Examples Of Power In 1984 By George Orwell

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Throughout history, there are those who seek to control mass groups of people; their beliefs are that people are meant to be influenced and are subject to anything. Tyranny only leaves room for that one, central individual who thrives on this power. In 1984¸ Orwell demonstrates how the Party uses power and manipulation over people to obstruct loyalty and relationships in what it means to stay human. The three slogans of the Party, “War is Peace, Freedom is slavery, and Ignorance is strength”, divide people in Oceania (4). The only thing that may distract them and bring them together is the Brotherhood and its leader, Goldstein. Goldstein is supposedly the root of all evil. By being the “[advocate of] freedom…he [often cries] hysterically that …show more content…

Throughout the novel, Winston’s sole belief was to be apart from the rest of the Party’s ideals. However, his humanity fails him as he exclaims to O’Brien, “Do it to Julia!... Not me! Julia! I don’t care what you do to her. Tear her face off, strip her to the bones. Not me! Not me!” (286). This is the moment where O’Brien breaks Winston. Winston becomes a prisoner in his own mind by not having the freedom that he expressed earlier in the novel by knowing “that two plus two make four” (81). His freedom is so far from his mind, that he does not know the meaning of the word anymore. Winston also has a tendency to “[push a] picture out of his mind…a false memory” as he calls it which “did not matter so long as one knew them for what they were” (296). He, in fact, no longer knows what a real memory is. The Party’s manipulation of Winston finally succeeds manipulating Winston by limiting the way he perceives memories. Although, Winston thinks “everything [is] all right, the struggle [is] finished, and he wins the victory over himself” only knowing that “he [loves] Big Brother” (298). The simplicity in this ending makes it seem that Winston is at peace; the man versus self-struggle is over. He does not have to constantly think or move in secret. In a way, this gives him a sort of ‘freedom’ that he could not have with his own

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