a harsh blue, there seemed to be no colour in anything”. These lines contain powerful words like cold, torn, and harsh and these worlds help paint the picture of what kind of story we are reading.
O’Brien wanted people to see that war isn’t full of heroes and glory, but more of evil and gore. His book is different from the majority of other war stories. It doesn’t focus on the typical heroic/cowardly characters because in a war there aren’t simply heroes or cowards. Actions that may seem heroic at first are often done out of fear of being judged by other soldiers, and what is seen as cowardly might be the bravest thing for the soldier himself. By this and many other stories O’Brien shows the horrible effects the war has on the soldiers, how the innocent, young boys drastically change. For example, in one of the stories, Rat Kiley talks about Mary Anne who changes from an innocent girl into a ruthless killer. “You come over clean and you get dirty and then afterward it’s never the same”. (109) Instead of stereotypical war heroes, the soldiers in O’Brien’s book are just ordinary people with normal fears and desires which makes it easier for the readers to see the not-so-glorious reality of war.
...ng the grenade and killing the man. Without killing the enemy soldier, O’Brien could’ve been to blame for losing many of his comrades, and maybe even his own life. A true war hero wouldn’t be hesitant to take out an enemy to protect their comrades. They’d react instantly and do their job. “His jaw was in his throat, his upper lip and teeth were gone…” (Pg 118) A typical war hero would keep their focus on the war and their comrades. Even though fear runs through every man, a war hero would fight through the fear and do their task at hand to save their comrades and their own life. Hesitating on the battlefield can cost many lives, even their own life.
George Orwell’s 1948 is a novel that follows the thoughts and choices of Winston Smith in a dystopian society called Oceania which is located in post apocalyptic Europe. Throughout the novel- time and time again- the author reminds the readers of the dangers and risks of being caught by the Thought Police. The readers know that in order to survive, one must always hide their thoughts from the government. As the book was getting closer to the end, it was not a surprise, but a matter of time, before the government catches a hold of Winston for his thoughts or his affair with Julia due to his spiraling and repeating curiosity of the Ministry of Love. However, what did cause heads to turn was the insidiousness and betrayal of O’Brien, who wants and has it in his mind to adjust Winston’s point of view or perspective so it can match with what the government wants
George Orwell creates a dark, depressing and pessimistic world where the government has full control over the masses in the novel 1984. The protagonist, Winston, is low-level Party member who has grown to resent the society that he lives in. Orwell portrays him as a individual that begins to lose his sanity due to the constrictions of society. There are only two possible outcomes, either he becomes more effectively assimilated or he brings about the change he desires. Winston starts a journey towards his own self-destruction. His first defiant act is the diary where he writes “DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER.” But he goes further by having an affair with Julia, another party member, renting a room over Mr. Carrington’s antique shop where Winston conducts this affair with Julia, and by following O’Brien who claims to have connections with the Brotherhood, the anti-Party movement led my Emmanuel Goldstein. Winston and Julia are both eventually arrested by the Thought Police when Mr. Carrington turns out to be a undercover officer. They both eventually betray each other when O’Brien conducts torture upon them at the Ministry of Love. Orwell conveys the limitations of the individual when it comes to doing something monumental like overthrowing the established hierarchy which is seen through the futility of Winston Smith’s actions that end with his failure instead of the end of Big Brother. Winston’s goal of liberating himself turns out to be hopeless when the people he trusted end up betraying him and how he was arbitrarily manipulated. It can be perceived that Winston was in fact concerned more about his own sanity and physical well-being because he gives into Big Brother after he is tortured and becomes content to live in the society he hated so much. Winston witnesses the weakness within the prole community because of their inability to understand the Party’s workings but he himself embodies weakness by sabotaging himself by associating with all the wrong people and by simply falling into the arms of Big Brother. Orwell created a world where there is no use but to assimilate from Winston’s perspective making his struggle utterly hopeless.
