The Dangers Of Totalitarianism In 1984 By George Orwell

Improved Essays
“No one is free, even the birds are chained to the sky.” This quote by Bob Dylan, relates strongly with George Orwell’s novel 1984. Winston Smith, the main character, in 1984, tells the novel through third person limited point of view. The story begins with Winston Smith describing his constant surveillance by BIG BROTHER and throughout the novel the reader witnesses Winston’s struggles against the government that controls the ideas and thoughts of its citizens. As the reader comes to understand through Winston’s eyes, the dangers of totalitarianism, George Orwell conveys the theme that “freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows” (81).
At the very beginning of the novel Winston gives us

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    George Orwell 1984 George Orwell, in the novel 1984 present a terrible philosophy about the future. The read becomes one entirely convincing as his narration becomes timely as ever. With a startling vision of the world, it holds a convincing tone from the very first to the last part. Everyone in the novel is incomplete despotism and under control and repress of the ‘Big Brother’ and the party. it represents hierarchical system of both parties.…

    • 1125 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Kian Nafeiy 7.10.07 Polysci 121.9356 1984 1984, by George Orwell, is a book with symbols for what Orwell felt were important about government and other aspects of society that he had taken notice of, mostly representing the ideals of totalitarianism. The major parallel in 1984 to government is the rise of totalitarianism in government at the time the novel was written. Having taken note of the rule in countries such as Russia and Spain, Orwell chose to write a vivid and extreme vision of how he felt the government was playing a large role in the personal lives of citizens, with no privacy and stripped of the freedoms people should be entitled to.…

    • 626 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    “I believe there is something out there watching us. Unfortunately, it 's the government.” (Brainyquote) A government is a body that can give its citizens mixed emotions. The government could either be extremely beneficial to the society, or worse, become an identity the people are afraid of.…

    • 1083 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In “1984” by George Orwell, the main character, Winston, is being tortured for being unloyal to the party. The head of the Ministry of Love, O’Brien, tells Winston the overall objective of the party. The party’s ultimate goal is dehumanization so that they have total control of the people. This goal is established through a condescending diction, repetition, and imagery.…

    • 289 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    1. Research totalitarianism using quality sources. What is a totalitarian regime? How does such a regime attain, maintain, and increase power? What is its main concern?…

    • 1466 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    George Orwell’s 1984 was created to demonstrate the dangers that totalitarianism poses to the social order. A totalitarian regime establishes control through its degree of power. The novel is in a world of perpetual war, omnipresent government surveillance, and public manipulation dictated by a political system that persecutes individualism. In Oceania, freedoms and individuality are crushed under the power of the government. Orwell’s representation of a dystopia mirrors the perfect totalitarian state.…

    • 1565 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Superior Essays

    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.…

    • 1088 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Going through life you always wonder what everyone's deepest darkest secrets are. Sometimes you can find yourself gazing at people and building wishing you could see straight through them. In the novel 1984 by george orwell this wonder never has to occur and though it may seem hard to believe our government never has to have this though either. They allow the constant surveillance of the people through encryption codes embedded in the things we use everyday. Advances in technology are only helping the every growing recording industry and only create more invasion our our every slight privacy.…

    • 1133 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    “Restrictions of a Totalitarian Society” What if our government kept complete control over our society and how we live our everyday lives? What if I told you that’s how it is today? In 1949, author George Orwell wrote a dystopian science-fictional novel about how the future of our society will be ran by a government who prevents all individualism on a private land known as Oceania. The fictitious idea of “Big Brother” is always watching you allows the party to preserve idea of ignorance with the people.…

    • 1269 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Adolf Hitler was born on the 20th of April, 1889. He would grow up to become one of the most infamous and feared dictators in history. Had Hitler been victorious in World War 2, the world would be a very different place. In 1984 by George Orwell, intentions are captured throughout the plot. Orwell’s book predicts how life may have been had Hitler and his Nazi regime won the war.…

    • 718 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In 1984 by George Orwell, the advancement of technology created a society filled with surveillance. The government, or “Big Brother”, used technology like two way television screens and surveillance cameras to maintain constant watch over their citizens. In today’s society the government has ten times the amount of surveillance technology envisioned by George Orwell in 1984. The United States government was founded around the basic fundamental principle of freedom. However with all the new technology, it can be tempting for the government to make citizens less free; either intentionally or not intentionally.…

    • 544 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Oceania is a perfect example of a totalitarian regime, in which the Party controls every action of every citizen, from what they wear, to where they work, to limiting their love. If somebody falls out of line, or seems like they are not loyal, they will be killed, and every record of them will be destroyed. The Party also holds the right to change history if what they predicted in the past isn’t true anymore. We have real life examples as to how much this type of society can damage our world, and make it a terrible place to live in, such as the Soviet Union, And Nazi Germany. 1984 was written during the era of those events, and is definitely influenced by them.…

    • 281 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Imagine being in such a society where you are always being watched and if to do something wrong you get tourchored. Imagine being in a situation like Winston he is in the book 1984 and he wonders when his suffering would end. Otherwise just like during world war two, the people of Asia and Africa wonder when their suffering will ever end. Imagine war that had induced your food shortage and less ways to hydrate yourselves. Imagine thinking of this question in your head would i prefer life or death.…

    • 628 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Return to Orwellian Society The government controls every aspect of society. A government known as Big Brother controls a society through misinformation. Big brother controls what can be broadcast on television. Big brother controls the language that people speak and their history.…

    • 1178 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Having lived in totalitarian societies such as Spain and Russia, George Orwell was able to experience the abominable lengths that the governments around him were willing to go to secure and extend their mass amounts of power. He showcases and explores the major flaws of a totalitarian government through his writing, making it clear to the reader that it is not his government of choice. In an essay by John Rodden, I learned a lot about Orwell’s life and how he came to be a writer. Born in India in June of 1903 Orwell, born as Eric Arthur Blair, lived until 1950.…

    • 622 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays