Analytical Essay On 1984 By George Orwell

Would Earth become a more efficient place to live under the authority of someone like Big Brother? In the novel 1984 by George Orwell, the city of London is taken over by Big Brother and renamed to Oceania; citizens living under the authority of Big Brother live in constant fear as they are constantly controlled and ministered while forced to respect the Party. By analyzing the novel using a symbol, a motif, a theme, a conflict and reading the novel through psychoanalytic lens, citizens clearly suffer from the influence of the Party.
The character Winston Smith is revealed as the protagonist in the novel; he despises the Party and desires the citizens of Oceania to obtain more privacy and freedom from Big Brother. Winston and Julia are in

a light argument about the Party; Julia argues that the Party is invincible and can control anyone they prefer, but Winston counters back and states that anyone still possesses their thoughts.

“They can’t get inside you. If you can feel that staying human is worth while, even when it can’t have any result whatever, you’ve beaten them” (Orwell 166). This quote supports the topic because Winston exclaims that citizens don’t own much of anything because of the Party but they still own their judgment, which involves hatred of Big Brother. The Party always can surveil a person, but thoughts are private to one. Thoughts are the last thing one has that truly belongs to them, therefore it’s important to use them wisely. Another piece of evidence that backs up the subject is when Winston is exclaiming his hatred of the Party’s rules towards O’ Brien and accuses the Party of being too controlling towards its citizens: “You are ruling over us for our own good… You believe that human beings are not fit to govern themselves” (Orwell 262-263). This quotation encourages the subject because Winston makes his opinions of disagreement with the Party known. Citizens receive no privacy due to the Party’s use of spying; this way, the Party is aware of the whereabouts of its citizens and can use them whenever needed. The Party is demolishing the right to freedom because they have complete control and refuse to let people fend for

