1984 by George Orwell

1174 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: General theme of George Orwell's 1984

1984 In the book, 1984, written by George Orwell, protagonist Winston Smith is a low-ranking government worker for the ruling Party in London. The people are watched all the time, even in their own homes. The Party watches everybody through telescreens, the device used as a surveillance camera and a television. There are posters of the omniscient leader of the Party, Big Brother, everywhere. The Party has reign over everything in Oceania including the nation’s history and even its language. At the time we meet Winston, the Party is enforcing the implementation of an invented language known as Newspeak. This language eliminates all references to rebellion or words related to it. The Party has also made thoughtcrime extremely illegal. This is the worst crime a person can commit. This occurs when a person thinks a rebellious thought. Winston begins his story by finding a diary and beginning to write how he feels and what he is thinking, engaging in his first thoughtcrime is a rush that he must return to. This diary experience leads to other opportunities for Winston to betray the Party including meeting a woman named Julia and engaging in the forbidden act of having sex with her. He later goes on to have sex with Julia many times and rents a room just for their own personal needs. Winston leans who can put his trust in and who he cannot. This leads to betrayal and soon a breakdown of Winston’s mind and everything he thinks he knows. Orwell uses many themes and motifs in this story. Through the use of themes, symbols, and dynamic characters, Orwell creates a novel that is intriguing and a political statement about all totalitarian regimes. Orwell uses themes in 1984 to show how the characters evolve while he continues to portray h... ... middle of paper ... ...s rebellious thoughts to normal civilian mindless activity. These are not the only important characters; Orwell uses many minor characters for crucial statements and understanding of the book. One example is when Parsons speaks to Winston and says, “What I mean to say, there is a war on” (Orwell, 1984). These minor elements playing large roles in the story show how the book is very intricate and involves more than just a small group of people. 1984 is revolutionary in the way it approaches a very controversial world-wide political topic. Together with Animal Farm, George Orwell presents his opinion and some facts into public view. His use of symbols, themes, and exquisite characters make this novel a factual, yet entertaining piece of art. Work cited Lange, Bernd-Peter. George Orwell, “1984” Munchen: W. Fink, 1982. Print.

Show More
Related

  • Comparing 1984, The Long Watch and The Ones Walk Away from Omelas

    1217 Words  | 3 Pages

    In “1984,” Orwell uses Winston to portray a single individual’s attempt to take action against a powerful government, culminating in his failure and subjugation. His individual efforts failed tremendously due to the overarching power of the Party to control every aspect of social life in Oceania. Orwell uses Winston’s deeply seated hatred of the Party to portray his views on power and social change. Winston’s actions show that even in the direst of situations ...

    Read More

  • 1984 Conflict Essay

    933 Words  | 2 Pages

    Today I am going to be writing an essay on the book, 1984 by George Orwell. This book is about Winston Smith and Big Brother where an external conflict arises between the two. The internal conflict that also takes place in this book was between the two ideas, democracy and totalitarianism. The reason this novel was written was to show society what it could and or would become if things continued to go down the worse of the paths: Orwell sensed of the expansion of the great communism when he was thinking of this novel. The conflict that took place between these two ideas in the year 1945 created the two characters, which were the two characters above Winston Smith and the Big Brother, in his mind. The Big Brother is head of the totalitarian

    Read More

  • Winston’s Struggle in 1984

    1726 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • 1984 a Novel by George Orwell

    720 Words  | 2 Pages

    The novel 1984, by George Orwell, made me paranoid. It made me suspicious of our government's power and intentions. I became aware of the potential manipulation which the government could impose upon us. I came to see that the people I believe to be wholly dedicated to the well-being of society, the people I rely so heavily on to provide protection and security have the power to betray us at any given time. I realised that in my naivety I had gravely overlooked the powerful grip government has over society, and what it can do with that power.

    Read More

  • 1984 By George Orwell

    1084 Words  | 3 Pages

    Things to know: 1984 was a book written about life under a totalitarian regime from an average citizen’s point of view. This book envisions the theme of an all knowing government with strong control over its citizens. This book tells the story of Winston Smith, a worker of the Ministry of Truth, who is in charge of editing the truth to fit the government’s policies and claims. It shows the future of a government bleeding with brute force and propaganda. This story begins and ends in the continent of Oceania one of the three supercontinents of the world. Oceania has three classes the Inner Party, the Outer Party and the lowest of all, the Proles (proletarian). Oceania’s government is the Party or Ingsoc (English Socialism

    Read More

  • Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

    822 Words  | 2 Pages

    George Orwell has created two main characters that have conflicting traits believe in the idea of love in a world where it is forbidden. Although both are secret rebels of the Party and share the same hatred for the Party’s totalitarian power, Julia and Winston display a remarkable number of differences between each other. The differences between them include their morality, their motivation towards the rebellion, and their personalities.

