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Characteristics of Dystopian Novel in George Orwell 1984
George orwells thoughts on dystopian literature
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In his dystopian novel, 1984, about the oppression of totalitarianism, George Orwell uses the anti-hero Winston Smith, a plain, unmemorable, middle-aged man to denounce the persecution of individuality. Winston rebels against the totalitarian regime―known as Big Brother and run by the Party―by having a secret love affair with a woman named Julia, but he is tricked and arrested by an inner-Party member named O’Brien. To break Winston’s inner rebellion and coerce him into surrendering to the Party, O’Brien subjects Winston to horrifying torture. He takes Winston into the dreaded room 101, the room in which supposedly nobody comes out of alive. Strapped upright in a chair, Winston Smith watches with horror as O’Brien fits a cage of vicious rats …show more content…
over Winston’s head. Winston is beyond terrified, as rats are his biggest fear. The fright within the room is almost palpable. As the cage presses up against his flesh, Winston sees that a latched door is all that keeps the rats from tearing off his skin. The tension builds as seconds pass, and Winston is unable to withstand the torture any longer, and finally gives up his secret rebellion by exclaiming hysterically, “‘Do it to Julia! Do it to Julia! Not me! Julia! I don’t care what you do to her. Tear her face off, strip her to the bones. Not me! Julia! Not me!’” (Orwell 286). Winston, filled with trepidation, at last capitulates to Big Brother by releasing his one piece of individuality that isolated him from the masses. He betrays Julia, his secret lover, so that he will not have to suffer. Winston submits, he conforms to the rules and gives up all resistance, all rebellion. The system has broken him, it has taken away every iota of individualism in Winston. He becomes nothing, a mere face in the crowd, a part of Big Brother. Similar to George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984, Joseph Heller’s Catch-22 also deplores the extermination of individualism due to a corrupt system. In his novel, Joseph Heller laments the effects of war and bureaucracy on the individual through the destruction of individuality. The obliteration of the individual is exemplified by the subordinating power of bureaucracy, absurdity of regulations, consolidation of identity, restriction of freedom, and psychological desolation of the war. The repressive bureaucratic system terminates the power of the individual through its limitation of rights and individualism. In his critical essay “I See Everything Twice!: The Structure of Joseph Heller’s Catch-22,” James L. McDonald analyzes the notions of those in power in the novel and critiques their indifferent attitude towards the soldiers. McDonald denounces the perspective of the bureaucrats, stating, This is the official attitude: those in charge view all human beings as “dying boys,” statistics, means to an end. Employing the crew as their pawns, they wage a constant battle for position and glory (McDonald 24). McDonald explains the carelessness and negligence of those in charge towards the soldiers who lay down their lives for the country. The bureaucrats view the valiant soldiers as nothing more than numbers, mere cannon fodder to be used as a way to achieve their personal goals. The soldiers are faceless, they do not have humanity but are as interchangeable and uniform as pawns in a game of chess. The bureaucracy has wiped away all signs of the soldiers’ individuality, making them less than human, simple numbers. While in the hospital for treatment of a bullet wound in his leg, Yossarian wanders around with Dunbar climbing into different beds and therefore becoming different people. However, Nurse Cramer finds Yossarian as he is playing around and irritably orders him to return to his own bed immediately. As she scolds Yossarian for his foolish behavior, they go back and forth, exclaiming, “I suppose you just don’t care if you lose your leg, do you?” “It’s my leg.” “It certainly is not your leg!” Nurse Cramer retorted. “That leg belongs to the U.S. government. It’s no different than a gear or a bedpan” (Heller 291). Through Nurse Cramer’s words, it is clear the bureaucracy views the soldiers as tools. The men are not human, but rather objects used for the war effort. They do not even have control over themselves, their bodies are the property of the government. In Heller’s novel as well as McDonald’s analysis, the brave individuals who put their lives at risk fighting for their government’s cause receive no recognition from the system that controls them. Rather, the bureaucrats view these soldiers as numbers, worth no more in value than a bedpan for collecting bodily waste. Yossarian is a victim to the system, which strips him of all power, even over himself. The bureaucracy treats him like an indistinguishable item, worthless and impartial. Bureaucracy diminishes the individual, effectively stripping him of all constitutional and unalienable rights that America swore to defend. The hypocrisy and malpractice of bureaucracy in the novel reveals how bureaucracy destroys individuality, a core American principle. Heller denounces war and bureaucracy by highlighting the absurdity of certain regulations, which ridicule the commanding systems. Jean E. Kennard, in her critical essay “Joseph Heller: At War with Absurdity,” explains the destruction of logic in the story. She exhibits how the Air Force rule Catch-22 is the epitome of irrationality in the novel Catch-22. Kennard discusses the treatment of reasoning in the novel, claiming, Reasoning, in Catch-22, invariably ends up in some variation of Catch-22; apparent logic is used to destroy sense. The reader is led into following an argument which progresses logically, but which arrives at an absurd conclusion (Kennard). In the novel, the very essence of reasoning is uprooted through the nonsensical regulations of Catch-22 that appear real but are actually preposterous.
