example of thesis 1984

George Orwells 1984 - Free Essay Examples And Topic Ideas

1984 is a dystopian novel by George Orwell that explores the dangers of totalitarianism and surveillance. Essays on this topic could delve into the themes of surveillance, truth, and totalitarianism in the novel, discuss its relevance to contemporary societal issues, or compare Orwell’s dystopian vision to other dystopian or utopian literary works. A substantial compilation of free essay instances related to George Orwell’s 1984 you can find at PapersOwl Website. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

Dissecting Dystopia: George Orwells 1984 and the World of Oceania

George Orwell's "1984", a terrifying portrayal of dictatorship seen through the prism of a made-up superstate called Oceania, is still regarded as a classic piece of literature. Examining how Orwell's dystopian picture of the world mirrors larger concerns of power, surveillance, and the human spirit under authoritarian control, this article explores the complex world-building of Oceania. In the film "1984," Oceania is shown as an authoritarian society marked by ongoing conflict, constant government monitoring, and widespread public manipulation. Orwell painstakingly […]

1984 and Brave New World Comparison

As years pass by, human society has advanced in very unpredictable ways due to the evolution of ideas and technologies. It is somewhat cloudy to forseek what new advancements that may arrive in the future. In the 20th century, two dystopian writers had predicted the fate of the world that we live in today. The novels Nineteen Eighty-Four written by George Orwell and Brave New World written by Aldous Huxley both envisioned how society would end up as a dystopia. […]

1984 Compared to Today

In the world today, the internet is at the center of our actions. The internet and technology enable the recording of everything we do, which can be accessed by millions of people within a short time. This leads to the question of privacy in this age. In the novel "1984" by George Orwell, the main character, Winston Smith, and the rest of the population in Oceania are being surveyed. All their moves are followed with the help of telescreens purposed […]

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Winston against the Party in the Novel 1984

In 1984, the main character, Winston Smith goes through moments where he is in need; His needs consist of physiological needs, safety, and security needs, love and belonging needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization needs. Winston is the main character in his novel it follows his around during this time. In 1984 Winston has his physiological met. These physiological needs include; water, pleasure, and food. Winston had taken up his spoon and was dabbling in pale-colored gravy that dribbled across the […]

1984 the Soviet Union the Parallels

George Orwell is an author who wrote the book 1984 and Animal Farm, two famous Dystopian novels. But what is a dystopian novel? A dystopian novel is where the author writes about a society being oppressed or terrorized from a group of people or person(Jennifer Kendall). Typically in dystopian novels, we are shown a character who don’t agree with the government structure and tend to rebel against them. Although dystopian novels are fictional, it doesn’t mean that it can’t happen […]

1984 Surveillance Essay

George Orwell's 1984 writes of a dystopian society that has become severally oppressed by the methods ‘The Party' uses to control its society. The people do not think for themselves, and there is no independence from the government’s rules. One form that the party has control over everyone is with mind manipulation and constant surveillance, watching people actions and reactions to their messages that ‘The Party’ shares via the ‘telescreen’. A ‘telescreen’ is a two-way connection screen that people watch […]

Lack of Privacy in 1984 Essay

Privacy is a loose term in our world today because no one abides by it and the privacy of many people is invaded every day. People don’t even think about being watched when they’re posting personal experiences in their life on social media. Invasion of privacy is a serious issue concerning the Internet, as e-mails can be read and/or encrypted, and cookies can track a user and store personal information. Lack of privacy policies and employee monitoring threatens security also. […]

Main Themes in 1984

There are many Themes in 1984 however there are two that show themselves as the most important throughout the story: The disastrous effects of both the control of information and complete and total domination of the people, or Authoritarianism. These two themes show themselves many times throughout the entire story. The main Villain of the novel, Big Brother, exists to show the reader what will happen when one single organization or entity controls all information, and every other facet of […]

Nature and Animals 1984 Essay

In George Orwell's 1984, the reader follows a middle-aged man named Winston Smith. In Winston's society, people can be under surveillance at any time, in any place. The reader follows Winston through his affair with a woman named Julia, and the consequences that they face after. Throughout 1984, many motifs are represented, one of them being nature and animals. The motif of nature/animals demonstrates how Orwell connects characters in his book to animals. In 1984, the first time the reader […]