    Read More

  • Metaphysics In George Orwell's 1984

    1008 Words  | 3 Pages

    The novel 1984 is one that has sparked much controversy over the last several decades. It harbors many key ideas that lie at the root of all skepticism towards the book. With the ideas of metaphysics, change, and control in mind, George Orwell wrote 1984 to provide an interesting story but also to express his ideas of where he believed the world was heading. His ideas were considered widely ahead of their time, and he was really able to drive home how bleak and colorless our society really is. Orwell wrote this piece as a futuristic, dystopian book which contained underlying tones of despair and deceit.

    Read More

  • Betrayal In George Orwell's 1984

    956 Words  | 2 Pages

    The constant theme of betrayal in 1984 is being used by George Orwell to show how hopeless Winston’s struggle against the Totalitarian system is, giving the reader an idea of how bad this type of government is. The reader is introduced to this dark time and given hope in the form of the rebellious protagonist, Winston. However, the reader soon realises how hopelessly alone Winston is in his silent battle when they see that the government is against him, he has no support or allies, and that even his own mind can be turned against him. The message is clear and makes readers who live in a democracy happier with what they have.

    Read More

  • 1984: Oppression Of Truth

    1571 Words  | 4 Pages

    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."

    Read More

  • Totalitarianism Society In 1984, By George Orwell

    1420 Words  | 3 Pages

    The story is written as a narrative being told by the main character, Winston Smith. Winston is struggling with his troublesome thoughts and feelings of rebellion towards his oppressive government that uses devices called telescreens to monitor members of society. These telescreens are placed in central locations in one’s home and are able to transmit and receive both visual and audio data. Winston lives in the country called Oceania and the government is known simply as “The Party.” Winston recognizes the danger of even having his dangerous thoughts and feelings as they are considered to be thoughtcrimes. Indeed, Winston Smith lives in a society that is so controlled by The Party, that even one’s unspoken thoughts and feelings could be punished. Punishment can range from periods of manual...

    Read More

  • The Themes Of Individualism In George Orwell's 1984

    1560 Words  | 4 Pages

    George Orwell uses Winston to represent truth in a deceptive world in his novel 1984. In Oceania, Big Brother is the omnipotent and all powerful leader. Everything the government dictates is unquestionably true, regardless of prior knowledge. Even thinking of ideas that go against Big Brother’s regime, or thoughtcrime, is punishable by death. Winston serves as the dystopian hero, longing for freedom and change. Orwell uses Winston to emphasize the importance of individual freedoms, as they give us the ability to fulfillingly lead our respective lives.

    Read More

  • Response to Goerge Orwells 1984

    557 Words  | 2 Pages

    Upon my reading of the novel 1984, I was fascinated by George Orwell’s vision of the future. Orwell describes a world so extreme that a question comes to mind, asking what would encourage him to write such a novel. 1984 took place in the future, but it seemed like it was happening in the past. George Orwell was born in 1903 and died in 1950; he has seen the horrific tides of World War ² and Ï. As I got deeper into this novel I began to see similar events of world history built into 1984.

    Read More

  • 1984 George Orwell Essay

    583 Words  | 2 Pages

    George Orwell’s intent in the novel 1984 is to warn society about the results of a controlling and manipulative government by employing mood, conflict, and imagery.

    Read More

  • A Dystopian Society in George Orwell´s 1984

    1485 Words  | 3 Pages

    Dystopian novels are written to reflect the fears a population has about its government, and they are successful because they capture that fright and display what can happen if it is ignored. George Orwell wrote 1984 with this fear of government in mind and used it to portray his opinion of the current government discretely. Along with fear, dystopian novels have many other elements that make them characteristic of their genre. The dystopian society in Orwell’s novel became an achievement because he utilized a large devastated city, a shattered family system, life in fear, a theme of oppression, and a lone hero. Orwell’s novel begins with a horrid description of the living conditions of his main character, Winston.

    Read More

  • George Orwell's 1984

    892 Words  | 2 Pages

    Thinking back into history, many important events have occurred in history since the publication of 1984 by George Orwell in 1949. In no specific order there would be the Holocaust, The creation of the United Nations, NATO (North Atlantic treaty Organization), and even The Iron Curtain being established. After 1984 was published huge events also occurred in history. There was the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Korean war, the Vietnam War, the creation of the Berlin Wall, and the destruction of the Berlin wall, Joseph Stalin dies, and Khrushchev gains power....etc, etc. No matter when a book is published the events in history will always surround it, such as this book.

    Read More

More about 1984 by George Orwell

Open Document