Nineteen Eighty-Four

"The essential point of Nineteen Eighty-Four is just this, the danger of the ultimate and absolute power which mind can develop when it frees itself from conditions, from the bondage of things and history" (Trilling 74-75). As Lionel Trilling exquisitely expresses, 1984 by George Orwell is simply a story of ultimate power and control that spawns from the freedom of the past and reality, which is then manipulated by a higher power. To act upon this desire, the Party must use many different…

Individual vs Society Kimisha Peterson Ottawa University Introduction In the debate between the individual vs society there are many aspects to consider. In many literary works there is an emphasis put on the individual rather than the society as a whole, but even though the emphasis is on individual rights these rights are also for the common good. The line between the individual and society is very thin and can easily be crossed, but that’s why this debate is so convoluted. A…

The fourth and final ministry in the governmental structure is The Ministry of Truth, which is the propaganda ministry. They are involved with news, entertainment, the fine arts, and educational literature. The ministry’s purpose is the overall falsification of the historical events when they deem it necessary; they alter history by rewriting it in order for it to fit within the lines of the party, to add to the effect of its propaganda. This kind of ideal about the Ministry of Truth is…

The Party views individualism as the only force which could overthrow their system of governing, and in making resistance a pointless act, by maintaining ignorance within the masses, they become omnipotent. Through careful early conditioning in schools, clubs, in "lectures, parades, songs, slogans and martial music" all natural human, individual thought and feeling are stamped out of the general populace. They were not allowed to look unique either in clothing (When Parson's young daughter…

1. INTRODUCTION THE CONCEPT OF DYSTOPIA: Dystopia (Greek word dys meaning bad and topos meaning place) or alternatively, cacotopia,1 can be defined as an imagined world in which the society is oppressed and an illusion of a perfect society is maintained through corporate, bureaucratic, technological, moral or totalitarian control.2 It is a word coined by British philosopher John Stuart Mill. In the dystopian society freedom of thought, action and association (as propounded by Mill) are…

What they have been unable to see is that the ending was meant to be a joke. It is widely believed that Orwell should have been more clear about his humor. However, many understood and appreciated the joke. As Patrick Rielly writes in the book Nineteen Eighty-Four: Past, Present, and Future “Why on earth blame Orwell because people cannot read properly or lack a sense of humor?” He believes that it is wrong to attack Orwell especially since many of us can’t fully grasp totalitarianism. We are…

Orwell and The Vision of 1984 When George Orwell finished his landmark novel 1984 he had lived a life that is difficult to compare. His first hand experiences with totalitarianism and imperialism culminated in one the best and wildly known dystopian novels. Though known primarily as a journalist during his life, his success is associated with 1984 (“Biography of George Orwell”). The story shows the reasons why this is true. It is difficult to read this book and not worry about what one…

He turned a little sideways in his chair to drink his mug of coffee. At the table on his left the man with the strident voice was still talking remorselessly away. A young woman who was perhaps his secretary, and who was sitting with her back to Winston, was listening to him and seemed to be eagerly agreeing with everything that he said. From time to time Winston caught some such remark as 'I think you're so right, I do so agree with you', uttered in a youthful and rather silly feminine voice.…

In George Orwell’s 1984, multiple themes of governmental systems can be viewed, some of which can be totalitarianism, socialism, and oligarchism. The biggest ideology derived from 1984 is “Big Brother” watching us, directly foreshadowing mass surveillance on society that is evident in today’s society. The fact that Orwell was able to predict the amount of “security measures” put into place today, 65 years ago is almost frightening to some. The book is set in the year 1984, during a time…

Novels are a very important part of the present day society. They teach the society about the past, the present, and in some cases try to warn about the future. George Orwell who wrote 1984 and Animal Farm, also tried to warn about the future by reflecting on the past in these two novels. Both 1984 and Animal Farm share striking similarities in the way they present a dark and disturbing future. While focusing on the oppressive governments of the future, the common aspects of both novels are:…