Parallels between a Novel 1984 and Soviet Union

George Orwell is a politically charged author who writes novels as warning issued against the dangers of totalitarian societies. The novel is dystopian literature. A dystopian society is the not so good version of an utopian society which is pretty much a perfect world. While an utopian society IS a perfect world, a dystopian society is the exact opposite as it is dehumanizing and unpleasant in regards to trying to make everything ideal. The novel 1984 by George Orwell is […]

1984 Literary Essay

In the novel 1984 war ment peace, freedom ment slavery, and ignorance ment strength. This novel very intriguing yet dark and twisted, the novel all began with an average man with an average job and an average life named Winston Smith, but what you don't know is how unruly the government is. The government believes everyone they have in their grasp they completely and utterly control, they have dehumanized humans to the point where they can't hardly think for themselves […]

Current Events Shaped Themes in 1984

Throughout history there have been dozens of examples of how the book 1984 relates to current events. A Prime example of this is Fidel Castro and 1960's Cuba, Throughout his rule he was responsible for housing many soviet missiles, and limiting the freedoms of his people. The only news allowed in cuba was the news that was verified by either castro himself or his higher up officers. This is an example of censoring/controlling the media. Throughout the book there are […]

George Orwell’s Fiction Novel 1984

With new technology and advanced programs, the government is gaining more power than one may realize. George Orwell’s fiction novel 1984, depicts Oceania’s control upon it’s party members thoughts and freedom showcasing the harsh effects that it had on its population. Too much control can often lead to social repression, Winston being a product of this repressed society. The cruelty Winston is faced with serves as both a motivation for him throughout the novel and reveals many hidden traits about […]

The Party and Power 1984

William Gaddis once said, “power doesn’t corrupt people, people corrupt power”; a truth that perfectly articulates the relationship between man and power. George Orwell’s prose novel, 1984, and James McTeigue’s theatrical film, V for Vendetta, are such quintessences of power abused by those in pursuit of reaching authoritative domination. They differ in textual form and perspectives however at their core, both texts are works of dystopian fiction and juvenalian satire against authoritarian style leaderships, depicting their respective protagonists as victims […]

A Political Novel 1984

1984 is a political novel composed for the humans below a totalitarian authorities and to give consciousness for the feasible dangers of it. George Orwell, the author, purposefully created the e book give emphasis to the rising of communism in Western countries who are nonetheless uncertain about how to approach it. He additionally wrote it due to having an insight of the horrendous lengths to which authoritarian governments that ought to possibly go beyond their power such as Spain and […]

The Power of Words and Rhetoric in 1984

In a lucid moment Winston found that he was shouting with the others and kicking his heel violently against the ring of his chair (Orwell 14). Winston Smith is an average man in the world of 1984, at least that is what readers believe at first glance. However, there is a hidden life under the surface of his skin, this being the brewing hatred he feels for the, otherwise, worshiped Big Brother. Smith meets an unlikely companion in a young […]

About the Hazard of Controlling Governments in 1984

Dystopian literature has been around for quite some time, shaping the minds of young readers. However, in the course of recent decades, it has turned out to be increasingly popular, especially after the turn of the century. In a time of fear and anxiety, the dystopian genre has become more popular in pop culture, in that they provide audiences with a different aspect of entertainment, while offering a sense of comfort and control. The world that young adults of today […]

The Tools and Actions of Totalitarianism in Cuba and “1984” by George Orwell

George Orwell’s book 1984 displayed an example of a real-life dystopia. Totalitarianism is shown in this communist-based society so ghastly that it coined its own term “Orwellian” in the dictionary. However, a country living in full surveillance with extremely nationalistic views in cookie-cutter world is not entirely fictional. Historical dictatorships are similar to Orwell’s telling of Big Brother, the man in control of Oceania’s economy and strictly enforced values. An example of such was the Cuban regime under control of […]

Wake up its 1984 again

War is peace; freedom is slavery; ignorance is strength In the book 1984 by George Orwell, Big brother is an omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent dictator of Oceania. Big Brother symbolizes the face of the Party and its public manifestation, which controlled people's thoughts, actions, knowledge and way of living. By using secret police, surveillance, torture, propaganda, misinformation, and corrupted languages to control all aspects of one's life. Even though the book was meant to be fictional, there is some elements […]

The Parallels of 1984 and the Soviet Union

George Orwell, a pen name for the author’s real name Eric Arthur Blair, is a man that had multiple professions, such as an essayist, imperial police officer, and a critic. However, he is best known as a novelist, writing such stories like Animal Farm, Burmese Days, and the main focus novel that will be talked about today, 1984. 1984 is the story about a man named Winston Smith, a man that lives in a totalitarian society where no one is […]

