Dangers of Totalitarianism in Orwells 1984 Essay

1984 by George Orwell is an extremely negative outlook on a futuristic, seemingly utopian society. People inhabiting the land of Oceania are enslaved to the government, most without even realizing it. The Party uses its many members to enforce its methods of control on the population. While a bit extreme, Orwell was attempting to warn people about the dangers of totalitarianism. The story focuses largely on the tactics of the Party?s manipulation. The major aspects of the aforementioned control stratagem are the alterations of history as the wishes, the invention of Newspeak to eliminate any chance of rebellion, psychological and physical intimidation, and the use of technology to monitor citizens. The Party changes records of the†¦show more content†¦If there are no words, then there is no way to formulate the thought. The populace is scared into believing that any expression of defiance, even in their own homes, is illegal. Any violation or possible threat to the Party ?s power will result in re-education and then, usually, death by vaporization or gunshot to the head. Telescreens constantly monitoring the public keep them weak and afraid. The omnipresent posters reminding them that the supposed Big Brother is watching them at all times also keeps them rigid and on alert. Citizens become hyperaware of their facial expressions, and everything they say has to first be mentally checked for any possibility that the phrase could be taken in a different manner, an illegal one. The Party also keeps the population in a near-constant state of exhaustion, the result of working long, hard, and tedious jobs. People are too tired to bother rebelling or harboring rebellious thoughts and ideas. By keeping them feeble and powerless, the government can make sure they won?t rise up against the Party. The protagonist of the story, a thirty-nine-year-old man named Winston Smith, tries to rebel against these oppressions. He hates the Party, and the many ways it suppresses his individuality. He has a very fatalistic personality, so he believes he will be caught no matter what. This causes him to take unnecessary risks, such as buying a diary from Mr. Charrington?s antique shop, and writing ?DownShow MoreRelatedAnimal Farm And George Orwell By George Orwell1034 Words   |  5 Pageswriting the novel 1984, which similarly criticized totalitarianism by depicting an overwhelmingly melancholy dystopian society. 1984 achieved similar success and opened the public’s eyes to the dangers of the spread of despotic regimes throughout the world. By examining both Animal Farm and Orwell’s biography, further light is shed onto his belief in the dangers of totalitarian governments as depicted in 1984. Primarily, there were many influential factors and moments in George Orwell’s life that causedRead More1984 Dystopian Society Essay1164 Words   |  5 Pagesthe Party immortal. 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