"Nineteen Eighty-Four": Totalitarianism

• Nineteen Eighty-Four, a dystopian science fiction novel by George Orwell, published in 1949, uses a totalitarian government to explore bleak themes through the eyes of protagonist Winston, an everyman character.
• Orwell employs totalitarianism, the oppressive setting of Oceania, and symbolic elements reflecting his experiences with Hitler's regime to emphasize that power is the ultimate pursuit.
• These literary techniques showcase how a controlling government utilizes language manipulation and fear to maintain its high-power status.

Totalitarianism and Language Manipulation

• The story's themes are shaped by the fascist government and Big Brother, illustrating how totalitarian regimes consolidate power.
• The Party manipulates truth and language for its benefit, not for the well-being of Oceania's citizens.
• Newspeak, a language created by the Ministry of Truth, aims to suppress independent thought.
• The Party takes advantage of "falsifying the past," reducing vocabulary each year to make "thoughtcrime impossible."
• Orwell warns that "language can also corrupt thought," reinforcing how restricting words limits expression and prevents rebellion, eroding a person’s personal identity.
• Because words represent knowledge, their absence leads to ignorance, leaving the people powerless against the Party’s control.
• The Party’s ideology, "Ignorance is Strength," reflects how eliminating language fosters blind obedience, enabling the government to maintain dominance.
• The totalitarian government’s manipulation of truth and language underscores its relentless pursuit of power.

Oppressive Setting of Oceania

• Oceania operates as a metaphorical prison through constant surveillance and propaganda.
• The people live under oppressive scrutiny, with telescreens monitoring every move, and the buildings appear grim and unwelcoming.
• The Party extends surveillance even into private homes; Winston observes that "even a back can be revealing."
• Citizens are forced to live "from habit that became instinct," constantly assuming that "every sound [they] made was overheard."
• This reflects the Party’s utter disregard for privacy, as its true aim is not security but the instillation of fear.
• The omnipresence of Big Brother reinforces the idea that he is "infallible and all-powerful," while the people of Oceania remain "powerless against the Party."
• Orwell contrasts this with real-world surveillance, which is typically justified for public safety, emphasizing that in a totalitarian regime, surveillance is a means of oppression rather than protection.
• The Party will go to inhumane measures to secure its power.

Symbolism and Historical Parallels

• Orwell’s own experiences under totalitarian rule during Hitler’s regime inform the novel’s symbols.
• The concept of vaporization in 1984 parallels Hitler’s gas chambers, where those who resisted the regime were "abolished and annihilated."
• Winston understands that there is "no trial or report of the arrest" and that a person’s "one-time existence was denied and forgotten," demonstrating the Party’s ruthless erasure of dissent.
• Unlike other vaporized citizens, Winston’s hatred for Big Brother surpasses his fear of death.
• He even considers openly declaring "Down with Big Brother" when he expects to be vaporized.
• Instead of executing him, the Party brainwashes Winston through psychological and physical torture in Room 101, ultimately making him "love Big Brother."
• This decision underscores the Party’s immense ego due to power—it not only eliminates resistance but reshapes the people to align with its ideology.
• Vaporizing Winston would imply defeat; instead, converting him reinforces the Party’s absolute control.
• This realization emphasizes that power is the ultimate goal of a totalitarian government, extending even to the control of thoughts and emotions.

Conclusion

• Orwell utilizes the themes of totalitarianism, surveillance, and symbolism to illustrate how power is the most coveted force in a dictatorship.
• By restricting language through Newspeak, the Party suppresses self-expression, making citizens vulnerable and powerless.
• The overwhelming presence of surveillance and propaganda instills fear, further consolidating authority.
• Orwell parallels Hitler’s reign of terror with the Party’s use of vaporization and brainwashing, showing how fear of death or torture forces compliance.
• The Party's willingness to strip people of their humanity reinforces its god-like status.
• Through role, setting, and symbolism, Orwell conveys that power is the most valuable and indomitable force within a totalitarian regime.