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Class struggle in orwell's 1984
George Orwell Marxist elements in 1984
George Orwell's 1984 analysis
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Recommended: Class struggle in orwell's 1984
George Orwell’s 1984 novel goes through the life of Winston who is trying to resist the power of the totalitarian government of Oceania known as The Party. Although the proles do seem to be marginalized by the inner party, they aren’t aware of it. They are free and have the sense of individualism to live their life. On the other hand, the outer party is aware of the Party’s manipulative powers, and they are capable of rebellion. Because of this, they are put under severe monitoring. Through showing different ways the Party exercises their supreme power, Orwell marginalizes the outer party. The Inner Party uses its power to attempt to control the thoughts of the outer party. Firstly, they keep the Outer Party (and the proles for this matter) uneducated when it comes to wars and other events Oceania is involved in, for example, the wars with Eastasia and Eurasia. Throughout the novel, the Party goes back and forth with whom they are at war with. Whether, they tell the citizens that they are against Eurasia or Eastasia, they claim to have been at war with that nation and only that nation. Constantly changing these facts makes Winston and other Outer Party members question the legitimacy of it, but they have no other choice but to agree with it and show their excitement about it. This shows how powerless the Outer Party truly is. Secondly, by including that “in the end the Party would announce that two and two made five, and you would have to believe it”(80), it shows the huge amount of power the Party withholds, and it shows how much impact the Party can have on its people. By pointing out a clearly false fact, it reinforces the idea that the Outer Party can be related to those who are brainless – those who are almost like robots th... ... middle of paper ... ...as long as the party exists.” In other words, as long as the Party exists, its citizens of Oceania will always be watched. Again, this shows how the outer party is marginalized due to the lack of knowledge they have about their government and the lack of power they have. By setting the atmosphere of Oceania to be fearful and full of paranoia, Orwell demonstrates the inner party’s ability to silence the outer party and show ultimate control over them. In conclusion, Orwell used many elements in 1984 in order to show the social status of the outer party and how they were marginalized. By showing the sheer power the totalitarian government of the Party obtained, the ways in which they monitored the outer party, and how they use Big Brother as a symbol that they are always being watched; Orwell painted the outer party to be an underprivileged and fearful group of people.
“The rest or the social structure consists of an inner party, the outer party, and then the proletarians, who form the majority, 85% of the people. The stratification of Oceania typifies the social set up in most of the dictatorial establishments where the leader and some few members of the ruling class are extremely privileged and the rest languish in sheer lack and a difficult life” (Icke, Macmillan and Orwell 13). Of most interest are the organs of governance in this state. They consist of the police, who enforce the surveillance and ensure that wherever one goes, the government is omnipresent. The presence of the law enforcers everywhere is the basis of the predicaments of Winston and Julia, who are lovers.
The reader at this point sees more and more that the quality of life is low and almost akin to that of a prison. This strategy used by Orwell is a strong pathos argument as it plays to the emotions of the reader to cause the association of The Party and negativity in the mind of the reader. 1984: A Rhetorical analysis 2 1984: A Rhetorical analysis 5 The way that The Party, Big Brother, and many of the other foreign concepts are referred to are quite vague at first which Orwell does on purpose.
George Orwell creates a dark, depressing and pessimistic world where the government has full control over the masses in the novel 1984. The protagonist, Winston, is low-level Party member who has grown to resent the society that he lives in. Orwell portrays him as a individual that begins to lose his sanity due to the constrictions of society. There are only two possible outcomes, either he becomes more effectively assimilated or he brings about the change he desires. Winston starts a journey towards his own self-destruction. His first defiant act is the diary where he writes “DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER.” But he goes further by having an affair with Julia, another party member, renting a room over Mr. Carrington’s antique shop where Winston conducts this affair with Julia, and by following O’Brien who claims to have connections with the Brotherhood, the anti-Party movement led my Emmanuel Goldstein. Winston and Julia are both eventually arrested by the Thought Police when Mr. Carrington turns out to be a undercover officer. They both eventually betray each other when O’Brien conducts torture upon them at the Ministry of Love. Orwell conveys the limitations of the individual when it comes to doing something monumental like overthrowing the established hierarchy which is seen through the futility of Winston Smith’s actions that end with his failure instead of the end of Big Brother. Winston’s goal of liberating himself turns out to be hopeless when the people he trusted end up betraying him and how he was arbitrarily manipulated. It can be perceived that Winston was in fact concerned more about his own sanity and physical well-being because he gives into Big Brother after he is tortured and becomes content to live in the society he hated so much. Winston witnesses the weakness within the prole community because of their inability to understand the Party’s workings but he himself embodies weakness by sabotaging himself by associating with all the wrong people and by simply falling into the arms of Big Brother. Orwell created a world where there is no use but to assimilate from Winston’s perspective making his struggle utterly hopeless.
