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Winston smith 1984 character traits
Character analysis of winston smith 1984
Winston character analysis 1984
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Big Brother Is Watching You
My name is Winston Smith, a man of 39 living in Oceania, and I am the last sane man on earth. I believe the date to be 1984, even though I have no real proof of it. London, as I know it, is a place devastated by hunger and disrepair. A place where every action and thought are closely monitored. For as long as I can remember, the Party has been in control. The principles of Ingsoc1 and Big Brother have been dictating public interest here since the 40s. Even though I have never known any other life, it feels like there is something inherently wrong with this one. Big Brother imposes a way of life that is intolerable to me. I have committed acts of subversion, violence, perversion, demoralization and more for the good of the Brotherhood2. I am a traitor, and the rest of the people of Oceania are empty headed automatons.
I seem to be the only person in possession of a memory. When I used to work for Minitrue3 in the records department, my job was to remove or rewrite incongruent bits of history from the Times and other periodicals. On occasion I would rewrite entire articles to favor of the Party and it’s predictions. There was one week when it was announced that the chocolate ration would be reduced to 20%. The next week there was an announcement that the ration would be raised to 20%! And no one noticed the lie that was told! Everyone believed that only a week from when their rations had b...
The book is set in Airstrip One (current day London), Oceania dated 1984. The main protagonist, Winston Smith, is introduced as a middle aged worker in the Records Department at the Ministry of Truth. 1984’s society is driven by a totalitarian government, the Party, under its alleged leader Big Brother. The Party had great control and influence over the society: as telescreens were installed on every single corner in which people are monitored and propaganda ran 24/7.
Adam Penenberg’s “The Surveillance Society” reminds Americans of the tragic events of September 11, 2001 and the instant effects the that attacks on the World Trade Center had on security in the United States. Penenberg discusses how the airports were shut down and federal officials began to plot a military response. Although those were necessary actions, they were not as long lasting as some of the other safety precautions that were taken. The Patriot Act, which makes it easier for the government to access cell phones and pagers and monitor email and web browsing, was proposed. Politicians agreed that during a war civil liberties are treated differently. From there, Penenberg explains that for years before September 11th, Americans were comfortable with cameras monitoring them doing everyday activities.
George Orwell’s novel, 1984, is a dystopian literary text that illuminates the tenets of totalitarian and authoritarian governance in most areas where the leaders seek total loyalty and near hero worship. It was published in 1949, but has since remained relevant because its details promoted authoritarian political constructs and the political leadership concepts that evolved in the globe over time. Set at Oceania province in Airstrip One, formerly known as Great Britain, the book displays an omnipresent government that institutes constant state surveillance on the people that it suspects to be a threat to its regime and agitators of rebellion. It infringes on human rights
George Orwell once wrote, “In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” In Orwell’s 1984, he establishes a government centered on universal deceit to expose the impact of such controls on the citizens, specifically, the revolutionary, Winston. Winston Smith is introduced as a worker of the Ministry of Truth, where he, as well as many others, work to alter or destroy any pictures, pieces of written work, art work etc. that may cause citizens to question the power or truthfulness of their government. Although Smith performs proficiently at his job and complies with the rules of this society, he, unlike most others, sees the lies and manipulation imposed on the citizens of Oceania by Big Brother and attempts to deceive
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.
James Stacey Taylor's article, "In Praise of Big Brother: Why We Should Learn to Stop Worrying and Love Government Surveillance" begins reviewing the concept of "Big Brother" as it was originally presented in George Orwell's 1984. The Big Brother started off as a fictional character in 1984-- a dictator of Oceania within a totalitarian state. Set within a society in which everyone is under complete surveillance by the authorities, mainly by telescreens, the people are constantly reminded of this by the phrase “Big Brother is watching you” (Wikipedia) . Taylor goes on to explain some examples of recent surveillance technology and how it is applied in lives today. An interesting note and comparison between today’s technology and that of the telescreens in 1984, is that people could be sure that they could not be watched by Big Brother’s telescreens by going out of the cities into the country, where they only had to take care that their conversations were not monitored by hidden microphones (Taylor 227). He contrasts the two, highlighting the fact that “Such an escape is not impossible, for spy satellites can be used to monitor people wherever they go” (277). From there, Taylor perpetuates the framework for his position on the Big Brother notion. Taylor argues that, "rather than opposing such an expansion of surveillance technology, its use should be encouraged -- and not only in the public realm" (227). Taylor’s argument presented in a more formal construction is as follows:
Nineteen Eighty-Four describes a world where the most obvious paradox is seen as a commonplace. At least it appears so to the people living in Airstrip One (the former United Kingdom). Winston Smith is one of these citizens who survive on shortages of food and rations of Victory Gin. He believes that his life is being improved day by day even though the reality is the absolute opposite. He is a diligent worker on the Ministry of Truth where he enjoys his job of rewriting the past. One day, however, he decides to start writing a journal. This simple act is already considered as a death crime – the so called “thoughtcrime”. By just thinking against the Party that rules the society, he conspires against it and is considered as a criminal who should be converted to accept the truth that only the Party is right. He should truly love only the Big Brother – an icon and the dictator of the totalitarian Oceania. He finds a place where he believes he can secretly commit his crime of independent creative thinking. He needs to take this precaution because everyone is under a complete surveillance by the authorities through “telescreens” in their households. The phrase “Big Brother is watching you” constantly reminds the people of this through the propaganda system in this state.
