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. Orwell’s story also has many different aspects that display the extremities of totalitarianism in different forms. Psychological control by the government forces people to live in fear, with the message and most symbolic quote of the book, “Big Brother is watching you”, instills the sense of fear into the minds of citizens. Physical control of citizens is also an integral part of the power the government exercised. The government forces its citizens to take part in a routine exercise every morning. People are also forced to …show more content…
People are not allowed to have any reminder of their own history or past, in the form of documents or photos. They also rewrite previous histories and newspapers, thus controlling every form of information, and transcribing it from their own perspective and bias, being the only form of information anyone receives. Technology is also a big portion of how the government is able to control its citizens. With microphones placed all over the city, conversations can be heard and recorded from all people. The telescreens in the homes of citizens and all over Oceania are constant reminders and indicators of how the government is constantly watching over you and nothing is a secret to