Most regulations in the military revolve around Catch-22, meaning that their foundation is paradoxical and unreasonable. Thus, reasoning in the novel is fractured by the distorted regulations that govern it. This distorted reasoning is used by the bureaucracy, which showcases the incongruence and ridiculousness of the war. Sick of flying his terrifying combat missions, Yossarian pleads with Doc Daneeka to ground him so he will no longer have to fly missions. Their conversation drifts to topics about craziness and those in the squad who could be grounded for being crazy. They then talk about Orr, who they both agree is crazy. As Yossarian questions him about the circumstances of being released from flying, Doc Daneeka …show more content…
reveals, There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one’s own safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions (Heller 46). In one of the most famous lines of the novel, Heller demonstrates the absolute irrationality of the rules that bind so many soldiers to bloodshed.
The paradoxical rule Catch-22 forces Orr to keep flying even though he should be grounded for concerns regarding his well-being. The rule that should protect soldiers instead coerces them to continue putting their life on the line in a sick and twisted clause. Heller proves, as Kennard claims, that the regulations controlling war are absurd and destroy logic. All rational processes are gone as these retrograde rules control the soldiers. But instead of condemning these backwards rules, the bureaucratic systems in the war embrace them. They mold them to fit their goals, ultimately making the ridiculous rules a reflection of the bureaucracy. Orr’s paradoxical fate proves the irrational nature of war by providing an example of the complex and inconclusive result of war’s organization. This loss of all reasoning and truth eradicates the individual’s freedom; the soldiers must obey laws that given them nothing but the illusion of choice. War and bureaucracy’s absurdity, manifested by the illogicality of the Catch-22 rule, destroys individualism by eradicating free choice and forcing
conformity.
Yossarian’s refusal to fly the ever-rising amount of missions and his reputation with the other men in his squadron show the heroic qualities of his actions. At first, his avoidance of combat seems merely self-centered, as the war is not something he believes in. When Yossarian has his traumatic experience trying to save Snowden in which he realizes that “man is matter” (450), his motives broaden as he realizes how fragile life is. Not only is he practicing self-preservation by refusing to fly, which can be seen as a heroic act in itself in a situation where life is so undervalued, but he is also refusing to kill and risk the lives of ...
This toxic and deceitful environment is shocking, especially because the book focuses on the united states military. The tone of Catch-22 is vastly different from the other glamorous patriotic war novels of the time. Instead of focusing on glamorous, fictionalized tales of heroism, Catch-22 focuses on corruption and deception, and more importantly how Yossarian begins to see the war and all of its lies. This is how the novel begins to reveal one of its most important messages. It focuses on lies and suffering and reveals the real intentions of deceitful officers who justify their actions because its “for the good of the country”. Through this focus on corruption, lies and broken promises Yossarian begins to realize that war is not glamorous, no one fights or dies for their country, they fight and die on the orders of uncaring commanding officers. As Yossarian realizes the horrible truth of war, he helps convey it to the readers, constantly commenting on the futility of their fight, questioning orders like the bombing of an innocent village, and mourning is friends senseless death. He further shows his opinions of war by constantly trying to avoid conflict, faking injuries, fleeing to Rome and trying to have himself removed from active duty. Yossarian constantly criticizes his generals and is instrumental in helping the reader realize just how little they care about the war or their soldiers, more focused on their own personal glory, shown through Sheisskopf’s obsession with awards and parades and Cathcarts constant raising of flight missions required. These men risk nothing while putting young soldiers in unnecessary and life threatening situations just to raise their own status. Yossarian and Catch-22 use corruption and deceit to reveal a much larger lie, there is no honor in war, men kill and die for an uncaring commanding officer, not for freedom or their
In “1984,” Orwell uses Winston to portray a single individual’s attempt to take action against a powerful government, culminating in his failure and subjugation. His individual efforts failed tremendously due to the overarching power of the Party to control every aspect of social life in Oceania. Orwell uses Winston’s deeply seated hatred of the Party to portray his views on power and social change. Winston’s actions show that even in the direst of situations ...
