Although George Orwell wrote 1984 many years ago, the danger of centralized government is still evidently presented in modern society. The government’s use of fear through military forces, spies, and, among other things, to control the citizens of Oceania. In our world, it is not rare to see governments go to special lengths to control their people, involving surveillance and even strict military action; thus, violence. However, if you were to consider our world and our own reality, it would not be incorrect to consider the perspective on the world that people and other ruling parties, strive for power and dominance over others; thus, it diminishes people’s freedom and privacy. The worldview pertaining to the theme applies to our society in
several ways. Take the first quote for instance, it mentions the Party instilling fear in the main character and other people though violent torture. The use of violence or physical force to control a population is not a rare occurrence in our world today. This idea is evident in many autocratic governments and dictatorships, such as North Korea, in which they try to gain ultimate control and power of not only the people themselves, but several aspects of the country such as economic and social decisions. Using military force would create a sense of fear and will allow the ruling party to gain control over the people. Apart from this, other nations utilize different methods to gain such power apart from solely military force. Countries such as the U.S. have several agencies, such as the National Security Agency (NSA), to monitor the citizens of their country and deal with those who are going against their government’s ideology and beliefs. Using this point of view, you can pick apart the actions of governments and correlate it in their effort to gain or keep a sense of power and to improve their international standing. Using the position that people strive for power and control is a rather useful way to view and examine the world, as there are several different examples that can be picked out and investigated. The nature of human beings is to be somewhat controlling, and it is natural for someone to have the desire for power. However, the extent of this difference and that is where this viewpoint can be used to analyze each party involved and their effects on others and themselves. The abundance of relevant examples allows this view to be suitable in examining our world.
George Orwell’s novel, 1984, is a dystopian literary text that illuminates the tenets of totalitarian and authoritarian governance in most areas where the leaders seek total loyalty and near hero worship. It was published in 1949, but has since remained relevant because its details promoted authoritarian political constructs and the political leadership concepts that evolved in the globe over time. Set at Oceania province in Airstrip One, formerly known as Great Britain, the book displays an omnipresent government that institutes constant state surveillance on the people that it suspects to be a threat to its regime and agitators of rebellion. It infringes on human rights
The novel 1984, by George Orwell, made me paranoid. It made me suspicious of our government's power and intentions. I became aware of the potential manipulation which the government could impose upon us. I came to see that the people I believe to be wholly dedicated to the well-being of society, the people I rely so heavily on to provide protection and security have the power to betray us at any given time. I realised that in my naivety I had gravely overlooked the powerful grip government has over society, and what it can do with that power.
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.
1984, a novel by George Orwell, represents a dystopian society in which the people of Oceania are surveilled by the government almost all the time and have no freedoms. Today, citizens of the United States and other countries are watched in a similar way. Though different technological and personal ways of keeping watch on society than 1984, today’s government is also able to monitor most aspects of the people’s life. 1984 might be a dystopian society, but today’s condition seems to be moving towards that controlling state, where the citizens are surveilled by the government at all times.
The belief that a government is always watching their citizens can control people’s thoughts and propaganda can help to establish this belief. The leader of a totalitarian government is often “omnipresent, all-knowing, larger than life and half-divine” (Roelofs 4). An omnipresent leader can institute an extreme level of obedience into the citizens of their country because the citizens may conclude that the government could determine if the citizens support most of the government’s actions by analyzing videos or other visual evidence collected by the government. The leader can force the citizens to act in a similar way to help create a sense of unity. In 1984, Big Brother is omnipresent and spies on all of the citizens of Oceania through the façade of moving eyes on the posters that say “Big Brother is watching you” (Varricchio 7). The moving eyes of Big Brother demonstrate that Big Brother watches all of the citizens of Oceania all of the time since the average citizen of Oceania is unable ...
George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984 follows the psychological journey of main character Winston. Winston lives in a utopian society called Oceania. There, the citizens are constantly monitored by their government coined “Big Brother” or “The Party”. In Oceania, there is no form of individuality or privacy. Citizens are also coerced to believe everything and anything the government tells them, even if it contradicts reality and memory. The goal of Big Brother is to destroy individual loyalties and make its citizenry only loyal to the government. In Orwell's novel 1984, he uses Winston's psychological journey to stress the dangers of individuality in a totalitarian regime because it can result in death. Winston’s overwhelming desire to rebel
Ultimately, common ideas found in the novel 1984, totalitarianism, surveillance, and lack of privacy are also ubiquitous in modern society and government. Big Brother and modern day government have been able to control its citizens through surveillance equipment, and fear all for a little more power. There is much to learn from such an undesirable form of society much like the one of Oceania in 1984. Examining Big Brother government closely, alarming connections can be made to real-world government actions in the United States and the cruel world within Orwell's book.
