Totalitarianism And Fascism In 1984 By George Orwell

Orwell not only demonstrates the detrimental effects of capitalism on the oppressed, he also portrays the dictators as victims as well. Orwell chooses to write a novel that exposes how totalitarianism and fascism, in the post-collapse of capitalism, strips figures in power, specifically the oppressors, of their individuality and of hope. In “Notes and Nationalism,” Orwell discusses the issues that lie in having a totalitarian and fascist perspectives when leading, which highlights how the oppressors become corrupt. Overall, he argues that having this perspective leads to having “obsession, instability, and an indifference to reality” (Notes on Nationalism). The problem is that if one is obsessed with his or her nation, it leads to a sense of

uneasiness that forces those in power to tighten their grip on control so that no one will go against them. Orwell portrays this within 1984. He creates a world where control is strict, which demonstrates the fear of those in charge losing power. The Inner Party is trying to stop crimes before they even occur, which is why they created the concepts of thoughtcrime and facecrime.

In the novel, the characters are constantly having to monitor what they are saying out of fear committing an unintentional crime. The Party is able to hold absolute control over its members. The dictators lose themselves because they become so obsessed with what could happen. This is highlight through O’Brien and why he goes out of his way to torture Winston. The reason that it is not enough for O’Brien to kill Winston, is that sense of uneasiness from the fear of rebellion. He tortures to the point of madness, forcing him to conform rather than killing him in order to prevent any rebellious thoughts to escape and spread. Furthermore, Orwell illustrates that this leadership is not for the benefit of the people but rather it is for the dictators at the top. O’Brien confesses to Winston, “The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power . . . one does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes a revolution in order to safeguard a dictatorship (Orwell

263). Ultimately, O’Brien confides to Winston and explains to him that the point of the totalitarian and fascist regime is for control, absolute power. Orwell saw these regimes as a detrimental force specifically for those who are the oppressors; this regime worked only for those who could seek out power for themselves and wars were an excuse to take that power. Thomas Dilworth makes the arguments in “Erotic Dream to Nightmare: Ominous Problems and Subliminal Suggestion in Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four,” that there are certain games that are played within the realm of 1984. These are games of chance and fate versus freedom. He finds that these so-called games undermine the novel as a serious piece of political literature because it creates the idea that many of the events are out of the control of the narrator’s hands. He explains:
Is there no chance of success or survival for Winston Smith and Julia?

That is to say, would they have a chance if Winston did not go to the antique shop (actually a trap laid by the Thought Police) or if he and Julia did not entrust themselves to O'Brien during their visit to O'Brien's flat? Might Winston and Julia conduct their sexual affair with impunity, as Julia says she has her earlier affairs? Apparently they might, which is why most if not all published criticism assumes that, at least initially, Winston and Julia have a chance of eluding arrest. But what, then, is the meaning of the mode of games that are predetermined, chanceless, and can only symbolize hopelessness?

(293)
Dilworth examines the amount of absurdity that occurs within the novel and looks at the possibilities of what could have happened if Winston and Julia carried out their rebellious actions. He explains that the idea of having everything fated to occur within the novel suggests that the only meaning one can find within this novel is the symbol of hopelessness, because there was no chance for change. What Dilworth fails to see, however, is Orwell’s overall message to his audience. Orwell is seeking to demonstrate that capitalist regimes can fall and lead to totalitarian and fascist governments. To use Dilworth's concept of games, Orwell uses these ideas in order to show how oppressive societies strip individuals of any power to rebel against the system. There is an unequal balance of power that Orwell is attempting to demonstrate. To some extent, Dilworth is correct that the suggestions of fate and lack of choice is absurd, yet that is exactly what Orwell is trying to explain. When a small group of people have all the wealth and power, it leads to corruption and causes strain on the oppressors, causing them to act irrationality and removing any inkling of rebellion. The main issue Orwell highlights is how the oppressors become desensitized themselves, which in turn, leads to their own self-destruction.