Political struggle for power through dictatorship has been apparent since the birth of civilization. This dates back to World War II when German Nazis and communists from Russia fought for control of the world's perception. In 1984 by George Orwell, a totalitarian government, The Party, utilizes their immense power over the weak citizens of Oceania to further their own agenda. O'Brien, an official, works as a missionary to prevent people from having oppositional thoughts about The Party. His newest target, Winston, the protagonist, has been developing heretical thoughts which go against the party's orthodoxy. To reverse such thoughts O'Brien takes certain actions that ensure Winston's altered stance is permanent. Although Winston does not conform …show more content…
until the end of the story, O'Brien effectively uses physical torture and psychological manipulation to strip him of his rebelliousness. When living in a totalitarian and dictatorship society, one should never be deceived by anyone. Because of undercover workers and double agents, Winston never knows who his true friends are. Although Winston has never had a true encounter with this mysterious man, his first thoughts about O’Brien appear in the beginning of the story during the Two Minutes of Hate. Winston spots O’Brien and hopes, “that O'Brien's political orthodoxy was not perfect,” (11) because he anticipates O’Brien might be a rebel. Winston is shocked when him and O’Brien lock eyes, however Winston is unsure and questions whether this significant moment really happened until O’Brien looks into Winston's eyes and declares, “I am with you” (17). This powerful phrase leads Winston to assume that O’Brien hates The Party and is a rebellion. O’Brien has just gained Shammay 2 Winston’s trust which he manipulatively uses when they are both are in the cell waiting to be called into room 101.
Winston worries about what the consequences of room 101 are just after he has been “strapped in a chair surrounded by dials, under dazzling lights” (243). While trying to justify where he is, Winston hears O'Brien's voice and thinks, “It was O’Brien who was directing everything. It was he who set the guards onto Winston and who prevented them from killing him” (243). O’Brien tricks Winston into believing that he had saved him in hopes that Winston will admire O’Brien even more. However, Winston soon realizes that he has been put into room 101 so that O’Brien can force him to conform to the Party’s orthodoxy. One of the Party’s core beliefs is that 2+2=5, however Winston writes that “Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four” (249). Since this is an opposing thought, O’Brien uses this to adjust his stance on the matter permanently to conform to The Party’s beliefs, using physical torture mechanisms. O’Brien poses a question to Winston and asks him how many fingers he is holding up. Winston correctly answers that he is holding up four fingers. However, according to O’Brien this is incorrect. O’Brien continues on persistently asking how many fingers he is holding up, shocking Winston with a needle each time he answers “incorrectly”. After O’Brien dehumanizes Winston by using physical pain and stripping him of his freedom, Winston agrees and admit that O’Brien had raised five fingers. O’Brien successfully changed Winston to conform to the beliefs of The Party and trusts that now he is truly sane. The use of manipulation and physical pain that O’Brien uses lets him have complete control over others because he inflicts pain which most humans fear and cannot
bear. The use of manipulation and physical pain has sadly been used before in our world's history, particularly in World War II. Just like O’Brien, German Nazis have done the same by torturing Jews and stripping them of their sanity. As well as fighting for control over the world's perception of who should have power and who shouldn’t. Furthermore, the North Korean government has done the same by depriving their civilians of knowledge of the outside world. After watching a horrific documentary about Shammay 3 real life in North Korea, I was appalled to learn how deeply they trusted and conformed to their great leader. Just like in 1984’s language of Newspeak, the North Korean people do not even have the words to question their great leader. The similarities between George Orwell's, 1984, and events such as World War II and the North Korean hierarchy conclude that the lifestyle of that in 1984 is still relevant in parts of the world today as it was in the past. Power is an object of entitlement that many people wish for. However, I believe that the use of power is most effectively used when in a democracy. Unlike O'Brien's priorities, I stand with the viewpoint that a society should be ruled by it’s people and not by one great power. Just like the power shown in 1984, a similar power was used in World War II which my grandparents experienced first hand. However, with many years of coping, they, along with the Jewish population, have learned to stay positive through the years of hardship. Lastly, O'Brien's perspectives on power are immoral and should never be used because of it’s barbaric effects on humans.
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 ...
It is said that 1984 is one of the greatest books ever written, a literary work that remains as transcendent as ever since its publishing date sixty-four years ago. It is a grimly realistic story crafted together by George Orwell, who takes upon particularly effective literary elements, such as the limited third-person point of view, to follow the life of Winston Smith, the average everyday, resentful civilian who attempts to fight against the seemingly omnipotent and ubiquitous powers of the Ingsoc Party. The Ingsoc Party, a totalitarian government that governs the fictional country of Oceania, holds a casket of brilliantly intelligent individuals, some of who are members of the terrifying Thought Police and the notorious Inner Party, who employ informal language against the uneducated masses of Oceania civilians. Symbolism is also a key literary element in the novel, for anything ranging from ubiquitous telescreens to the infamous Big Brother ultimately contribute to Winston’s realization of how unbreakable the power of the Ingsoc Party truly is. All throughout 1984, George Orwell exercises the elements of diction, point of view, and symbolism to bring out the novel’s theme of how futile resistance is against established totalitarian governments.
