Examples Of Total Dictatorship In 1984 By George Orwell

In George Orwell’s novel 1984, the people of Oceania are the victims of total dictatorship with no hope of escape. Big Brother is the leader or dictator of Oceania, under him is his trusted Inner Party who enforces that which he says. Then there are the Outer Party and the Proles, these people are the true victims of total dictatorship and make up almost 98 percent of Oceania's population. Winston Smith, the main character in the story, is a member of the Outer Party and starts to see the evil side to Big Brother’s government. Through Winston’s words and actions, how the people of Oceania are treated as well as how they act is shown. I believe the people are victims of total dictatorship because they cannot do anything to end it and because

if they try anything they are stopped instantly. The people of Oceania must do what they are told with no say and live with the fear of being removed from existence in a moment’s notice.
Big Brother manages to control the people of Oceania by taking away all freedom. The people are total victims of the dictatorship and many are completely oblivious to it because of the power Big Brother has. One way the people of Oceania are shown as victims of dictatorship is by their ignorance. On page seven while Winston is writing he thinks, “A sense of complete helplessness had descended upon him. To begin with, he did not know with any certainty that this was 1984. It must be round that date, since he was fairly sure that his age was thirty-nine.”(Orwell, pg.7). This line shows that
Big Brother keeps the people so sheltered and kept away from the rest of the world that they do not know simple things like the date.

This ignorance makes them victims because they cannot do anything because they do not know anything to do other than follow Big Brother. In Orwell’s novel, the people of Oceania are shown as victims by how much they are watched. When Julia and Winston get close to their destination on their first meeting she says, ““I didn’t want to say anything in the lane,” she went on, “in case there’s a mike hidden there. I do not suppose there is, but there could be. There’s always the chance of one of those swine recognizing your voice. We’re all right here.” ” (Orwell, pg. 119). This dialogue shows that almost everywhere the people go they are watched or listened to by the Thought Police. No one can escape the eyes or ears of Big Brother and no one has the freedom of speech or freedom of anything. Another instance where the people are shown as victims was when Mr. Charrington revealed his identity, “Mr. Charrington came into the room. The demeanor of the black-uniformed men suddenly became more subdued. Something had also changed in Mr. Charrington’s appearance… It occurred to Winston that for the first time he was looking, with knowledge, at a member of the Thought Police.” (Orwell, pg. 224). This instance shows that no one can be trusted in Big Brother’s world. The people are constantly victims because anyone and everyone could be a member of the

Thought Police in disguise. A friend of a long time could one day reveal his identity in a moment’s notice. No matter where people go, there is no escaping Big Brother. Lastly, the people of Oceania are depicted as victims of dictatorship was during Winston and O’Brien’s conversation about why Big Brother wanted power. ““Now I will tell you the answer to my question. It is this. The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power. Not wealth or luxury or long life or happiness; only power, pure power.”” (Orwell, pg. 263). This statement says all Big Brother and the Inner Party wants is power, they do not care about the people, this helps show how the people are victims. To Big Brother the people are merely tools or pawns used to achieve their goal that when used they throw away, in many cases as well the people are killed because they do not act as Big Brothers pawn. These are just four parts within the novel that show how the people of Oceania are victims of total dictatorship, they cannot do anything and when they try to they are immediately put down. In the real world, it is no different; people who happen to be under a dictatorship never want to be in it. Events like the Holocaust and Russian Communist party are times recent in our history, where a dictator ruled people and they could not do a thing, they were complete victims. In many cases in real life and in George Orwell’s 1984, the people are victims of the dictatorship.
George Orwell's novel 19884 is a novel that offers a lot and is interesting. While reading I felt that the people of Oceania were victims of dictatorship, but I can also see slightly how someone may feel that the people are enablers of total dictatorship. Throughout the novel, I read about people who did like Big Brother and wanted him to rule, Syme was a character like this. He felt that things Big Brother did with the language were good and were better for everyone, what he did aided in Big Brothers growth. In the end although, I felt that a majority of the people were victims of total
dictatorship. This novel was a very interesting story that had me want to continue reading. There were parts that made me mad such a betrayal, and parts that had me not want to stop reading, but this added to the novel. George Orwell’s 1984 is a novel that brings a lot and much to discuss.