“1984” by George Orwell is a dystopian novel set in an alternate 1984, Great Britain. Britain, and the rest of “Oceania”, is controlled by a malignant and static dictator known only as “Big Brother”; everything from the media to history itself is controlled by the government and public surveillance is universal - in the form of so-called “Thoughtpolice”. The story is narrated by Winston Smith, a member of the State Party who works in “The Ministry of Truth” which essentially rewrites history for the “proles” - the public. However Winston finds himself in a state of uneasiness as he battles between being himself and conforming to the oppressive ideals of the state. He decides to be himself, and partakes in many extremely illegal activities,
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The face of Big Brother cannot be escaped, and as Winston notes “[even] from the coin the eyes pursued you. On coins, on stamps, on the covers of books, on banners, on posters, and on the wrappings of a cigarette packet—everywhere. Always the eyes watching you and the voice enveloping you” (Orwell 29). The face of Big Brother is often accompanied with slogans like “BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU” (1). As far as Winston is concerned, this propaganda is extremely successful; during the “Two Minutes Hate”, a propagandic show designed to belittle their enemy, Eurasia, there “rose to a frenzy. People were leaping up and down in their places and shouting at the tops of their voices in an effort to drown the maddening bleating voice that came from the screen” (16). This rage, as Winston points out, is the type of “rage that one felt was an abstract, undirected emotion which could be switched from one object to another” (16); a tool to turn any man, woman, and child into a devout soldier of the …show more content…
Big Brother’s regime universally ditacts their language, literature, history, activity, relationships, and culture down to the minuscule of details. It is clear that, while there are no definite classes which obtain more privileges than the other, there is a class difference between those at the top and those below. Commiting ‘crimes’ against the state, made by Big Brother himself, is punishable by death or labour encampment. But Big Brother himself has virtually no obligation to follow the rules and can change his mind at any moment. The propaganda, the destruction of relationships, the oppression of people through language, media, and money all play into Big Brother’s favour. His ultimate goal: a synonymously collective regime that does whatever he wants - at any
The face of Big Brother cannot be escaped, and as Winston notes “[even] from the coin the eyes pursued you. On coins, on stamps, on the covers of books, on banners, on posters, and on the wrappings of a cigarette packet—everywhere. Always the eyes watching you and the voice enveloping you” (Orwell 29). The face of Big Brother is often accompanied with slogans like “BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU” (1). As far as Winston is concerned, this propaganda is extremely successful; during the “Two Minutes Hate”, a propagandic show designed to belittle their enemy, Eurasia, there “rose to a frenzy. People were leaping up and down in their places and shouting at the tops of their voices in an effort to drown the maddening bleating voice that came from the screen” (16). This rage, as Winston points out, is the type of “rage that one felt was an abstract, undirected emotion which could be switched from one object to another” (16); a tool to turn any man, woman, and child into a devout soldier of the …show more content…
Big Brother’s regime universally ditacts their language, literature, history, activity, relationships, and culture down to the minuscule of details. It is clear that, while there are no definite classes which obtain more privileges than the other, there is a class difference between those at the top and those below. Commiting ‘crimes’ against the state, made by Big Brother himself, is punishable by death or labour encampment. But Big Brother himself has virtually no obligation to follow the rules and can change his mind at any moment. The propaganda, the destruction of relationships, the oppression of people through language, media, and money all play into Big Brother’s favour. His ultimate goal: a synonymously collective regime that does whatever he wants - at any