Rather, it contends that when government is unrestrained in the form of totalitarianism, as exemplified by the Party of Oceania, it can by nature exist only to serve itself. This argument serves as Orwell’s warning against the dangers of totalitarianism; it is so corrupting a force that it can hide behind claims of good intentions, but ultimately exists only to accumulate its own power. Furthermore, since a totalitarian drive for power constitutes a total control of its citizenry and a political structure that necessitates its existence, as shown by the military strategy of the Party, Orwell warns that once a truly totalitarian state is in place, there is no possible way to overthrow it or turn back from it. Ultimately, Orwell sees a government that is so distorted it has become completely self-serving as the largest threat, defining his view of totalitarianism and the themes of his
The conflict between Winston and Big Brother starts from the beginning of the novel when Winston begins to keep his secret diary about Big Brother. Winston Smith is a third-nine years old man who is a member of the 'outer-party'--the lower of the two classes. Winston works for the government in one of the four main government buildings called the ministry of Truth where his job is to rewrite history books in order for people not to learn what the past used to be like. Winston's occupation is the major factor which lets him to realize that Big Brother is restricting people's freedom. However, Winston keeps his complains about Big Brother and the party for his own secret because the party will not allow anyone keeping a rebellious thought. The tension between them gets serious when Big Brother becomes suspicious of Winston. Winston is therefore watched by O'Brien, an intelligent execute at the 'Ministry of Truth', who is a member of the 'inner party'--the upper class. Without doubting Big Brother's trap, Winston shares his ideas with O'Brien. O'Brien mentions a gentleman named Emmanuel Goldstein whom he claims to know the leader of the rebels against the party. O'Brien also promises to help winston, and promises him a copy of Goldstein's book. But O'Brien betrays him as Big Brother has planned.
Many features of Orwell's imaginary super-state Oceania are ironic translations from Stalin’s Russia. In Oceania, the Party mainly uses technology as the chief ingredient to implement a psychological manipulation over society by controlling the information they receive. An example of this is the big screen television set up in every person’s home, and the poster all over the city. The giant “telescreen” in every citizen’s room blasts a constant stream of propaganda designed to make the failures and short successes of the Party appear to be glorious. In Winston Smith’s apartment, this “instrument” is always on spouting propaganda and constantly brain washing the peoples’ mind. In actual fact, “It could [only be] dimmed… there [is] no way of shutting it off”. In doing this, the Political Party is in complete control over the citizens’ mind, blasting what they want each individual to think (Orwell, 6). They psychologically stimulate each individuals mind, limiting their ability to think and have a mind of their own. In a similar way, Stalin’s created “The Poster” and The Pravda (the Russian newspaper controlled by the government during Joseph Stalin's regime) to twist and manipulate the minds of people into believing that what they were saying was absolutely right and truth. Using this power, Stalin and his regime would get people to do anything for them. (Basgen, 2010)
Orwell has real concerns about the way in which society worked, particular when considering hierarchies and the way the powerful manipulate information. As can be seen there is a strong hierarchy system in the novel 1984 with references to poor and wealthy classes, the proles being lower class and the inner party members being higher class. Orwell spent time in boarding school, wasn’t wealthy and saw disparity between people who had and hadn’t, there are many references towards headmaster and control “ When he spoke it was in a schoolmasterish kind of way” (3.5.297). Orwell also used Hitler’s actions as a leader and incorporated them into 1984; this is evident through the propaganda of Big Brother, dictatorship and the way the Inner party was able to manipulate society to change their beliefs. “The German Nazis and the communist came very close to us in their methods…” (3.3.276) Orwell’s values and beliefs about communism and democracy have strongly been developed through his trepidation in power and historical references to Hitler.
