Loyalty is an admirable trait for any person or character to have. Unfortunately, some take advantage of that loyalty and exploit it for their own selfish gain. The Party is a group which uses the unconditional support of the people of Oceania in the dystopian novel 1984. The novel, written by George Orwell, follows the life of Winston Smith and his struggle to accept the reality of his society. In a world where ignorance and fierce loyalty control the thoughts and actions of Oceania’s people, Winston tries to be the exception in the accepted mindlessness. George Orwell illustrates how loyalty founded on ignorance plays a major role in the Party’s ruling by using Winston Smith and Mr. Parsons as contrasting examples in the novel 1984. The
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Parsons is exactly the type of person the Party caters to. He does not know any better than the next person but that is precisely the kind of person the Party needs and relies on to stay afloat. He performs his duties like any good samaritan in Oceania, such as partaking in activities at the Recreation center after his work hours, something Winston himself finds tedious and a waste of time. The reader is not only given the impression that Parsons is simple-minded but also quite ignorant which could be the reason why Winston doesn’t take a particular liking to him. There is a scene where Winston recalls chocolate rations being reduced to twenty grams but the telescreens were praising Big Brother for having raised them, and he describes Parsons as “swallow[ing] it easily, with the stupidity of an animal” (58). Parsons is a man who does not question the Party; the system has ultimately destroyed any and all ability to think for …show more content…
However, Parsons would never realize this side of himself because he willingly believes anything he is told without questioning it. Parsons is ignorant to think that the Party is looking out for the people’s best interest when O’Brien specifically says “The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power” (263). The ignorance around Oceania is what allows the Party to remain in power. It is not even about being unaware of being lied to; Winston learns one leads a simpler and easier life when denying what is actually happening. Oceania’s people have been conditioned to turn a blind eye or risk being
Parsons is exactly the type of person the Party caters to. He does not know any better than the next person but that is precisely the kind of person the Party needs and relies on to stay afloat. He performs his duties like any good samaritan in Oceania, such as partaking in activities at the Recreation center after his work hours, something Winston himself finds tedious and a waste of time. The reader is not only given the impression that Parsons is simple-minded but also quite ignorant which could be the reason why Winston doesn’t take a particular liking to him. There is a scene where Winston recalls chocolate rations being reduced to twenty grams but the telescreens were praising Big Brother for having raised them, and he describes Parsons as “swallow[ing] it easily, with the stupidity of an animal” (58). Parsons is a man who does not question the Party; the system has ultimately destroyed any and all ability to think for …show more content…
However, Parsons would never realize this side of himself because he willingly believes anything he is told without questioning it. Parsons is ignorant to think that the Party is looking out for the people’s best interest when O’Brien specifically says “The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power” (263). The ignorance around Oceania is what allows the Party to remain in power. It is not even about being unaware of being lied to; Winston learns one leads a simpler and easier life when denying what is actually happening. Oceania’s people have been conditioned to turn a blind eye or risk being