The book 1984, by George Orwell is based on the theory of “Big Brother” and how he is always watching you. In the book, the Oceania government controls their citizens by saying and ordering them into not doing certain things. Which then forced their citizens to deceive their government by going in to hiding. When Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941, Japanese-Americans were ordered to do certain things as well. Both of these two events prove that the government can force their citizens to do anything under their power. I think some parts of the government abuse the right of their power and manipulate their citizens into doing unlawful events.
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.
Winston’s conversion is troubling for the adherent of the existence of free will. Winston’s conversion, facially, seems to show that outside forces determines a behavior and not the self. Our actions are determined by mechanistic laws that one can manipulate to result in a specific action. In fact, Winston’s conversion to the party ideas has provided a firm arguing point for the determinist who believes all our volitions are caused by an external event and thus do not truly belong to us. In a scene between O’Brien and Winston, O’Brien shows Winston four fingers demanding Winston to tell him that there were five fingers. At first, Winston denies that there are five fingers even as O’Brien gradually turns up the dials that inflict an excessive pain on Winston. O’Brien hurts Winston so badly that Winston cannot take it anymore and exclaims, “Five, five six- in all honesty I don’t know” seemingly surrendering his free will to O’Brien replacing his own beliefs with O’Brien’s beliefs (Orwell ...
Rather, it contends that when government is unrestrained in the form of totalitarianism, as exemplified by the Party of Oceania, it can by nature exist only to serve itself. This argument serves as Orwell’s warning against the dangers of totalitarianism; it is so corrupting a force that it can hide behind claims of good intentions, but ultimately exists only to accumulate its own power. Furthermore, since a totalitarian drive for power constitutes a total control of its citizenry and a political structure that necessitates its existence, as shown by the military strategy of the Party, Orwell warns that once a truly totalitarian state is in place, there is no possible way to overthrow it or turn back from it. Ultimately, Orwell sees a government that is so distorted it has become completely self-serving as the largest threat, defining his view of totalitarianism and the themes of his
It is difficult for them to hope to succeed in an area where so many of them have failed. 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.
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."
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.
The novel 1984 by George Orwell presents the readers an image of a totalitarian society that explores a world of control, power, and corruption. The main idea of government control presents itself in the novel by protecting and listening to the people of Oceania. However, Orwell suggests giving too much power to the government is a mistake because eventually the decisions they make will not be about the people anymore but rather themselves. In 1984, the power and corruption the party has is overwhelming for the people. There are no ways around the beliefs of the Party, the party attempts to control and eventually destroy any mental or physical resistance against their beliefs. The agenda for the party is to obtain mind control over its people and force them to adore their leader. The methods the Party uses to achieve its goal are: the use of constant propaganda and surveillance, the rewriting of history, and Room 101.
O’Brien begins to “improve” Winston’s mind through physical pain; by using cruel methods of torture, he succeeds in weakening and molding Winston’s mentality. In their early sessions, O’Brien tries to convince Winston of his “truth” that two plus two equals five. He subjects Winston to physical pain until Winston’s mind begins to question itself. Eventually torture wears him down to the point of madness, as “the scenery of his mind changed”. He saw five fingers and there was no deformity.”
Since the beginning of the early 1800’s, communism has captivated many nations. Communism has destroyed countless lives due to the lack of freedom millions of people faced. In 1984, George Orwell relates his novel to issues in the real world. The main characters include Winston Smith, Julia, O’Brien, Big Brother, and Emmanuel Goldstein. In his dystopian novel, Orwell perfectly illustrates the reality of a totalitarian government. Throughout the story, there are clear examples of brainwashing, torture, and freedom deprivation. In North Korea, Kim Jong Un rules as Big Brother did in Orwell’s dystopian Oceania.
George Orwell’s novel, 1984, written in 1948, features a nightmare visualization into the prospect of a society wholly controlled and monitored the totalitarian Big Brother’s trimming eyes. Life is bleak and dull, as no fun is permitted. Jobs are tedious, since the citizens are forced to labor not only for the ruling party, but also for a leader they have never seen. The state has taken control of all aspects of human life. The whole nation is under dictatorial rule and uninformed of the concepts of freedom of thought, speech, and action. The protagonist, Winston Smith, plays the role of the societal hero against a government that oppresses its citizen; however, a question looms: Is Winston a true “hero”? Regardless of shame or fruitless action,
The novel 1984 is a futuristic portrayal of the world in the year 1984. The main characters Winston and Julia fall in love with each other but are caught and purified of all their wrong doings. In the end they betray each other because of the pressure of the party. The party is a group that controls society in these ways: Manipulation of Reality, Invasion of Privacy, and Desensitization.
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.