Summary: In George Orwell’s novel 1984, the main character, Winston Smith, finds himself in the superstate of Oceania which is controlled by the Party and the Thought Police. Although a member of the Party, Winston harbors a hate for the Party’s leader, Big Brother, along with the telescreens, the Thought Police, and the Party overall. In Oceania, members of the Party are to feel love, admiration, hope, and thanks towards Big Brother only. Many people vanish from existence without explanation and are seemingly forgotten, as though they never existed. In the beginning of the novel, Winston purchases a diary, which he uses to write about his thoughtcrime and hate towards Big Brother. He knows that sooner or later this will be the reason for his
Winston and Julia agree to have an affair and to meet secretly in the woods. Orwell writes, “sexual intercourse was to be looked on as a slightly disgusting minor operation, like having an enema (pg. 65).” Winston demonstrates an ultimate act of disloyalty to the government as he continues to have the affair with Julia. Winston purchases a paper weight which represents hope for his future with Julia. He desperately fantasizes about a life with Julia as he holds tightly to the paper weight, “it was as when Winston had gazed into the heart of the paperweight, with the feeling that it would be possible to get inside that glassy world, and that once inside it time could be arrested (pg. 151).” Orwell states that Winston imagines floating freely from the party. Winston’s disloyalty to the government is also noticed when he actually believes O’Brian. He believes the Brotherhood is real and that the leader of the Brotherhood, Emmanuel Goldstein, truly exists. Winston and Julia agree to meet O’Brian; moreover; is an actual member of the Inner Party. During the meeting with O’Brian, Winston and Julia were led by him to sing a song to initiate an order of rebellion; as well as, it proves Winston’s disloyalty to the government is not an act of heroism to save Oceania, but a selfish act to save
Winston’s first act of rebellion is when he writes in a journal, which is illegal because it involves thoughtcrime. Later in the novel, Winston has an affair with Julia as another act of rebellion because the Party only wants people to have relationships for reproduction. Winston’s most significant act of rebellion is when he believes he joins the Brotherhood: “... a vast shadowy army, an underground network of conspirators dedicated to the overthrow of the State”(Orwell 13). Because Winston joins the Brotherhood, he agrees to do whatever the Brotherhood ask of him, which includes giving up his life, committing murder, and much more. Since Winston joins the Brotherhood, it shows that he is fully devoted to rebelling against the Party. But, later in the novel, O’Brien betrays Winston because O’Brien pretends to be part of the Brotherhood, when O’Brien actually works for the Party. Winston gets tortured to his breaking point. While Winston is being tortured, he betrays Julia and loses all of his individuality. Winston fails because he gives in to the dominant Party, and he does not retain any of his individuality. For example, at the end of the novel, the narrator says, “[Winston] [loves] Big Brother” (Orwell 298). This shows that the Party has complete control over Winston and he is like all of the other people in Oceania. If a government acquires too much power and
Winston’s identity falls prey to O’Brien through different tactics where O’Brien alienates Winston’s peers from him. O’Brien doesn’t provide an identity for Winston, he removes Winston from the identity he has the potential to fulfill, “(Winston) felt as though he were wandering in the forests of the sea bottom, lost in a monstrous world where he himself was the monster. He was alone. The past was dead, the future was unimaginable. What certainty had he that a single human creature now living was on his side?” (Orwell 69). George Orwell wants to direct attention towards the power of the majority over the minority. He uses Oceania to exclude Winston from the majority in order break Winston in a nonphysical manner. Alone, Winston has no power over the majority, and Orwell wants to show that not only can one willingly change themselves and separate himself from his surroundings, such as Pip does, but one could also experience the same separation if their surroundings change identities instead of if one’s self changed identity. Inevitably, Winston has only two options left for his identity, he can rebel and keep what little he has, or succumb to the pressure against him and allow himself to fall victim to the will of the majority, “But if he can make complete, utter submission, if he can escape from his identity, if he can
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 manipulation and physical control are explored through Winston's journey, and with Winston's resistance and ultimate downfall, the reader is able to fully appreciate O'Briens reasoning, "Power is not a means, it is an end."
At the end of the novel, Orwell describes Winston as a cured patient who has over come his metal disease. “He had won the victory over himself: he loved Big Brother” (Part 3, Chapter 6). Both Freud and Orwell break down the components of a person’s mind in the same way. Orwell’s character, Winston, depicts the different parts of the human mind so described by Freud. In Orwell’s 1984, he uncovers the same components of a human mind as seen by Freud, the instinctual drive of the id, the perceptions and actions of the ego, and the censorship imposed by the morality of the superego.
...ter of live or die. I was in no real peril. Almost certainly the young man would have passed me by. And it will always be that way.” This soldier realized that maybe he was the enemy and the other soldier was the hero. Everyone has questions of morality and normal heroes would not show the questions of morality.
His daily life consists of going to his job as an alternator of history in the Ministry of Truth, participating in ‘two-minutes of hate’ rallies and completing government mandated activities. Harbouring vague memories of what society was like before the establishment of Big Brother’s dictatorship, Winston finds himself withholding rebellious thoughts that cannot be acted upon without consequence. Winston illustrates a moral struggle between what is he believes to be right and what the government enforces. This is clearly reflective of the novel’s main themes of truth and power, Big Brother’s inescapable regime influencing Winston’s perception of what is true. His participation in the alteration of history also revels truth as a motif, this modification of facts physicalising the theme. This is evident when he rebels against the powers that survey his every
All around the world, zoos and circuses are merely entertaining places to visit animals doing what they would in the wild or performing mind blowing tricks. Although zoos are said to be a learning environment and circuses just a harmless show, these environments are some of the most threatening to wild animals. What these people do not see are the horrors that happen behind the curtains or behind closed doors. These people do not witness the constant brutality or the constant neglect that animals in zoos and circuses experience almost every day. *Due to abusive environments and lack of resources critical to their development, wild animals should not be used for entertainment purposes.
In George Orwell’s “1984” novel, we see a dystopian society set in Oceania. Oceania is a fictitious super-state in which our protagonist, Winston Smith lives. Winston is a 39-year-old man who works at the Ministry of Truth. Winston furtively despises his society and is often in a paranoid fear that the “Thought police” have come to arrest him for writing in his diary.