themselves. An additional example of evidence that supports the matter is the fact that Winston owns a diary to record his daily thoughts: “Winston begins to covertly rebel against these Party edicts and societal constraints. He discovers a diary in the prole district where he can record and catalogue his illegal political thoughts and his true feelings about the Party’s oppression” (“Heroism” McLaughlin 2). This citation encourages the issue because Winston disagrees with the Party’s regulations so he takes action to rebel against it. Because the Party allows zero privacy, Winston explores a new way to possess secrecy. The diary represents a revolution to the Party’s inability to allow freedom to the citizens of Oceania. The character of Winston Smith is one who wishes to bring privacy back to Oceania along with more freedom to the citizens under the authority of the Party.
A symbol portrayed the novel is Winston and Julia’s relationship; their relationship symbolizes a rebellion against the Party and their primary rules. Winston and Julia obligate secret sexual undertakings without permission of the Party: “Winston’s crimes against the Party escalate in intention and scope. He starts an illicit affair with Julia, a dark-haired woman who works in the Fiction Department at the Ministry of Truth. These two heroes bring different motivations to their rebellious sexual relationship” (“Heroism” McLaughlin 1). This passage aids the subject matter because any form of sexual relationship is significantly incorrect in the eyes of the Party. Conceiving children is the key purpose of intercourse, according to the Party, but Winston and Julia utilize sex as a rebellion against the Party’s guidelines. Winston and Julia’s affairs reoccur without the vision of the Party, making the rebellious behavior extra intense. Next, Winston and Julia’s embrace wasn’t truly meaningful, but important since they both disliked the Party: “No emotion was pure, because everything was mixed up with fear and hatred. Their embrace had been a battle, the climax a victory. It was a blow struck against the Party. It was a political act” (Orwell 126). This line promotes the focus because any unauthorized relationship by the Party is prohibited. Breaking any rule against the Party results in serious consequences, yet Winston and Julia loathe those stipulations tremendously for their combined disagreement of the Party. Even though they are two people, the rebellious act itself could trigger a potential mass law breaking of the Party and its rules. Lastly, Winston and Julia hear about the Brotherhood and attempt to pursue a position by stating an interest in joining the rebellion to O’Brien: “We believe that there is some kind of conspiracy, some kind of secret organization working against the Party, and that you are involved in it. We want to join it and work for it. We are enemies of the party. We disbelieve in the principles of Ingsoc. We are thought criminals. We are also adulterers” (Orwell 170). This statement supports the issue because Winston and Julia disagree with the Party’s rules and both are interested in rebelling against it. The identity of the Brotherhood is strictly a rebellion of anything related to the Party, which Winston and Julia have already accomplished by establishing their relationship; therefore, joining the Brotherhood will strengthen the couple’s rebellious traits. As the Brotherhood obtains more members, the stronger the rebellion will become, which increases the chances of disobeying more of the Party’s rules. The Party and its rules are constantly disobeyed by Winston and Julia’s relationship, which symbolizes a rebellion.
A recurring motif throughout the novel is certain proof of history is selected by the Party and wiped out for eternity. Any physical objects that represent the past are changed: “Statues, inscriptions, memorial stones, the names of streets- anything that might throw light upon the past had been systematically altered” (Orwell 98). This excerpt promotes the point because the Party selects material objects that they desire to keep secret from society. Substantial evidence could potentially be used in contradiction of the Party therefor it must be reformed. Starting different traditions is vital to the Party hence the reason for destruction of former history. Additionally, the records department is where all historical documents were demolished: “When one knew that any document was due for destruction, or even when one saw a scrap of waste paper lying about, it was an automatic action to lift the flap of the nearest memory hole and drop it in, whereupon it would be whirled away on a current of warm air to the enormous furnaces, which were hidden somewhere in the recesses of the building” (Orwell 37-38). This quote defends the subject because any history that the Party selects is scorched in a furnace, never to be witnessed again. Involuntarily, a citizen under the direction the Party will perform its obligation to aid its demolition in evidence. The remains of past evidence are deposited safe where the Party can observe it endlessly. Equally important, citizens cannot retain any personal or general keepsakes from the precedent: “They control the past: The Ministry of Truth erases and rewrites history at will. Citizens are forbidden to keep any mementos or records of the past, which leaves them susceptible to accept the propaganda of the Party without a mechanism to question it” (“Individual” McLaughlin 1). This reference promotes the subject matter because the Party doesn’t allow any artifacts that represent former times, including a citizen’s own vestige. Any former mementos from a citizen can be used in opposition to the Party in a negative tactic. In order to prevent questioning by citizens of actual history, the Party erases maximum past evidence from citizens to erase mistrusts about the truth of the past.
The repeating motif specified throughout the novel is the Party’s will to continuously delete past evidence endlessly.
The novel contains a general theme throughout the story; anyone under the authority of the Party doesn’t own a right to anything.

Citizens own nothing personal to them besides their own thoughts: “Nothing was your own except the few cubic centimeters inside your skull” (Orwell 27). This citation supports the focus because their mind is the only privilege that citizens still possess control over, which isn’t plentiful. Even though the Party takes control over every citizen’s possessions, they can’t acquire away their thoughts or memories. Past memories can’t prove any physical evidence against the Party; therefore the Party doesn’t seize it like all physical rights. Citizens aren’t allowed to display emotion, yet can feel emotions mentally. Besides, the Party constantly spies citizens on using telescreens: “The Party controls the home as well. The Thought Police monitor a citizen’s sanctuary through telescreens that record everything that occurs in any given room” (“Individual” McLaughlin 1). This text aids the topic because due to continuous spying by the Party, citizens possess no right to their own privacy. The continuous observing using the telescreens renders it impossible for citizens to perform activities they select that would be disapproved by the Party. If a citizen worries about the undertakings they perform at home due to distressing about the telescreens, then they basically receive no rights to anything. Equally important, Winston is repetitively spied on while

