1984 was written by Orwell as a warning to the world as he saw it, he opposed totalitarianism in all it’s forms and, on one occasion said “I believe that totalitarianism, if not fought against, could triumph again”. The concept for 1984 came about through Orwell’s experiences in Burma and Spain that involved propaganda and totalitarian regimes. This is reflected in the text through the party and the use of ‘Big Brother’ posters. Orwell helps the audience recognise the negative aspects of the dystopian and totalitarian world through Winston’s perspective, a perspective that the audience relates to, as Winston bears many of our own ideals, such as the want for freedom and a democratic society. It is undeniable that there are a number of parallels between the protagonists of both Orwell’s ‘1984’ and the Wachowski brothers’ ‘The Matrix’.
In the scene where we witness Sutler addressing the party leaders after V has destroyed the Old Bailey, we are confronted with just the lit up faces of the leaders and darkness in the background. This use of lighting foreshadows the party’s temperament and mood towards the people. This is because we only see the faces we are made to cower in front of them and acknowledge the absolute power they attain. As a result this creates discontent and hatred towards the Government and Party. These feelings towards a Government often occur in today’s society and the portrayal of this in V for Vendetta emphasises the discontent to the audience and presents us with a negative view on society as a whole; as it relates to people like Mugabe and his Government who control by fear and intimidation and are the centre of discontent.
Hobbes named this condition as ‘war’ which also meant that every man is enemy to every man. Hobbes exposed that man in the state of nature lived with an authoritarian logic of fear and man has always been on the defensive side to protect himself and his position in the society. Hobbes said that man has always wanted to escape from the state of nature and war by following the path towards safety which allocates man to soften feelings of fear. A social contract is an agreement where people gave up their evil state and entered an organized society, which was controlled by the powerful government to preserve safety. Locke viewed human as innately good.
Quote 2: "WAR IS PEACE FREEDOM IS SLAVERY IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH." Part 1, Chapter 1, pg. 6 Quote 3: "A hideous ecstasy of fear and vindictiveness, a desire to kill, to torture, to smash faces in with a sledgehammer, seemed to flow through the whole group of people like an electric current, turning one even against one's will into a grimacing, screaming lunatic." Part 1, Chapter 1, pg. 16 Q 4:one of those completely unquestioning, devoted drudges on whom, more even than on the Thought Police, the stability of the Party depended."
Winston’s desire to attain a unilateral, abstract understanding of the Party’s methods and evils in order to consider and reject them epitomizes his speculative, restless nature. He obsesses about history in particular, trying to understand how the Party’s control of information about the past enhances its power in the present. This fixation is so profound that he almost unconsciously finds himself in front of Mr Charrington’s store. Winston’s trip to the prole district illustrates the relationship between social class and awareness of one’s situation. Life in the prole district is animalistic, filthy, and impoverished.
No one can control this loss of freedom. People are born and rights and freedoms are instantly lost. Even though Aldous Huxley’s story, Brave New World and George Orwell’s story 1984 portrayed different predictions of what society could be in the future both stories shared a common loss of freedom of their people because of restrictions, the governments overstepping power, and brainwashing techniques. In both stories there was evidence of restrictions that lead to the loss of freedom of the people in their societies. One of the main pieces of evidence in George Orwell’s novel 1984 was the use of constant surveillance of their people with telescreens and spies.
A rebel can be defined as someone who has armed resistance against an established ruler or government. In 1984, a dystopian society themed novel by George Orwell, the protagonist Winston Smith is proven to be a rebel through his thoughts and actions throughout the story. His firm belief in the Brotherhood and his on going romantic relationship with his lover Julia, ultimately proves he is a rebel, following his terms and conditions rather than those of others. The protagonist, Winston Smith, can be described as a rebel for having thoughts that are forbidden according to the rules of Ingsoc. Winston Smith knows and understands that Ingsoc and Big Brother are committing an injustice of their own:”To the future or the past, to a time when thought is free when men are different than one anther and do not live alone... To a time when truth exists and what is done cannot be undone.
1984 remains as one of the most powerful sources of warnings issued against totalitarian societies. George Orwell aims to portray the worst human society, a dystopia. The negative utopian form is used to convince readers to avoid any actions similar to this that could lead to a reaction as shown in the novel. 1984 is one of the most famous novels of the negative utopian, or dystopian, genre. When 1984 was composed, a society that was monitored seemed possible, as it was the dawn of the nuclear age, before the television became a common appliance found in homes.
Totalitarianism In writing 1984, Orwell's main goal was to warn of the serious danger totalitarianism poses to society. He goes to great lengths to demonstrate the terrifying degree of power and control a totalitarian regime can acquire and maintain. In such regimes, notions of personal rights and freedoms and individual thought are pulverized under the all-powerful hand of the government. Orwell was a Socialist and believed strongly in the potential for rebellion to advance society, yet too often he witnessed such rebellions go wrong and develop into totalitarian rule. Specifically, Orwell saw such developments during his time in Spain and in Russia, where he witnessed the rise of communism and the accompanying destruction of civil liberties, honest government, and economic strength.
Although his actions are very insane, they can be seen as rational to reader considering hedonism. Devotion to pleasure, hedonism, makes Dorian be deceitful about his true self by deflecting the attention of the public from the mad man to the beautiful and intelligent gentlemen. Dorian is, young, sensitive, and emotional, meaning that he is susceptible to manipulation. Lord Henry takes advantage of that opportunity and gives Dorian the yellow book; this book opens up the world of hedonism and aestheticism which eventually turns his young life into an eternal oblivion of misery. Dorian develops a fear of aging so he tries to live his life as if it was his last day on earth.