Catch 22 by Joseph Heller is a complex and intricate novel. Heller uses many themes, does not have the story line in chronological order and often uses irony in his descriptions. Many of the themes can be compared to other literature. One of the themes that can be compared is fear in war. The idea is that the evils and cruelty of war can make a grown man go back into a "fetal" state. This can be seen in The Ball Turret Gunner by Randall Jarrell and can be compared to the metaphor used in chapter five of Catch 22. In this chapter Yossarian talks about the tight crawl space which led to the plexiglass bombardier’s compartment.
Winston Smith is a thirty-nine year old man who participates in a group of the “outer-party,” which is the lower part of the two classes. Smith works in one of the four main government buildings. This building is called the Ministry of Truth; his job is to rewrite history books so those that read them will not learn what the past used to be like. The occupation Winston is the major factor that allows him to realize that Big Brother is limiting people’s freedom. He keeps these thoughts to himself as secrets because the totalitarian party will not allow those of rebellious thoughts around. The tensions between the two grow throughout the book because the Big Brother becomes very suspicious of Winston. The Big Brother becomes so suspicious of Winston that he sends a person by the name O’Brien, to watch over him. Mr. O’Brien is a member of the “inner party,” which in this book is the upper-class. Winston doesn't know of the trap that Big Brother had set tells O’Brien of his own idea and plans. He tells Winston of a rebellious leader that has been rounding up those that want to go against the totalitarian government. But like the Big Brother had done, he set a trap and O’Brien betrayed Winston. During the story the conflict between Big Brother and Winston climaxes when Winston is caught. He is taken to some sort of bright underground prison type
The novel 1984 by George Orwell is a fictional future where The Party controls everything. The Party is lead by a larger than life figurehead named Big Brother. The main character is Winston Smith. The story is divided into 3 parts and chronicles Winston’s rebellion against and then re-entering of The Party.
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.
Winston is confronted with struggle throughout the entirety of George Orwell`s dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. Living within a totalitarian regime subsequently causes Winston to seek approaches for dealing with such abundant oppression; he finds liberation through self-awareness, understanding and ultimately rebellion. First, Winston realizes that “if you want to keep a secret you must also hide it from yourself”, alluding to the notion of thoughtcrime (162). This recognition exemplifies the complete cognizance that Winston has regarding the oppressive society displayed throughout the novel. Next, Syme states “It’s a beautiful thing, the destruction of words”, alluding to the idea of Newspeak (28). This statement directly correlates to Winston speaking with other party members to gain knowledge about how others feels about policies deployed by the government. This information-seeking also connects with Winston`s rebellion, as he actively searched for others to join his uprising, which is shown when Winston tells O’Brien “We want to join [The Brotherhood]” (171). Winston’s attempt to join a rebellious organization exhibits his evident desire to release his suppressed emotions. Winston devises a very methodical approach to deal with the problematic society he resides in.
The book, 1984 by George Orwell, is about the external conflict between Winston Smith and Big Brother; and the internal conflict between the two ideas, democracy and totalitarianism. Orwell wrote the novel to show society what it could become if things kept getting worse: he sensed of the expansion of communism when he wrote the novel. The conflict between democracy and totalitarianism at the year of 1945 created two characters, Winston Smith and Big Brother, in orwell's mind. Big Brother is the embodiment of all the ideals of the totalitarian party. In contrast to Big Brother, Winston Smith keeps the idea of democracy emphasizes freedom, he has to hide his own thought because the Big Brother's party will punish him by death if the party finds it out. George orwell criticizes of Big Brother's society by describing it as a dark and a gloomy place. It warns that people might believe that everyone must become slaves to the government in order to have an orderly society, but at the expense of the freedom of the people.
