Fear and Hysteria in Society Rebellion, protests and freedom is a thing of the present day and to a certain extent is a given right, but what would society be like without control of the people and with a Gruesome leader such as Big Brother? In 1984 by George Orwell, Big Brother cuts of all sense of privacy and puts in secret police in their lives to keep control of order and construction in Oceania. False memories influence the way of life and creates three kinds of people, those who believe and honor Big Brother himself, those who go on with life day by day doing what their told and people like Winston and Julia who want freedom and happiness. From the start of the book we are already introduced to the lack of privacy in everyday life “On each landing, opposite the lift shaft, the poster with the enormous face gazed from the wall…BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU. (1-2). With the thought of always being watched, there was no freedom represented because it brings a sense of fear and hopelessness. One is watched 24/7 and there is no escaping because telescreens were implanted everywhere. It could receive information and had a transmitter that was simultaneous, any whisper any movement could be seen. There was never a way to know when they (Big Brother) would/ was looking at you and that is the fear they wanted you to feel. They could catch your thought crimes and that is what Thought Police needed. Thought Police are the ones to be feared the most because they could be anywhere at any time and could be anyone, your neighbor, mother or father, even your child! The reason behind these Police was to create an alliance with believers of Big Brothers and to vaporize those who didn’t believe, because those who didn’t believe in t... ... middle of paper ... ...ia! Do it to Julia! Not me! Julia! I don’t care what you do to her. Tear her faceoff, strip her to the bones. Not me! Julia! Not me!( 286). This betrayal was indeed what they wanted to hear, this is what, made them see that he was changed and believed Big Brother. This cruel punishment is what they did to anyone, no matter what, to change their beliefs. Big Brother would succeed. 1984 was a representation of what the future held in store, and how society could change. By creating a leader who people feared and appreciated society could easily be controlled and how one person could control everyone. Orwell predicted the future in a sense with things he noticed in real life experiences and how the world was changing in such an early time. Based on ideas he had, he was correct! We are all watched, we are controlled and the world is in fact changing.
Imagine being watched by your own government every single second of the day with not even the bathroom, bedroom, kitchen and all the above to yourself. George Orwell’s 1984 is based on a totalitarian government where the party has complete access over the citizens thoughts to the point where anything they think they can access it, and control over the citizens actions, in a sense that they cannot perform what they really want to or else Big Brother, which is the name of the government in the book 1984, will “take matters into their own hands.” No one acts the same when they are being watched, as they do when they are completely alone.
Although Julia attempts to break the rules, she accepts her situations. For Julia, the existence of this totalitarian government is all she has ever known. Many people remained under control of powerful dictators because they believed they wouldn’t make a difference.
Any feelings of connection she once shared with Winston do not outweigh the fear of her own mortality. Julia is a true survivor and she is willing to perform any act to carry out her self-centered rebellion. She spent an astonishing amount of time attending lectures and demonstrations, distributing literature for the Junior Anti-Sex League, preparing banners for Hate Week, making collections for the saving campaign, and such like activities. It paid, she said, it was like camouflage. If you kept the small rules, you could break the big ones (Orwell 129).
In George Orwell’s 1984, where strictly regulated rules is what generates this society, and any disregard for these rules ends in unimaginable punishment. Winston and Julia’s love for each other, however unconventional it is, is greatly beneficial for not only the participants, but also for O’Brien, and particularly for Big Brother itself. This passion for each other, seemingly inextinguishable, is later on taken into account by the Inner Party, finally resulting in not only complete obedience and conformity from Winston and Julia, but also in a peace of mind for these two characters.
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.
Through out the course of history there have been several events that have been a pivotal point which has molded the behaviors and thoughts of this century. A lot of notable activist and authors wrote stories and speeches about how they believed that this day and time would be like. A lot of these views were very accurate surprisingly. In the novel 1984 author George Orwell gives his vision on how he believed that the countries would be like if they kept going the way they were.This report will give you a brief rundown of the characters, theories and principles of this novel along with some of my personal insight of the novel.