Authors often use their works as a way to express their own opinions and ideologies. However, it is the skill of the author that determines whether these ideas are combined with the plot seamlessly, making a creative transition of ideas from the author’s mind, to the reader’s. There is no doubt that George Orwell is a masterful writer, and one of his most popular works, 1984, clearly expresses his negative views of the Totalitarian government. A common theme in the dystopian society in 1984 is betrayal: The Party is very intolerant towards any form of disloyalty, and anyone who plots against them or Big Brother will eventually either betray their own mind and accept Big Brother as their leader, or be betrayed and revealed to The Party by one of their so-called comrades. Overall, Orwell is using this constant theme of betrayal to show how alone and alienated the protagonist (Winston Smith) is in his quest against Totalitarianism, thus showing how flawed and hopeless the political system is.
In the novel 1984, written by George Orwell, there is a place called Oceania where the government is Big Brother. The government, the Party, and the Thought Police are constantly oppressing the citizens of Oceania. Most of the people don't know that they are being oppressed, but the two main characters, Julia and Winston, realize the oppression and don't stand for it. Winston and Julia absolutely hate the Party, and are constant breaking its “rules”. Julia is self-centered and resists the Party by doing rebellious acts that only affect her in a positive way. Similarly, Winston also does small acts of rebellion in the beginning of the book in ways that only relate to him. Later, Winston rebels for a greater cause, joining the Brotherhood to
Psychological manipulation the Party uses on the citizens is one of the first themes Orwell exposes in this dystopian society. The Party maintains this manipulation by constantly overwhelming citizens with useless information and propaganda.
...art of the whole society and have greater power through the amount of support for the party, while those who believe otherwise are less powerful as their support is much less and limited. Orwell shows how those who do not conform will end up being taken down by those with the power and there is not much anyone could do about that. Those who believed in change and tried to change the society only ended up meeting failure as majority rules, those with more power will overpower the weak and succeed.
In George Orwell’s book, 1984, he shows us the main social group in Oceania, the Party members. Party members are loyal to the one and only Big Brother. To be a great Party member you need to follow the rules and praise Big Brother because he is the great and powerful person that has saved everybody from the uprising of Goldstien. You also have to participate in community events like the hikes and the daily jerk every morning. The Party is split into two branches, the Inner Party and the Outer Party. The Inner Party only makes up for 2 percent of Oceania and the Outer Party makes up for 13 percent. The other remaining 85 percent is occupied by the Proles. The Inner party is like the upper class people that work for the government and make laws as the Outer Party is middle class workers that work for the government. Orwell had this social group to be very important because they are shown as an equal group but in reality they really aren’t.
Orwell utilizes mood in the text to show how the Party and Big Brother control the society of Oceania, making it dull and lifeless. The author discusses the Thought Police that is implemented to keep surveillance on citizens, stating “You had to live-did live, from habit that became instinct-in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard, and except in the darkness, every movement scrutinized.” ( Orwell, 3) The description that Orwell provides about the oppressed society of Oceania spreads a feeling of gloominess and distress. Due to the constant vigilance over the citizens
The novel 1984 by George Orwell presents the readers an image of a totalitarian society that explores a world of control, power, and corruption. The main idea of government control presents itself in the novel by protecting and listening to the people of Oceania. However, Orwell suggests giving too much power to the government is a mistake because eventually the decisions they make will not be about the people anymore but rather themselves. In 1984, the power and corruption the party has is overwhelming for the people. There are no ways around the beliefs of the Party, the party attempts to control and eventually destroy any mental or physical resistance against their beliefs. The agenda for the party is to obtain mind control over its people and force them to adore their leader. The methods the Party uses to achieve its goal are: the use of constant propaganda and surveillance, the rewriting of history, and Room 101.
The family unit of Oceania in George Orwell’s book, 1984, plays an important part to society. These families are broken rather than households of affection and comfort. Oceania’s government, called the Party, controls the families in every aspect. With these non-existent families, there is a cycle of breaking down of family and a stronger Party as times passes until a there is force strong enough to end it. These families that lead to corruption in society should be avoided in order to prevent a totalitarian government from rising.