Mind Control And Totalitarianism In 1984 By George Orwell

Mind control and totalitarianism go hand in hand when a government or political leader wants to control a mass of people, or in this case, an entire nation. 1984, a book written by George Orwell, is about a totalitarian government that controlled its citizens by using different methods of mind control. These methods forced the citizens to comply to the government without them even knowing they were doing it. Big Brother, the so called “leader” of Oceania, was supposedly watching every person at all times. This does not include the proles, which are the third class that no one cares about. Many factors are involved when creating and maintaining a totalitarian government, which is a feat in its own. In 1984, George Orwell explored the use of

mind control, which affected the government’s totalitarian control over the nation and its citizens.
Before any mind controlling can happen, a government needs to be able to conduct it without being overthrown. This is why totalitarian governments are able to control masses of people; they first establish a base of trust, then they take over. “A totalitarian government seeks to control not only all economic and political matters but the attitudes, values, and beliefs of its population, erasing the distinction between state and society” (“Totalitarianism”). This is exactly what the government in 1984 was trying to do. They were trying to eliminate each person’s individuality from each other. They did not want people to be able to think for themselves in any way possible. The main goal of the government in 1984 was to control the world, solely because they could. There really was no other reason behind the motive to control the masses other than for the betterment of themselves. The motives behind the totalitarian control in 1984 are extremely similar to what totalitarian governments seek in this world today. After first establishing authority and control over the masses of people, different methods of mind control are needed to maintain the order and control that the few leaders have over the nation.