working at the Ministry of Truth: “He peddles lies from within the halls of the Ministry of Truth. Under the omnipotent eye of Big Brother and the omnipresent telescreens, his actions are constantly monitored, and his individuality extinguished” (“Heroism” McLaughlin 1). The quote sponsorships the theme because Winston doesn’t receive rights to his privacy as he is constantly observed by the Party, at home and work. Winston spends numerous amounts of hours working for the benefit of the Party. Using the power of telescreens, Winston’s every move is watched, allowing the Party to gain knowledge of his activities, obliterating his rights. The overall theme of the novel is the citizens of Oceania receive zero rights to anything.
A main conflict displayed in the novel is the brainwashing of Winston to alter his negative opinion of the Party. O’Brien expresses the Party’s view of harmful view of Winston: You are mentally deranged. You suffer from a defective memory. You are unable to remember real events, and you persuade yourself that you remember other events, which never really happened. Fortunately it is curable” (Orwell 245). This quote endorses the issue because O’Brien states Winston’s flaws, but indicates a way to repair them, such as the act of brainwashing. Without the knowledge of his imperfections, Winston will possess no indication why he is being brainwashed. Positive affection is required to be displayed towards the Party and Big Brother, yet Winston cannot exhibit such; therefore, Winston must be brainwashed to show an optimistic mindset towards the Party. Moreover, O’Brien tortures Winston in an attempt to altar his thoughts about the Party: “O’Brien had tortured him to the edge of lunacy, and in a little while, it was certain, he would send him to his death” (Orwell 252). This line encourages the matter because tormenting Winston is part of the brainwashing process of fluctuating his visions of the Party. O’Brien attempts to torture Winston to a point where he confesses his devotion for the Party. Without Winston’s cooperation, he could face death for failing to appreciate the Party due to his negative beliefs. Then, O’Brien undertakes a more life-threatening form of torture by utilizing Winston’s fear: “The one last shred of Winston’s independence and self-respect is his selfless love for Julia. In the most chilling scene in the novel, that, too, is destroyed as Winston faces the worst thing in the world for him in Room 101: a cage of starving rats attached to a facemask” (Burt 2). The extract aids the conflict because O’Brien uses a clever form of torture in an attempt to brainwash Winston. The terror of rats is supposed to overwhelm Winston’s head, causing his opinions about the Party to change. If Winston refuses to change his judgments about the Party, he will be consumed alive by the rats; therefore, he accepts Big Brother into his life, generating success to the brainwash. The horrendous brainwashing of Winston’s negative thoughts towards the Party is a major conflict in the novel.
As the novel is analyzed through a psychoanalytical lens, Winston possesses the id driving force throughout the entire chronicle. Winston discovers an antique shop owned by Mr. Charrington where he procurements an outmoded diary to inscribe his daily thoughts down: “He begins a diary, inaugurating an illegal, unpatriotic “own life” or “self-expression” (Porter 2). The excerpt assists the matter because he can’t retain primeval objects, especially to compose harmful thoughts about the Party. Those who are under the authority of the Party must respect Big Brother and his rules but Winston betrays this matter. The diary itself is also unlawful to maintain because it is primordial. Equally important, Winston unlawfully purchases an antique paperweight from Mr. Charrington’s antique shop: “Winston immediately paid over four dollars and slid the coveted thing into his pocket. What appealed to him about it was not so much its beauty as the air it seemed to possess of belonging to an age quite different from the present one” (Orwell 95). This quote supports the topic because Winston cannot possess artifacts from the past, but he can’t prevent himself to purchase the paperweight. According to the Party, past artifacts are prohibited to own, but Winston doesn’t contemplate the consequences, he could receive and chooses to buy the paperweight anyway. The paperweight stands out to Winston because of its vintage appearance yet won’t benefit him to possess. Furthermore, Winston uses Julia to fulfill his sexual pleasures: “He had pulled her down onto the ground, she was utterly unresisting, he could do what he liked with her. But the truth was that he had no physical sensation except that of mere contact” (Orwell 120). The passage patronages the focus because Winston exhibited minute emotion for Julia; he maintained the relationship for intercourse. Because Winston experienced a rough childhood with his mother and sister, he manages women poorly and takes advantage of them. When experiencing sex with Julia, he uses his strength to suppress her and accomplishes what he adores with her. When reading the novel through a psychoanalytic lens, Winston clearly portrays the id trend by satisfying his desires.
In conclusion, Winston Smith is a character who despises the Party and its rules, a symbol is the relationship between Winston and Julia symbolizes a rebellion against the Party, a repeating motif throughout the novel is the deleting of past history, the theme being citizens don’t possess a right to anything, a conflict in the novel is the brainwashing of Winston for his negative thoughts towards the Party, and lastly, Winston can be categorized as the id by reading the novel through the psychoanalytic lens. Earth, as we know it, would never survive the influence of the Party.