1984 as an Allegory for the World Orwell Lived In Essay

Erupia, Eastasia, and Oceania, are the three super states that govern the world, Winston Smith lives in Airstrip one in Oceania, or present day London. 1984 was written in 1948, and published in 1949, George Orwell past away a year later. The totalitarian government in his novel has striking similarities with the Soviet Union, with the cold war approaching which had affected the globe, the future was still not certain. Also with the writer experiences a mortal illness while writing the book kept him in touch with the dark nasty world this novel portrays.

Orwell intended his readers to perceive the novel as a prediction of the future, a kind of warning of the dangers of totalitarianism. Winston is a party member who works for the Ministry of Truth, his job forces him to rewrite history, and this is where the slogan: He who controls the past, controls the future becomes clear. This is also tied into the slogan, War is Peace.

Distracting a nation with their own efforts of war is a clever way to buy a totalitarian government time from being questioned or revolted against by their own people. Living in an absurd world without questioning the government by means of war, of propaganda, and of brute force allow for such unthinkable conditions if applied in todays world.

The Party, is the only party in Oceania, which is controlled by Big Brother, it is not certain whether big brother is a man or just an image, another illusion of the ministry of truth. Winton and Julia both deceive their government; this sows the seeds of Wintons love for her. His love for Winston is also relevant for his love for poetry, music and writing. Keeping a journal and hiding it at all cost demonstrates how nothing against the will of the party will be tolerated and will be dealt with severely.

Newspeak is fascinating to think about. One can begin to see how language, connotation, and context as well as the problem with history (epistemology) can be used to force large numbers of people to serve the end of another at the expence of their labor, their liberty and their individuality. Feeling and emotions are crimes as well as anything unique, passionate, or thoughtful. The only thoughts that are allowed are mindless thoughtless processes occurring within the brain to perpetuate the will of Big Brother on others. Newspeak works on the principles of contradiction, doublethink, unthankful, and doubleplusungood combines nouns and verbs and adjectives. It is aimed at imposing ignorance of the world and themselves through propaganda supported by its own linguistic system.

Disparities of wealth are demonstrated by the Inner party and the party members. The inner party members are wealthy, and free, and in control, their crimes go unseen as the actions of the party members are scrupulously observed and their laws are enforced harshly. Totalitarian governments often turn out like as the notion, absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Destroying any sense of independence and individuality is a primary part of Big Brothers agenda for Oceania. Dehumanization and complete outlawing of any uniqueness or personality, any passions are thought crimes and often are given away by the face crimes that result from thought crimes.

Love or any intrinsic experience for that matter is allowed either. Everyone is the same and no one belongs to anyone other than Big Brother. All persons are not persons they are state property and they are not do go against the will of The Party under any circumstances, this shows how the writer intended to demonize totalitarianism, and express his fears he had about the world.

Loyalty can be bought and can be broken; the power of Big Brother depends heavily on this fact. Winstons love for The Party is forced when he is tortured with flesh eating rats; he gives up his love for Julia and replaces it with his love for the party. This demonstrates just one method of oppression totalitarian governments have achieved.

Winstons ideals seem to have no hope to endure as he is one of the only characters that remembers a day before the revolution. As he is destroyed by the party and when he dies, who will be there to remember is ideals, and after newspeak takes over oldspeak completely, how will the people think against the government? There is no end in sight, and this fear was also experienced by millions of victims of the totalitarian governments in the twentieth century.