What did 1984 Steal from 1922

There have been many dictators in the history of the world. They have been mostly bad for the people of the society, reducing their ability to stand up for them self. Most dictators used fear and intimidation to scare their opponents into complying with them, but in 1984 they limited their vocabulary (newspeak) and twisted what they were saying to make it sound nicer (doublespeak) to get the people to comply with the rules. The Party in 1984 is influenced […]

The Party Control in 1984

1984 is a story of tragedy and warns of a dystopian future, which day by day looks like it is becoming closer to a reality. The story starts out with Winston Smith, a member of the Party, living inside the conglomerate super-nation Oceania. Everywhere Winston goes, he is being watched by the Party's leader, Big Brother, who is constantly monitoring to stop any and all rebellion. The Party controls everything and are trying to indoctrinate people, inventing a brand new […]

My 1984 Story

INTRODUCTION The Party did the people wrong and treated them poorly because the Party wanted them to do what they asked for and manipulating their minds. Orwell wanted to tell people how the Party treated other people and what they had to sacrifice in order to do what was told. For it to be one of the most powerful warnings that ever happened in the totalitarian society. George Orwell’s 1984 is a interesting and constructive book that is filled with […]

Dystopian Literature – 1984

The destruction of history causes people to obey the party more and become mindless objects to the party. The party imposed if all records told the same tale then the lie passed into history and became truth. Who controls the past ran the party slogan controls the future who controls the present controls the past And the through of its nature alterable never has been altered{ Orwell p.31}. It represent imagery and talks about how the party controls them and […]

1984 and Brave New Word: Literary Criticisms

Although they seem to portray two completely opposite dystopias, Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and George Orwell’s 1984 are two sides of the same coin, as they both warn of the dangers of an all-powerful government. Both their personal lives and the social climate in which they lived in contributed in the shaping of their novels into the disturbingly brilliant pieces of literature that are praised today. Huxley’s childhood provides great insight into some of the many influences of his […]

The Shadow of 1984

When people read dystopian text they often include topics with darker views of our political structures. George Orwell's novel 1984 is about a place named Oceania in which the main character Winston, a member of the outer party,journeys into his end. He finds himself with these viewpoints no one else seems to have of how Oceania is runned and only continues to question and dig further until he is put to stop by the party. Although Orwell’s work is fiction […]

George Orwell’s 1984 Oppression

After reading and discussing the outcomes of high tech policing, I strongly take a stand with the critics of it. This is not only opinion, the data received by high tech policing technologies distort the true meaning of privacy and is a form of biased policing against poor and minority communities. Police are using high tech policing to target poor and minority communities. The main facts that support my claim are how high tech policing results in biases against minorities […]

What does the Paperweight Symbolize in 1984: Metaphor for Loss of Individuality

Introduction “Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows” (Orwell 81). George Orwell wrote a book called 1984 about Winston and how he lives in an oppressive government. The government manipulates them so much that they have no freedom and no way to express themselves. They cannot even say 2+2=4. Imagery, symbolism, and figurative language are used to convey the theme of the loss of individuality by totalitarianism. Metaphor […]

Decoding Dystopia: George Orwell’s 1984 Explored

Picture a world where your every move is watched, where your thoughts aren’t even your own. Welcome to George Orwell’s "1984," a novel that isn’t just a story but a warning bell that still echoes loudly today. Written in 1949 and set in a future that's now our past, Orwell spins a tale of a world caught in the grip of total government control, a place where the very idea of truth is as malleable as clay. At the heart […]

George Orwells 1984 Theme: Rejecting Political Apathy through Orwellian Insights

In George Orwell's iconic dystopian novel, "1984," the theme of rejection to political apathy emerges as a powerful undercurrent. Set in a totalitarian regime where Big Brother's watchful eye permeates every aspect of citizens' lives, the novel serves as a stark warning against the dangers of political passivity. As an environmental studies student, I find intriguing parallels between the oppressive political climate depicted in the book and the urgent need for active environmental engagement in today's world. Orwell's masterpiece provides […]

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How To Write an Essay About George Orwell's 1984

Understanding the context and themes of 1984.

