The Dangers of Totalitarianism Totalitarianism embodies the idea of an all-powerful government, with no limits on its authority. This eradicates an important part of humanity: free will. Without basic freedoms, humanity loses its individuality; an essential part of a successful society. George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984 creates a world consumed by a totalitarian regime, which contravenes every aspect of government today. Oceania’s government is known as the Party, led by the mystical, omnipotent Big Brother. It is unclear as to whether this figure exists, or is merely created to show authority through a single being. In 1984, Orwell uses allusion, symbolism, and irony to assert that a socialist government is superior in comparison to the
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Throughout the novel, Orwell creates an allusion to the mid-twentieth century, in which the book was written. Big Brother, although the name connotes protection and trust, is a dictator-like figure with interest only in obtaining more power, not in the people of Oceania. Emmanuel Goldstein, however, is Big Brother’s opposite. He is the leader of the Brotherhood, an organization with the purpose of rebelling against and defeating Big Brother. The people do not know if either one truly existed, or if they are both just ideas, but both characters allude to the time period the novel was written in. Goldstein’s book says, “There are therefore two great problems which the Party is concerned to solve. One is how to discover, against his will, what another human being is thinking, and the other is how to kill several hundred million people in a few seconds without giving warning …show more content…
These screens are located almost everywhere, with the intention of constantly watching the citizens until one can be incriminated. The Party looks for signs of “thoughtcrime” or any disloyalty to Big Brother; even unconscious acts, such as sleep-talking, are punishable. It is known that “It was terribly dangerous to let your thoughts wander when you were in any public place or within range of a telescreen. The smallest thing could give you away. A nervous tic, an unconscious look of anxiety, a habit of muttering to yourself--anything that carried with it the suggestion of abnormality, of having something to hide” (62). The use of telescreens symbolizes the abuse of technology in a totalitarian government and the constant monitoring of those following it. The telescreens display the omniscient presence of Big Brother in the daily lives of Oceania’s citizens, and intend to prevent free-thought throughout the nation. The Party is power-hungry, with no intention of bettering life for the people, and is willing to arrest anyone who shows any signs of abnormality. Any person believed to be free-thinking is susceptible to arrest and cruel punishment. Orwell’s symbol, the telescreen, presents the idea that totalitarian governments are inevitable when preceded by only war and destruction, and that once the regime is formed it will continue to spiral out of
Throughout the novel, Orwell creates an allusion to the mid-twentieth century, in which the book was written. Big Brother, although the name connotes protection and trust, is a dictator-like figure with interest only in obtaining more power, not in the people of Oceania. Emmanuel Goldstein, however, is Big Brother’s opposite. He is the leader of the Brotherhood, an organization with the purpose of rebelling against and defeating Big Brother. The people do not know if either one truly existed, or if they are both just ideas, but both characters allude to the time period the novel was written in. Goldstein’s book says, “There are therefore two great problems which the Party is concerned to solve. One is how to discover, against his will, what another human being is thinking, and the other is how to kill several hundred million people in a few seconds without giving warning …show more content…
These screens are located almost everywhere, with the intention of constantly watching the citizens until one can be incriminated. The Party looks for signs of “thoughtcrime” or any disloyalty to Big Brother; even unconscious acts, such as sleep-talking, are punishable. It is known that “It was terribly dangerous to let your thoughts wander when you were in any public place or within range of a telescreen. The smallest thing could give you away. A nervous tic, an unconscious look of anxiety, a habit of muttering to yourself--anything that carried with it the suggestion of abnormality, of having something to hide” (62). The use of telescreens symbolizes the abuse of technology in a totalitarian government and the constant monitoring of those following it. The telescreens display the omniscient presence of Big Brother in the daily lives of Oceania’s citizens, and intend to prevent free-thought throughout the nation. The Party is power-hungry, with no intention of bettering life for the people, and is willing to arrest anyone who shows any signs of abnormality. Any person believed to be free-thinking is susceptible to arrest and cruel punishment. Orwell’s symbol, the telescreen, presents the idea that totalitarian governments are inevitable when preceded by only war and destruction, and that once the regime is formed it will continue to spiral out of