1984 Theme Question
Manipulation and complete control are both very present topics throughout the novel 1984. The society in the novel is very broken as a result of the force of the Party. What do you think causes such a demanding government as the one in 1984? Is there a need for it? As shown in the novel, there are many negative effects of such force; are there any positive effects? What are they?
I believe that there are some positive effects of this complete control even if it is for a Party that is not of the best intentions. I believe Big Brother only wants the people of their control to not oppose them. They want them to accept what is the Party and go along with it. For the cause of the Big Brother this complete control is needed for their specific intentions to fully control their people. From the side of the Party we see that there brain-washing techniques have converted those whose oppose to their side. As Winston states on the last page he admits to loving Big Brother. This control causes control and loyalty to the Party that is necessary to have control. -Isabel
ReplyDeleteI agree with parts of what Isabel is saying but I also think the time the novel was written had a big significance to the power of the Party. Orwell had finished writing 1984 in 1949, only a few years after World War II. I believe Orwell's government in the novel was greatly influenced by the ending power of Hitler and Stalin. This is especially shown through the children spying on their parents and reporting them to the Thought-Police. During World War II the Hitler Youth was one of the most powerful spies Hitler ever influenced and controlled. Children, being very impressionable, believed Hitler’s lies and thought it was their duty to report any suspicious activity with their parents’, this led to many deaths that were unwonted and unnecessary.
ReplyDeleteThere is not a NEED to have this type of government but Orwell thought to implement it into his novel to allow people to connect and understand the types of oppression the Party Members, the ones who did not agree with Big Brother, had experienced through the connectivity to Hitler’s power just a few years earlier.
There are always negative and positive effects of government but sometimes they are not all that obvious. There was too much power given to one person (Big Brother) making him power hungry, which in turn forced him to implement even harsher rules and regulations to quench his own lust for power. Power is the poison of the soul and mind of everyone. No one can control themselves when it comes to power.
~Laura Baldwin
I think that this question can tie back to the real history going on during the time of George Orwell. Like Isabel was saying, with the intentions of the party possibly being good, readers can remember the control of communism in Europe. When communism was first introduced, 'party members' made the government seem like it was created for the benefit of the people and that everybody would share the bounteous reaping of the country. But after a few years, citizens realized that the benefits of communism were just a facade-nothing was alright with communism. And people who rejected or protested against the party were killed (or in "1984" the equivalent of being vaporized). The government in "1984" had departments upon departments of papers or goods being falsified to create an illusion of a great society. The main figure at the top of the government, Big Brother, just seemed to be more of a symbol than he did a leader. citizens were constantly being watched and brainwashed into submission; working long and hard hours so they wouldn't have enough energy to try and riot against the party. Despite the 'good intentions' of the party, citizens like Winston can spot the holes and corruption of the government as it falls apart at the seams.
ReplyDelete~Isabelle
There can be many causes for such a demanding government. There is one big reason why there is such a demanding government. It is for them to stay in power. With the Thought Police, they arrest people based on thoughts. They do not want people “thinking” about starting a revolution. There is also the Two Minutes Hate. They want people to take out their anger on the Brotherhood and then think the Party is good. There would not be a need for such a demanding government to crave for power because they could respect the people and give them some personal freedom. If the government respected personal freedom for the society, they would not have to implement the Thought Police, events, and other authority. There are no positive effects out of this demanding government. Instead, there are negative effects. The many negative effects are-not being able to voice their own opinion, not having any privacy of their own, and being arrested for having supposedly hateful thoughts. It shows that such a demanding government to have power will not help society. When taking everybody’s personal freedom away with the Thought Police and the monitors shows that the government does not trust anyone. Society is out ruled by the government and can’t discover the truth of what occurred in past history. Society will never learn about previous revolutions and how to overthrow the government (the Party). In the end, the Party will always in any sort of way.
ReplyDeleteYou all bring up great ideas. Isabel, I agree with you that the extreme actions of the Party are necessary for control, and therefore are justified, and maybe even good. Laura, you bring up an excellent point. I did not think about the time of publishing when I wrote this question, and you're right to say it had a big impact. The force of the Party is a parallel to Hitler's power. Isabelle, your comment about Big Brother being just a symbol and not a leader is a great point. And Davis, I agree with everything you said.
ReplyDeleteWhen writing the question, I thought the most about how I would explain what the positive effects of the Party (if any) are. In our own eyes, we see this as a very controlling, cruel government. But in the eyes of the members of Oceania's society, this might not be so. Their slogan is "WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, IGNORANCE IS BLISS" (Orwell 4). By using three juxtapositions as the motto of their country, the government plants the idea that good and bad are one in the same; how something seems isn't how it is. Members of the society in Oceania would have been affected by this slogan. They might not have viewed the actions of the Party as harsh and cruel, but maybe necessary and wanted. It's hard for us to imagine such an open opinion about the Party, because we're looking from such a civilized viewpoint. But the characters in the novel don't have such a reference to base their opinions on.