At this moment, Winston feels powerless against the seemingly unstoppable Party, knowing that his life is at the mercy of O’Brien. Thus, Winston’s already weak willpower continues to wither away, rendering him more vulnerable to further reformation. The final procedure in completely transforming Winston’s personality occurs in the dreaded Room 101. To achieve his ultimate goal of breaking Winston’s loyalty towards Julia, O’Brien exploits Winston’s deepest fear of rats in a rather gruesome manner.
This use of humor is able to make these institutions seem ridiculous to the reader, as explained in the following quote: “The humor of Catch-22 is not the gentle entertainment of comedy but the harsh derision and directed social attack of satire” (Nagel). One example this satire in the military is the two C.I.D. men separately investigating the same problem: someone using the alias Washington Irving while signing documents. The men are oblivious to each others presence and both present multiple unfounded accusations (Heller 95). Furthermore, one of the men even proposes, “Maybe we’re confronted with a gang, with two men working together who just happen to have opposite names… One of them here in the squadron, one of them up at the hospital, one of them with the chaplain…” (Heller 94). This quote is humorous because it shows the incompetency of these military investigators, previously believed to be quick-witted and shrewd. Similarly, the decision to launch this investigation into something so trivial is absurd in itself, contributing to Heller’s direct attack on the military. Another example of the author using humor for criticism of the military is catch-22, the paradoxical catch that prevents Yossarian and the other men from leaving the service. Doc Daneeka explains it, saying, “...You have to follow every order. That’s the catch. So even if
In this case, the government has to use severe actions to ensure they will never act in this way again. Winston Smith, is a minor member of the ruling Party and is aware of some of these extreme tactics. Since Winston is not completely brainwashed by the propaganda like all the other citizens, he hates Big Brother passionately. Winston is one of the only who realize that Big Brother is wiping individual identity and is forcing collective identity. He is “conscious of [his] own identity”(40-41) . Winston continues to hold onto the concept of an independent external reality by constantly referring to his own existence. Aware of being watched, Winston still writes “DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER, DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER”(21) in his diary. Winston believes whether he writes in his diary or not, it is all the same because the Thought Police will get him either way. Orwell uses this as a foreshadow for Winston's capture later on in the novel. Fed up with the Party, Winston seeks out a man named O’Brien, who he believes is a member of the ‘Brotherhood’, a group of anti-Party rebels. When Winston is arrested for thought crime by his landlord, Mr.Charrington, who is a member of the Thought Police. Big Brother takes Winston to a dark holding cell, to use their extreme torture strategy to erase any signs of personal identity. Winston's torturer is O’Brien, the man he thought to be apart of the brotherhood. Winston asks
Yossarian: ‘I don’t want to fly milk runs. I don’t want to be in the war anymore.’
This letter has been written regarding the inclusion of another key scene in our upcoming novel, Catch-22. I want to include Yossarian’s bomber as a setting as it allows the story to examine the themes of war. Most of the novel is a satire of American bureaucracy during the Second World War, but I still need to have a serious tone when writing about such a sensitive topic. Many of the scenes on board the bomber are also derived from my experiences as a bombardier in the American Army Air Forces in World War Two. By witnessing the death and injuries of my comrades, I have seen just how weak humanity is, and how futile and terrible war can be. The inclusion of the bomber scene is vital in allowing me to describe my experiences and
At the end of the novel, Orwell describes Winston as a cured patient who has over come his metal disease. “He had won the victory over himself: he loved Big Brother” (Part 3, Chapter 6). Both Freud and Orwell break down the components of a person’s mind in the same way. Orwell’s character, Winston, depicts the different parts of the human mind so described by Freud. In Orwell’s 1984, he uncovers the same components of a human mind as seen by Freud, the instinctual drive of the id, the perceptions and actions of the ego, and the censorship imposed by the morality of the superego.