I strongly agree with Fromm’s viewpoints and interpretations of Orwell’s 1984 text. He warns that the future federal powers will dehumanize society and leave everyone alienated. Thus, I agree with Fromm to the extent that he acknowledges the fact that humanity can indeed cease to exist as a result of our own self-destruction as well as the effect of our actions. Many of his opinions and warnings expressed by Orwell to an extent appear in contemporary society.
War Is Peace. Freedom Is Slavery. Ignorance Is Strength. The party slogan of Ingsoc illustrates the sense of contradiction which characterizes the novel 1984. That the book was taken by many as a condemnation of socialism would have troubled Orwell greatly, had he lived to see the aftermath of his work. 1984 was a warning against totalitarianism and state sponsored brutality driven by excess technology. Socialist idealism in 1984 had turned to a total loss of individual freedom in exchange for false security and obedience to a totalitarian government, a dysutopia. 1984 was more than a simple warning to the socialists of Orwell's time. There are many complex philosophical issues buried deep within Orwell's satire and fiction. It was an essay on personal freedom, identity, language and thought, technology, religion, and the social class system. 1984 is more than a work of fiction. It is a prediction and a warning, clothed in the guise of science fiction, not so much about what could happen as it is about the implications of what has already happened. Rather than simply discoursing his views on the social and political issues of his day, Orwell chose to narrate them into a work of fiction which is timeless in interpretation. This is the reason that 1984 remains a relevant work of social and philosophical commentary more than fifty years after its completion.
In the novel second half of the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell, portrayed the consequences faced to those who don’t follow the laws laid out by The Party.
The setting is important to the overall novel studied because it helps highlight major themes in the novel, it further characterizes the motivations of the characters, and helps explain the overall message of the novel. In 1984 by George Orwell, the overall setting of the novel is in London, which is called Airship 1 in Oceania.
It is of mixed opinions as to the popularity of modern society and that of the current government. Some believe the United States is, frankly, the best and most free country. They are those who enjoy the freedoms granted by the government and indulge themselves into the American culture. Others are not as fond; always searching for an excuse to criticize the current happenings, whether they be in the government or on the streets. In previous decades, such as the 1940s, the majority of citizens shared the more patriotic view. When comparing the current United States as a whole to that of a dystopian society, it becomes clear that the former faction may be looking through rose colored glasses. The dystopian motifs in George Orwell 's 1984 stemmed
At first, we do not think, nor contemplate the effects that come as a result of our actions. In 1984, we get a sense of a greater authority in Big Brother. Although we never know if Big Brother actually exists, the power and authority that this idol holds over the people is unimaginable. The people of Oceania are divided into two classes, the members of the Party and the proletariat. The Party members are like machines that do the jobs of the government.
As the man’s lips grasped the edge of the cup and slurped the hot drink, the reflection of two eyes in the darkened coffee grew tremendously. The man immediately puckered his lips and placed the cup atop the wooden surface with dissatisfaction. His hairy arm was revealed from underneath his cotton shirt as he reached for the glassware containing packets of sweet crystals. He picked up the packets labeled Stalin, Hitler, and World War II, and dumped them into the caffeinated drink. Within seconds, a thick, redolent cream labeled, ‘Totalitarian Governments’ crashed into the coffee with force. A tarnished spoon spun around the outer edges of the cup, combining the crystals and cream together, and, unknowingly creating the themes for the book in which Big Brother would become a regime—this was the cup of George Orwell. Written in 1944, the themes in 1984 are reminiscent of the fascist and totalitarian governments formed in the early twentieth century.
Love is a vague term that is used to describe one of the most basic human emotions. In George Orwell's futuristic novel 1984, love symbolizes democracy, the opposite of the Party's repressive policy. Through the conflict of love and hate, Orwell emphasizes the enormous power that the Party holds in control of people's personal lives. The love or even simple affection between family members and friends is destroyed; the blinding love between Winston and Julia is also demolished. At the end, the only love remaining is the love for Big Brother.