1984 Psychological Manipulation Essay

After The Atomic War, the world is divided into three states: Oceania, Eastasia, and Eurasia, London is a city in Oceania, ruled by a party who has total control over all its citizens known as Big Brother. Winston Smith is one of the bureaucrats, rewriting history in one of the departments. One day he commits a crime by falling in love with a fellow citizen of Oceania named Julia. Julia and Winston try to escape Big Brother's listening and viewing devices, but, of course, nobody can really escape. Children join the Junior Spy Group, they are taught to bring forward anyone that commits a thoughtcrime, thinking an idea that Big Brother would deem illegal; they are enthusiastic to turn someone in and usually end up turning their parents in. George Orwell shows us that the overuse of power by leaders is more common than we care to believe, leaders hold the power to change …show more content…
Knowing the psychological weaknesses of the victim helps to determine which tactics are going to be most effective on said person. In 1984, psychological manipulation is used to coerce the people of Oceania into doing as the Party says. They did this by the constant watching of the citizens through television screens placed all over the city and in the homes of the civilians. The constant surveillance with the threat of punishment and death looming overhead makes it easy to believe in what you are told. At the end of the novel when Winston is being tortured, the threat of his worst nightmare coming true terrifies him into complying faster than any threat of physical pain. Our minds manifest and internalise pain and suffering from our fears to an extent at which we cannot understand making physical pain a lesser threat than the pain caused by our fears. If you make people believe that they are controlled; they will