1984 George Orwell Literary Techniques Essay

George Orwell, in his novel 1984, depicts a totalitarian dystopian world, where the government watches over their people constantly. Orwell’s novel explores the dangers of a totalitarian government and their control of truth. Through the use of different literary techniques related to narrative, language, and imagery, Orwell positions the reader to consider that truth can be controlled, changed and fabricated.

Orwell positions the reader to consider truth can be controlled through literary techniques. Repetition of the slogan, ‘War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength’, is used to encourage the reader to understand the contradicting and controlling nature of the government. Orwell further shows that truth can be controlled through inclusive language, ‘When once you were in the grip of the Party, what you felt or did not feel, what you did …show more content…
Orwell uses foreshadowing with the character of O’Brien when he states, ‘a place of no darkness’, the phrase is first used when there are shards of hope of life without big brother, but later in the book when eventually he goes to this place of no darkness, it is the Ministry of love where he is tortured. Orwell uses this quote to foreshadow Winston’s doomed fate, which showcases to the reader that truth can be changed. In addition to foreshadowing, Orwell uses repetition and personification, ‘Was it possible that they could swallow that, after only twenty-four hours? Yes, they swallowed it. Parsons swallowed it easily, with the stupidity of an animal’, to showcase how society accepting the change of truth. Orwell, additionally explores irony, ‘Oceania was at war with Eastasia: Oceania had always been at war with Eastasia’, which encourages the reader to understand that truth can be changed. Orwell through foreshadowing, repetition, personification and irony explores the idea that truth can be