When setting out to write an essay about George Orwell's "1984," it's crucial to first grasp the novel's historical and literary context. Published in 1949, "1984" is a dystopian novel that paints a chilling picture of a totalitarian regime. In your introduction, outline the key themes of the novel: the dangers of totalitarianism, the manipulation of truth, and the erosion of individuality. It's important to contextualize these themes within the post-World War II era during which Orwell was writing, as well as considering their continued relevance in today's society. This foundational understanding will inform your exploration of the novel's complex narrative and thematic structure.

Analyzing Orwell's Characters and Narrative Techniques

The body of your essay should delve into a detailed analysis of the novel's characters and narrative techniques. Focus on the protagonist, Winston Smith, and his journey of rebellion and subsequent downfall. Examine Orwell's portrayal of the Party, particularly the character of Big Brother, and the ways in which it exercises control over individuals. Discuss the novel's key symbols, such as telescreens, Newspeak, and the concept of doublethink, and how they contribute to its overall message. Analyze Orwell's use of language and narrative style, considering how these elements enhance the novel's themes and its impact on readers. Use specific examples and quotes from the text to support your analysis, ensuring each paragraph contributes to a comprehensive understanding of Orwell's vision.

Contextualizing 1984 in the Broader Literary Landscape

In this section, place "1984" within the broader context of dystopian literature and its historical background. Discuss how the novel reflects the anxieties of its time, including fears of fascism and communism, and how these concerns are woven into the fabric of the narrative. Consider the influences on Orwell's writing, such as his experiences during the Spanish Civil War and his observations of Stalinist Russia. Additionally, reflect on the novel's impact on later literature and culture, including its influence on the genre of dystopian fiction and its relevance in contemporary discussions about surveillance, privacy, and political power.

Concluding Reflections on 1984

Conclude your essay by summarizing the key points of your analysis, emphasizing the enduring significance of "1984" in both literary and socio-political contexts. Reflect on the novel's warning about the dangers of totalitarianism and the importance of preserving individual freedoms. Consider the novel's relevance in today's world, particularly in light of current technological and political developments. A strong conclusion will not only provide closure to your essay but also underscore the novel's ongoing relevance, encouraging readers to continue contemplating Orwell's warnings and insights in relation to contemporary society.

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Home ➔ Free Essay Examples ➔ 1984 Essay

Writing an Essay on George Orwell’s 1984

George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984 masterfully depicts a society dominated by a totalitarian government. Through extensive imagery, Orwell reveals the nature of an anti-utopian regime from the viewpoint of Winston Smith, an outer party member tasked with rewriting history, indicative of the past controls in the novel. His perspectives reflect the present controls in the novel and unveil the dystopian totalitarian society of Oceania, a nation in constant antagonism with others.

1984 by George Orwell is recognized as a must-read literary masterpiece, engaging readers across all age groups with its rich characters and stimulating essay topics. The novel’s detailed historicism and depiction of the dominant political party’s actions, echoing their party slogan, have inspired numerous thought-provoking essays.

While some may believe that all possible essay topics on 1984 have been explored, this is only partially true. Every essay uniquely explores an author’s thought process, offering new perspectives even on familiar themes. For instance, the concept of doublethink, central to Orwell’s political fiction narrative, continues to be a subject of lively debate. Moreover, the novel raises complex issues worth exploring, such as the effects of government surveillance and the erosion of civil liberties in a dystopian society.

How to Choose an Effective Topic

Consider the social problems highlighted in this dystopian literature to select a relevant essay topic. Possible research subjects include:

• Gender balance in the novel: Examine the roles of men and women, particularly focusing on Winston Smith and Julia’s relationship.
• Symbolism in the novel: Identify images and ideas that relate to real-world events and explore the author’s intentions behind these metaphors.
• Brainwashing: Analyze how altering history impacts the novel’s characters and how doublethink affects their behavior.
• Room 101 metaphor: Contemplate the symbolic significance of Room 101, where individuals confront their worst fears and psychological effects.
• Power display: Investigate how power is portrayed in the book and the Party’s methods to demonstrate its supremacy.
• Technology use: Discuss how technology is employed to limit freedom and its effects on characters’ mental and physical health.
• Historicism: Examine the correlation between events in the book and real-world history, comparing Orwell’s portrayal to historical periods like World War II or the Soviet Union.

These research ideas can become fascinating and purposeful essay topics . Consider each and choose a subject that offers fresh perspectives, ensuring to express your own opinions and attitudes.

