Representation Of Children In George Orwell's 1984

Representation of Children in 1984
Authors create characters in their writing that will help push certain ideals and create an entertaining storyline. Orwell does just this when representing children in the book 1984. Children, just like all the other members of the party, are pressured by the government to believe certain information. However, children are also used to enforce the ideals that Big Brother supports on their parents, siblings, and every other citizen of Oceania. They are expected to spy specifically on family members and report to the thought police if anyone’s thoughts differ from what the party wants all citizens to believe. By representing children in this way, Orwell shows how a tense society can be while allowing Big Brother

Parents will never have to try and convince their children to believe Big Brother if the children are taught at an extremely young age to obey Big Brother and all his ideals. Children are taught to turn all their anger “outwards, against the enemies of the State, against foreigners, traitors, saboteurs, thought criminals” (24) instead of against the government, the people who are controlling them the most. Showing children in this society who are controlling to the older citizens in their country also allows Big Brother to appear even more powerful and influential. If children can have more power than adults while enforcing rules, the normal roles of society are switched, which shows the influence Big Brother has on children. Big Brother’s power is also shown through his effect on all the people in Oceania. Everyone is afraid to disobey him, because they will be caught and vaporized. The children greatly enforce these rules, giving Big Brother an even bigger effect on his

As the children grow up, they generally keep the views they learned at a young age. This way all party members are obedient to the party from the moment they are born until the day they die. However, there are a few rebellious children in the party who show how the brainwashing is not as subtle as the party wants it to be. For example, Winston grew up in a family in which he was very influential. He did the same roles as all the other children: turn family members in to the thought police if they are disobeying the party in any way. Winston is different from the rest of the children, however, because as soon as his family died he realized what the party had been doing. The party manipulates people’s minds in order to control them. Winston then became a rebellious adult who ended up in the Ministry of Love. Winston is an example of how no one can completely brainwash an entire society without a few problems along the way. Orwell depicts rebellious children in the book in order to show that while children are used to brainwash an entire society, the method of brainwashing is something with a few