1984 Dehumanization Analysis

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In the Face of Dehumanization In 1984, George Orwell presents an overly controlled society that is run by Big Brother. The protagonist, Winston, attempts to “stay human” in the face of a dehumanizing, totalitarian regime. Big Brother possesses so much control over these people that even the most natural thoughts such as love and sex are considered taboo and are punishable. Big Brother has taken this society and turned each individual against one another. Parents distrust their own offspring, husband and wife turn on one another, and some people turn on their own selves entirely. The people of Oceania become brainwashed by Big Brother. Punishment for any uprising rebellions is punishable harshly. What is it to be human? What are the qualities …show more content…

They are taught to campaign for chastity and love for only Big Brother. Children are taken and taught to spy on their families and report any unorthodox behavior back to The Party. While Winston is in the Ministry of Love he meets a man being held in the same holding cell as him. Winston asks the man why he is in there and he says he is there for thought crimes. Winston asks him if he is guilty and the man says yes. The man then goes on to tell Winston that he was shouting while sleeping “Down with Big Brother!” (Orwell 233) Winston then asks who is it that told him and he tells Winston, “It was my little daughter, she listened through the keyhole. She heard what I was saying, and nipped off to the patrols the next day.” He then goes on to say “Pretty smart for a nipper of seven eh?” (Orwell 233) What makes these last few quotes important is that it shows that Parson’s is prideful in his daughter for tattling on him. Regardless if it means he will be punished he is happy that his daughter is doing what she is trained to do at such a young age. She chooses to protect Big Brother rather than protect her own father. It is crazy how manipulative Big Brother can be turning husband against wife and children against parents. In some cases punishment for acting out or not following the rules is so harsh some would rather die or be killed then to continue baring the brutality of pain, servitude, …show more content…

That is exactly what Big Brother did, they took the people of Oceania and brainwashed them. Forced them to do things they did not want to do. Forced them to believe what Big Brother wanted them to believe. Punished them for thinking, reading, and writing. Big Brother turned the citizens into robots. The adults of this society they brainwashed, the children were completely manipulated to think exactly the way Big Brother wanted them to and needed them to think. Starving people, beating, people, and torturing people for doing normal everyday things that Big Brother was against was strictly and act of dehumanizing these citizens. When an individual is not able to think or act on his own he is not human he is only operating under the control of another. Therefore the citizens of Oceania were not human at all rather pons in a game that Big Brother was

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