How to Come Up With an Innovative Idea

Engaging your reader, sparking curiosity, and presenting fresh insights are the hallmarks of a compelling essay . But how does one achieve these? The answer lies in innovation. Innovation in essay writing is not just about uniqueness; it’s about offering a new understanding of a familiar subject. An innovative idea can challenge established viewpoints, connect disparate concepts, or revitalize well-trodden debates. Writing about a widely studied text like 1984 by George Orwell requires an innovative approach to stand out and encourage deeper discussion.

Understanding the Novel

To create innovative essay ideas, it is essential to understand “1984” thoroughly. Dive into the novel’s world, absorbing the plot’s nuances, character dynamics, themes, and Orwell’s distinct style. Reflect on the characters’ actions and the story’s development. Understand Orwell’s historical context and motivations, whether as a warning, critique, or dystopian vision. This deep comprehension will fuel unique essay topics.

Brainstorming Techniques

Enhance your brainstorming with techniques like mind mapping, starting with core concepts like ‘totalitarianism’ or ‘doublethink’ and expanding into related areas. Use free writing to unleash subconscious thoughts and insights. The questioning method can lead to innovative ideas by asking probing questions about the novel’s characters, themes, or Orwell’s intentions.

Connecting to Contemporary Themes

Consider how “1984” reflects our contemporary society. Draw parallels between Orwell’s dystopian world and current political and social issues. Analyze the novel’s portrayal of surveillance and propaganda in relation to modern discussions about privacy and misinformation. By linking these themes, you bring your essay a modern, innovative perspective.

Diving Deeper into Characters and Themes

Go beyond surface-level understanding. Explore the psychological depths of characters like Winston Smith, Julia, and Big Brother. Analyze how their motivations interact with Orwell’s overarching themes. Investigate themes like totalitarianism, privacy, and the nature of power. Such exploration will reveal fresh perspectives and groundbreaking essay topics.

Here is a comprehensive, comma-separated list of themes found in George Orwell’s “1984”:

Totalitarianism, censorship, manipulation of information, propaganda, surveillance, resistance to power, psychological manipulation, physical control, the alteration of reality, loss of individuality, loyalty, nationalism, sexuality and love, class struggle, language as mind control, memory and the past, fear, betrayal, fatalism, repression, truth, power, control, privacy, rebellion.

Examining Literary Devices

Study Orwell’s literary craft, focusing on how his use of metaphor, simile, irony, and foreshadowing enhances the narrative and themes. Understanding these devices is key to unlocking deeper meanings and forming the basis of insightful essays.

Here is an exhaustive, comma-separated list of literary devices found in George Orwell’s “1984”:

Allegory, allusion, analogy, antithesis, aphorism, apostrophe, assonance, cacophony, characterization, conflict, connotation, denotation, dialogue, dramatic irony, dystopia, euphemism, foreshadowing, hyperbole, imagery, irony, juxtaposition, metaphor, metonymy, mood, motif, paradox, parallelism, personification, plot, point of view, prose, repetition, satire , setting, simile, symbolism, syntax, theme, tone, understatement, foreshadowing, flashback, alliteration.

Encouraging Multiple Perspectives

View 1984, a classic in social science fiction, from different angles. Consider the story from the perspectives of various characters under the party’s control or through different theoretical lenses like feminist, Marxist, or postcolonial theories. These diverse viewpoints can illuminate the text and inspire unique essay topics.

Consult Secondary Sources

Expand your research with secondary sources like scholarly articles and literary critiques, seeing ‘1984’ as a prime example in its genre. They can provide new interpretations and context, enriching your essay with a well-rounded perspective. Critically evaluate these sources and integrate them to support your unique viewpoint.

Evaluating Ideas

Once you’ve generated various ideas, it’s time to evaluate them. Not all ideas are created equal. Ask yourself: Which of my ideas are truly innovative? Which ones offer fresh insights and perspectives on “1984”? Which will engage my audience most effectively? Consider the scope, depth, and relevance of each idea. Can you find enough evidence in the text to support your argument ? Will your idea contribute to the existing discourse around the novel, or does it risk rehashing well-trodden arguments? This critical evaluation will ensure that you choose the most innovative and effective idea for your essay.

Comparative Analysis with Other Dystopian Novels

Innovate by comparing “1984” with other dystopian works like “Brave New World” or “Fahrenheit 451”. This comparison can highlight common themes and narrative techniques in dystopian literature, providing a fresh angle for your essay.