(Orwell, 214)” Julia broke her promise to Winston and gave up on him before she had even gone through half the torture he did. After Winston and Julia both got out of Ministry of Love, they ran into each other and discovered that neither of them still loved each other, which proved that Julia truly did betray Winston because she said “Confession is not betrayal”. What you say or do doesn’t matter: only feelings matter. If they could make me stop loving you- that would be the real betrayal” (Orwell 173).
In Conclusion, 1984 is a novel that represents a called government. The government is taken over by “The Party”. The Party seeks to gain complete obedience from the people of Oceania. The main goal of the Party is to eliminate independent thought. The book is surrounded by psychological manipulation. Everything that happens throughout the book is government related and tends to manipulate some people of Oceania. Since their government is totalitarian they seek absolute power towards their people. This shows warning of what might happen id our government becomes too powerful, the party is trying to avoid any sort of rebellion from the people.
George Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty-Four portrayed a fictional character named ‘Big Brother,’ whom acted as the enigmatic dictator in a totalitarian state (Orwell, 1949). In the society where every citizen is under the surveillance of ‘Big Brother,’ most conform to the rulings and orders of the authorities out of fear, with the exception of a few.
Big Brother is watching you (Orwell 3). Why is Big Brother so concerned with the surveillance of its citizens? In 1984, the journey of one individual, Winston Smith, is narrated. His life characterizes the recklessness and deprivation of totalitarianism governments have on not only individuals but communities by revealing the transformation of one monopolizing power to create a society of mindless, controlled civilians.... ...
...he USSR under Lenin and Stalin. He was dismayed by the total monitoring system, control over people’s thoughts, loss of happiness with loved ones, and loss of freedom happening in the USSR, which caused him to dread the future of other countries. Therefore, in addition to creating a replica of the USSR, he portrayed the perfect totalitarian government in his novel to emphasize many problems associated with it. To summarize, the author’s motives behind writing this novel helped me realize the astonishing resemblance of our society to the fictional society of the novel. It forces one to think of the risk associated with giving any single person or entity too much power or control over our lives. This led me to the conclusion that we shouldn’t engage in any activities that might put our privacy at risk if we want to avert a potential totalitarian system in the future.
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.
... gives in to Big Brother, and begins to praise and love him, “He loved Big Brother”. Orwells ending is very different than most novels, the ending leaves the readers questioning them selves, hoping that there is more to it, that there is hope for Winston, But no. Orwell finishes the novel with a dark and hopeless ending, to try to make it more realistic and relatable. 1984 is a dystopian novel, because Orwell wanted the readers to relate between the world of 1984 and real world, he wanted to try to make the message clearer to the readers, by making the readers think of the ending, and how relatable is it to the current world.
He had not merely said it, he had wished it. He had wished that she and not he should be delivered over to the-” (293). His betrayal of Julia and her betrayal of him shows how Winston has changed from rebellious to conforming to The Party. Julia is twenty-six years old, and has brown hair and eyes she is youthful, also rebellious and cunning. She serves as Winston’s motivation for open rebellion, when she tells him "Confession is not betrayal.
The Invasion of Privacy is also used to control people. Devices called Telescreens are setup everywhere for the use of your entertainment and the party’s. They are objects that not only allow you to watch them and hear them like a television but in return you yourself are watched and heard by the party. Other ways in which privacy is taken away is by the use of little sound devices called “Bugs.'; In one scene Winston and Julia are talking and Julia says, “I bet that picture’s got bugs behind it'; (Orwell 122)1. When she says this she is implying that the party is listening to everything they say and do. The final way the party invades privacy is by The Thought Police. The Thought Police are members of the party that control life through the telescreens and bugs. When you are caught by them for a crime you must then go to prison for as long as it takes to purify or make you sane enough to work for the party once again.