George Orwell’s haunting dystopian novel 1984 delves into the closely monitored lives of the citizens of Oceania as the Party tries to take control of society. In totalitarianism, propaganda and terrorism are ways of subjugation with a main goal: total obedience. He aimed to create a “what if” novel, what would happen if totalitarian regimes, such as the Nazis and Soviets, were to take over the world. If totalitarianism were to happen, the leader would be the brain of the whole system. Orwell emphasizes the theme of individualism versus collective identity through Winston, the protagonist, and his defiance to the Party and Big Brother, with a frightening tone, surreal imagery and a third person limited point of view.
In the superstates of Oceania, ignorance is bliss. The story of Winston Smith’s struggle with being stuck in a factually incorrect world and the ignorance surrounding him and the entirety of 1984 provide a cautionary tale. This cautionary tale is what happens when human rights are violated on the most basic of all levels and no one is around to stop that defilation of these rights. There may be conscientious objectors to the many atrocities that the world throw at them but in a world of control, disagreement is akin to death. In a world where difference of opinion causes you to be tried for treason, that is a world that is truly corrupt to the highest of calibers. 1984 not only provides a cautionary tale of what could and would have happened if Stalinism would have gone unchecked, but also when the majority opinion stops listening to the majority of one. In this world of 1984, nothing is free, not even a
Authors often use their works as a way to express their own opinions and ideologies. However, it is the skill of the author that determines whether these ideas are combined with the plot seamlessly, making a creative transition of ideas from the author’s mind, to the reader’s. There is no doubt that George Orwell is a masterful writer, and one of his most popular works, 1984, clearly expresses his negative views of the Totalitarian government. A common theme in the dystopian society in 1984 is betrayal: The Party is very intolerant towards any form of disloyalty, and anyone who plots against them or Big Brother will eventually either betray their own mind and accept Big Brother as their leader, or be betrayed and revealed to The Party by one of their so-called comrades. Overall, Orwell is using this constant theme of betrayal to show how alone and alienated the protagonist (Winston Smith) is in his quest against Totalitarianism, thus showing how flawed and hopeless the political system is.
Ultimately, common ideas found in the novel 1984, totalitarianism, surveillance, and lack of privacy are also ubiquitous in modern society and government. Big Brother and modern day government have been able to control its citizens through surveillance equipment, and fear all for a little more power. There is much to learn from such an undesirable form of society much like the one of Oceania in 1984. Examining Big Brother government closely, alarming connections can be made to real-world government actions in the United States and the cruel world within Orwell's book.
The fictional world of 1984 is best described as bleak. In the aftermath of the fall of capitalism and nuclear war, the world has been divided among three practically identical totalitarian nation-states. The novel takes place in London, which has become a part of Oceania, the nation state comprising the Americas and western Europe. A state of perpetual war and poverty is the rule in Oceania. However, this is merely a backdrop, far from the most terrifying aspect of life in 1984. Oceania is governed by a totalitarian bureaucracy, personified in the image of Big Brother, the all-knowing/ all-seeing godlike figure that represents the government. Big Brother is best described as a "totalitarian socialist dictator, a political demagogue and religious cult leader all rolled into one." So great is the power of Big Brother that the reader is unsure whether he actually exists or is simply a propaganda tool of the government. The party of Big Brother, Ingsoc (English Social...
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.
There is no doubt that the technological advances in recent years have changed the way we live. We are now able to talk to people in any part of the world within six seconds, we can watch events from any country such as the Olympic Games live on television screens in our own living room’s, we can even have interactive video conversations through as small a device as a mobile phone. These advances have benefited millions of people worldwide but we have reached a stage where it is now time to stop and think of what is happening to us as a result of all this automation and modernisation; we are becoming over-dependent on electronic devices to carry out simple tasks, we are becoming less and less aware of people and activities in our own communities, even family activities are gradually becoming a thing of the past.
By enforcing these simple laws and regulations, the government is able to keep a tight grip on its people, with few ever releasing themselves from its grasp. Winston Smith, on the other hand, seeks to know the truth behind the government, he is constantly questioning everything and repressing all the ideas forced upon him. Winston “seeks truth and sanity, his only resources being the long denied and repressed processes of selfhood” (Feder 398). All identity is gone in this place called Oceania, and for the sake of Big Brother and its continuous control of the people, it will never exist again. In 1984, the absence of identity strips the people of all creativity and diversity, as well as takes away any chance the society has to advance as a people or in the area of technology.