1984 Analysis Essay Research Paper 1984 written

1984 Analysis Essay, Research Paper

1984, written by George Orwell, is a fictional account of a futuristic society controlled by the Inner Party, an elite minority of individuals dictating control over the lives of its citizens. This control is more than political. The world is divided into three superpowers constantly at war. Oceania is the country where the primary focus of the novel takes place. Big Brother is the mythical ruler of its government. The government exercises more than political control over its citizens. Its control is total, with the objective of destroying all personal freedom and free enterprise. The government restricts all social, economic, intellectual, and emotional aspects of society. The main character, Winston Smith, is a member of the Outer Party and a second class citizen. He is employed by the Ministry of Truth to fabricate lies about the history of his country, Oceania. He secretly rebels against Big Brother by writing in a diary and thereby becoming a Thoughtcriminal. Winston then has an affair with Julia, risking everything by speaking with her about his personal objection to Big Brother ideology. He becomes friendly with a person named O Brien, whom he believes is part of the rebellious forces called the Brotherhood. In actuality, O Brien is an Inner Party undercover spy who eventually exposes Winston and reports him as a Thoughtcriminal. O Brien is responsible for reforming Winston. He personally interrogates, brainwashes, tortures and eventually breaks Winston emotionally when he forces Winston s head into a cage of rats. Winston loses every shred of human feeling, swears allegiance to Big Brother and lives out the conclusion of his life as an emotionless pawn of the government. The novel ends as a victory for the Inner Party because it has reformed another Thoughtcriminal.

Tone:

The tone of the novel is one that presents the characters with a lack of redeeming human qualities. It shows a world where peoples emotions are suppressed and where individuals are shown in a very dark, sinister manner. The hatred, fear, loneliness and alienation of the characters in the novel make them all appear to be drown-like creatures. It is a dream-like nightmare where no one can live or even think without the fear of being watched, reported, and persecuted. The psychological oppression represented in the novel affects all characters in a way turns everyone into robots. The main character, Winston Smith, lives alone, has no friends, and has only unhappy memories of his family. Even when Winston meets Julia, and they become lovers, he appears downtrodden and uninspiring. Julia has no joy in her life. She may be rebelling against the difficult living conditions, but she doesn t aspire to Winston s more lofty political goals. O Brien characterizes man s worst human qualities by demonstrating the need for power and the hatred for nonconformity.

Orwell developed these drone-like characters to establish a non-human society that shocks the reader into believing that such conditions, although unlikely, could in some ways become a reality in the world.

After Winston s arrest, O Brien asks the following question; How does one man assert his power over another, Winston? Winston thought. By making him suffer, said Winston. Exactly. By making him suffer. Obedience is not enough. Unless he is suffering, how can you be sure that he is obeying your will and not his own? Power is inflicting pain and humiliation. (p. 219) O Brien is an emotionless character who epitomizes the government s ideology and desire for total control. O Brien first appeared to be friendly but turned out, in the end, to demonstrate man s worst qualities. He contributed to the author s objective of warning the reader about the effects of too much control by government.

Conflict:

The novel creates an example of conflict between individual freedom and government control. It demonstrates what can occur when the power exercised by a few (Inner Party) is used to control society. Winston fights back and is crushed in spirit. The government maintains a steady state of confusion by dictating what people should believe. This is a government that wants to control the thoughts of its citizens and must crush any resistance that threatens its power. History is distorted and the news is fabricated. Friendship and intimate relations are forbidden. Everyone feels alone because their movement in being watched by the symbolic head of government, Big Brother. Unfortunately, the novel doesn t appear to have a satisfactory conclusion. Winston Smith rebels against Big Brother, but is eventually arrested, convicted without a trial, and tortured into submission by O Brien, a representative of the Inner Party.

Orwell wrote this novel several years after World War II, when countries like China and Russia were restricting individual freedom. In one sense, he was cautioning the world about the spread of communism. In another sense, he was cautioning people in democratic societies to not allow their government to limit individual freedom.

The conflict does not reach suitable ending. The reader may support Winston, but he doesn t prevail. The author gets the reader s attention by letting the worse happen; Winston gives in and submits to the Party. It is the author s hope that this unhappy ending will make the reader determined never to let such powerful oppressi