The 1970s was a very controversial time for the American people. In this decade, African Americans, women, Native Americans, gays and lesbians and other minorities continued to fight for equality while other Americans protested for peace and to end the war in Vietnam. People also began to distrust the government during this time with the publishing of the Pentagon papers and the Watergate scandal. With the civilians feeling undermined by the federal government many people decided to stand up and protest for what they believed in. Similar to these protests, in the novel 1984 by George Orwell the protagonist Winston Smith begins his own revolution against his untrustworthy government. During the 1970s, protests and civil rights movements sprang …show more content…
up due to the citizens motivation to rebel similar to 1984 and Winston's desire to rebel against his government. There are many things that motivate one to join a protest.
First, citizens must have a sense of doubt in the government. Studies by political sociologists reveal that “distrust of the government compels one to join in political protest” and participation has to be fueled by feeling of betrayal (Begley 2) . Distrust in the government was at its height in the 1970s with Richard Nixon's watergate scandal and the multiple protests happening during the time. This decade was a time when the government was not up to date with the people's needs and wants. All minorities seeked equality and most citizens wanted peace in Vietnam but the government failed to provide this for the people. Similar to the distrust with the government in the 1970s, Winston also struggles to trust his government in the novel 1984. Winston's distrust with the government stems from The Party's demand to “reject the evidence of [the citizens] eyes and ears” and believe only what the Party tells its citizens what to believe (Orwell 81) . This greatly conflicted Winston because he cognitively knew that what the party said was not entirely true. Winston's distrust with the government caused him to commit thoughtcrime and start his own personal …show more content…
rebellion. In addition, citizens must feel a sense of powerlessness to want to begin a rebellion. When there is lack of public opinion involved in government is when social revolutions and protests happen in the same way that “when public opinion is taken into account, social movement influence recedes in importance” (Olzak 1). People must feel that they have a say in government and what happens to them. In the 1970s the people felt as if they had no control in government which caused them to want to protest. The feeling of powerlessness in this decade caused minorities and peace protesters to try and regain power and say in government in the same way Winston feels weak against Big Brother. Winston knew that “The Party was invincible [and] it would always exist” but he couldn't help his instinct to want to gain power back in his own life (Orwell 153) . Winston's lack of power in his life and in his government internally encourage him to rebel against the thing that is controlling every aspect of his life. Also, to be motivated to protest citizens must have grievances against a government or other source of injustice.
Most “people participate in protest to express their grievances stemming from relative deprivation, frustration, or perceived injustice” from an outside source. In the 1970s citizens felt that they were being treated unfairly by the government by not having their opinions taken into account (Klandermans 2). During the 1970s there was unfair treatment of minorities by not only the government but companies and other citizens in the United States. In addition to the government treating minorities unfairly the Party also treats Winston and all the people unfairly. The Party is “not interested in the good of others” but solely in power (Orwell 263). Winston's rebellion stemmed from his grievances against the Party and the unfair treatment he received from
them. People's biggest motivators are the feelings and emotions they feel inside. Many protesters use emotions in their demonstrations to “build pride and enthusiasm among participants, to win sympathy from the public, and to arouse anger at the opponents”(Goodwin 1). In the 1970s the use of sympathy for minorities and the troops overseas made many citizens feel hatred towards the government. These strong emotions convinced people to want to join demonstrations because they felt a sense of hatred towards the government for deceiving them. Winston's emotions also greatly influenced his rebellion. When asked “what are [his] true feelings towards Big Brother” Winston effortlessly responded he “hates him” (Orwell 282). Winston is eternally motivated by his hatred toward the Party and Big Brother to rebel and not conform. Emotions are always influencing our actions and everything a human does in emotionally motivated. In addition to emotions, social aspect and peer pressure affects almost everything an individual does including how they act, dress, and talk. There is also a social motivation that comes with the protests that occurred in the 1970s. People are comfortable to share and express their opinion during a protest and in a social environment because they have “an awareness of similarity and shared fate with those who belong to the same category” (Klandermans 5). This idea that they are not alone and are apart of something bigger than themselves is what fuels civilians to be apart of a protest and rebellion. In the 1970s all the protests that were occurring did not happen because one person decided to step up but because large groups of civilians all felt mistreated by the government. In 1984, Winston also needed the social aspect of a rebellion and needed the hope “that others besides himself were enemies of the Party”(Orwell 17). Winston was lacking in the social aspect of his rebellion which caused people to not be motivated to join and face the wrath of Big Brother. Overall, distrust of the government, powerlessness, grievances, emotions, and social pressure all motivated Winston to rebel against the Party, similarly to how protesters in the 1970s were influenced. In the 1970s several minorities were undermined but luckily their protests were more successful than Winston's because they ended up changing the way they were treated and looked at. Although Winston was completely unsuccessful in his protest he still was motivated by the same factors that influenced protesters in the 1970s. Citizens that are willing to sacrifice their jobs, wealth, lifestyles, and even their own lives to fight for a bigger cause are protests that have strong motivations.
1984, a dystopian novel, was written by George Orwell. Winston Smith, the protagonist, lives in a society where people have restrictions both mentally and physically. The story takes place in Oceania in the year 1984. Citizens of Oceania do not lead personal lives because the people are constantly being observed by telescreens. Thinking individually or thinking against the Party, which is the government of Oceania, is considered thoughtcrime. People are vaporized for doing such things.
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
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.
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.
Throughout the play, Romeo makes very hasty decisions, a number of that lead to unnecessary consequences. Heretofore, Romeo sneaks into the Capulet Ball with Benvolio and to cover their identity they each wore masks. Capulet allows them to enter the ball, not knowing they are from the Montague family, because he thinks it 'll be amusing for his guests,and because he remembers when he young doing similar things in pursuit of ladies. Benvolio wanted Romeo to go, therefore he could see that there were other women there who were even prettier than Rosaline, however this is where Romeo meets Juliet and quickly forgets about his initial true love whom he solely desired lust for and Romeo quickly changes his timeless love he felt with Rosaline to Juliet without any remorse. Romeo spontaneously decides he has fallen infatuated all over again, this reflects Romeo’s impulsive character. “Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight! / For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.”
One example of rebelling against the party is that of Julia’s sexual escapades. She plots and plans to have sex with many of the different party members in order to find release in her otherwise boring lifestyle and by doing so she increases the amount of mass personal rebellion within the party’s regiment. After Winston and Julia are done having sex in the woods for the first time, he asks her how many other men has she done this with. She told him that she had done it with “scores” of other men and Winston is delighted to hear the good news. He feels that the more men she has had sexual encounters with makes the party weaker because those men don’t really feel committed to their party. Julia does not dream of rebellion against their oppressors as Winston does. However, she accepts her role in society and goes about life enjoying herself when she can.
While government as an institution can be used for benevolent purposes, George Orwell’s novel 1984 contends that when taken to an excess in the form of totalitarianism, government becomes dangerously self-serving.
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.
Winston is confronted with struggle throughout the entirety of George Orwell`s dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. Living within a totalitarian regime subsequently causes Winston to seek approaches for dealing with such abundant oppression; he finds liberation through self-awareness, understanding and ultimately rebellion. First, Winston realizes that “if you want to keep a secret you must also hide it from yourself”, alluding to the notion of thoughtcrime (162). This recognition exemplifies the complete cognizance that Winston has regarding the oppressive society displayed throughout the novel. Next, Syme states “It’s a beautiful thing, the destruction of words”, alluding to the idea of Newspeak (28). This statement directly correlates to Winston speaking with other party members to gain knowledge about how others feels about policies deployed by the government. This information-seeking also connects with Winston`s rebellion, as he actively searched for others to join his uprising, which is shown when Winston tells O’Brien “We want to join [The Brotherhood]” (171). Winston’s attempt to join a rebellious organization exhibits his evident desire to release his suppressed emotions. Winston devises a very methodical approach to deal with the problematic society he resides in.
The book, 1984 by George Orwell, is about the external conflict between Winston Smith and Big Brother; and the internal conflict between the two ideas, democracy and totalitarianism. Orwell wrote the novel to show society what it could become if things kept getting worse: he sensed of the expansion of communism when he wrote the novel. The conflict between democracy and totalitarianism at the year of 1945 created two characters, Winston Smith and Big Brother, in orwell's mind. Big Brother is the embodiment of all the ideals of the totalitarian party. In contrast to Big Brother, Winston Smith keeps the idea of democracy emphasizes freedom, he has to hide his own thought because the Big Brother's party will punish him by death if the party finds it out. George orwell criticizes of Big Brother's society by describing it as a dark and a gloomy place. It warns that people might believe that everyone must become slaves to the government in order to have an orderly society, but at the expense of the freedom of the people.
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.
Many people today are fighters and make attempts to stand up for what they believe in. Another way 1984 impacted us today is that the novel was a prediction of a controlling government. “If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—forever” (page 267). Just like in 1984 they had “telescreens”monitoring their every move, we know there are so many surveillance cameras used everywhere we go. There are also microphones and the government is able to tap their citizens’ phone to monitor what they say. This ties into the main theme
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.
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.
The year 1984 has long passed, but the novel still illustrates a possibility for the future of society. It still remains a powerful influence in all sorts of literature, music, and social theory. George Orwell envisioned a nightmarish utopia that could have very easily become a possibility in 1949 ? the year the novel was written. He managed to create such a realistic view of humanity?s future, that this story has been deemed timeless. There will always be the threat of totalitarianism, and at some moments civilization is only a step away from it. Orwell hated the thought of it, and 1984 shows that. From his work, readers who live in prevailing democratic society have a chance to consider about these very different political systems, democracy and totalitarianism.