Examples Of Manipulation In 1984 By George Orwell

The book 1984 by George Orwell is a fantastic trope on a dystopian universe. One thing that makes this book stand so far out from the rest is it’s psychological undertones that really make you think. The government of this universe wants to control its citizens, therefore, the citizens of this dystopian universe undergo several different forms of psychological manipulation. This manipulation can come in several different forms. Propaganda is the biggest form of manipulation used, then through continuously monitored behavior, and finally the use of physical punishment to break the spirit.
Propaganda plays a major role in the psychological manipulation of the citizens. It is a continuous presence that refutes any questions citizens pose to the government. The telescreens are installed in every home and play different propaganda videos continuously. There are posters everywhere with the statement “Big Brother is Watching You” and hate posters of their enemies. Announcements are made daily praising the production of excess goods, even though there are no advancements made in the quality of living. At work people participate in a mandatory two minutes of hate. The two minutes of hate is a propaganda video overlaid with a

very irritating soundtrack. The video’s main purpose is to bastardize the government's enemies. By overlaying the irritating soundtrack over the images of the government’s enemies creates and association of displeasure whenever the government’s enemies are mentioned. This brainwashing is the pinnacle of the government’s propaganda.
The government also controls its citizens through the continuous monitoring of behaviour.

The telescreens record and stream everything from the room they’re in. The only time you have privacy is when it’s dark or you’re out of the line of sight from the telescreens camera, and even then it still picks up sounds. When the citizens are at work or on the street their movements are monitored by cameras and hidden police. The children are not only encouraged but trained to hunt out enemies of the party. Someone who has doubts about the government is a walking corpse. It is inevitable that the government will find out and execute them. THis knowledge can cause an extreme amount of stress causing the guilty person to act recklessly or even give themselves

up.
The physical aspect comes later than the psychological, and only if a person is detained and interrogated by the government. When Winston is taken in, he is beaten and starved. During one of his interrogation sessions he is placed in front of a mirror and shown how decrepit his body had become. Winston is brought to tears by what is body has become, and how weak he is. The interrogator also pairs psychological manipulation with physical torture. O'Brien uses a machine that causes tremendous pain to Winston, as well as asks Winston questions. When Winston gives him an answer that he doesn’t like he will increase the level of pain Winston feels. This pain can get to be so extreme that Winston is willing to tell O’Brien anything to get it to stop. THe only way O’Brien will stop is if Winston truly believes what he is telling O’Brien.
The government in this book can be terrifying once you realize that this sort of manipulation is possible in our own world. The manipulation in this book would be highly successful if applied in our world and some countries have come close to the level of propaganda used. This is a book that makes you question the world around you. This is what makes it stand out from the rest.