What Is Orwell's Allusion To Religion

Throughout all facets of history, religion exists as a forceful and manipulative force imprisoning society through totalitarian control. It could be argued that this control is executed through a plethora of brainwashing techniques similar to those within Orwell’s dystopian nation of Oceania in 1984. A detailed analysis reveals parallels to religion within the text. Though this religious connotation may not exist as an initial, intended outcome of the author; ideals of modern philosophers like Michael Foucault can indirectly substantiate these interpretations from comparative studies in discipline and hierarchy: “ The exile of the leper and the arrest of the plague do not bring with them the same political dream…hierarchy surveillance, observation, writing… this is the utopia of the perfectly governed city… power of mind over mind” (Foucault 284,293). This essay attempts to prove that Orwell’s usage of symbols and motifs throughout the novel develops an allusion to religion. From this textual allusion, religion predominantly exists as a detrimental power …show more content…
When Winston attempts to rectify injustices within society, he is captured, tricked, and tortured by “authoritarian” disciples of Big Brother. These “authoritarian” disciples of Big Brother prove analogous to the Pharisees in the time of Christ. These stringent church leaders are responsible for the torture and persecution of Christ. The overarching pattern between the actions of Christ and Winston as the sons of God and Big Brother yield immense significance in the evaluation of religion. The trade-off between panoptic conformity and physical or metaphysical torture exists as an everlasting theme in correlation with the novel. This trade-off portrayed in aspects of religion proves detrimental to the well being of society, as a