1984 Topic Examples

When choosing an essay topic for “1984”, it’s important to select a subject that resonates with you. Here are some topic ideas to consider:

• Mechanisms of Control : Explore how the Inner Party employs various methods to instill paranoia in Oceania’s citizens and analyze their effectiveness in maintaining the regime’s rule.
• Historical Parallels : Examine elements within “1984” that mirror real-world instances of totalitarian rule, such as the parallels between the Party’s tactics and those used in historical dictatorships.
• Winston’s Rebellion and Failure : Discuss the complex dynamics that lead to Winston’s inability to overthrow the oppressive government, focusing on the interplay between his character traits, the political environment, and societal structures.
• Effective Methods of Totalitarian Rule : Identify and argue the most effective strategy used by Big Brother to maintain control over society, comparing it with other methods depicted in the novel.
• The Role of Propaganda : Analyze the use of propaganda in the novel and its effectiveness in controlling the populace within a totalitarian society.
• The Power of Language : Delve into Orwell’s introduction of ‘Newspeak’ and discuss how language manipulation consolidates a totalitarian state.
• Technology and Control : Scrutinize how Orwell portrays technology as a tool for surveillance and societal manipulation in the novel.
• Dehumanization in Totalitarian Regimes : Discuss the dehumanizing effects of living under a totalitarian regime as portrayed in “1984”, focusing on how the regime’s control over individuality and personal life affects the characters.
• Doublethink as a Tool of Control : Examine how the concept of doublethink is used to maintain the totalitarian government, analyzing its role in perpetuating the state.
• The Role of the Proles : Analyze the depiction of ‘the proles’ in “1984” and discuss their potential as a disruptive force against the oppressive regime.

The Perils of Doublethink in 1984 (Essay Sample)

George Orwell’s “1984” provides a chilling exploration of a dystopian society under a totalitarian regime, where citizens are compelled to accept contradictory beliefs simultaneously – a concept Orwell termed as “doublethink.” This novel vividly portrays the sinister consequences of doublethink on personal freedom and objective reality. In this essay, we delve into Orwell’s critique of doublethink, elucidating its damaging impacts on individual freedom of thought and the recognition of objective reality.

In the world Orwell conjures, doublethink becomes a psychological instrument of the totalitarian government, meticulously designed to manipulate citizens into submissively endorsing the regime’s ideology. An instance of this can be seen in the paradoxical statement, “two and two equal five,” a governmental doctrine the citizens are forced to embrace despite its glaring falsity. This powerful manifestation of doublethink unveils the ability of the Party to distort the truth and disseminate its propaganda without any resistance. The collective acceptance of these blatant lies not only obstructs free thinking but also paves the way for a society in which objective reality is perpetually challenged.

The insidious nature of doublethink lies in its capacity to coerce citizens into abandoning their personal convictions and accepting the Party’s dictates, thereby suppressing their freedom of thought and action. Such mental manipulation leads to a society of individuals unable to discern truth from falsehood, submissively adhering to any propaganda the government propagates. Scholars argue that through doublethink, people are psychologically conditioned to accept lies as truth, demonstrating the horrifying extent of control the Party exerts over the masses (Orwell, 1990).

More alarmingly, doublethink blurs the boundary between reality and fiction, contributing to a society where the concept of objective truth becomes obsolete. In Orwell’s words, doublethink “negates the existence of objective reality while simultaneously accounting for the reality it denies” (Orwell, 1990). This suggests that proponents of doublethink willingly forsake objective truth, accepting any belief propagated by the Party irrespective of its veracity. An illustration of this is when citizens believe that consuming fruits is harmful, despite their inherent knowledge of their nutritional benefits. This form of cognitive distortion serves the interests of autocratic leaders, providing them with unwavering control over the populace.

Overall, Orwell’s “1984” paints a disturbing picture of a society crippled by doublethink, an instrument of manipulation stemming from totalitarian ideology. The consequences of this dangerous practice are the suppression of individual freedom of thought and the denial of objective reality, all serving to solidify the unyielding control of a corrupt government. Therefore, Orwell’s novel stands as a stark warning against the acceptance of doublethink, reinforcing the vital importance of independent thought and the recognition of objective reality in a democratic society.

• Anderson, M. (2016). Charter school reform: doublethink and the assault on the vulnerable. Journal of Thought , 50 (3-4), 33-48.
• Kaye, S., & Chin, C. (2017). Donald Trump’s use of post-truth double-think politics is a threat to liberal democratic norms. USA pp–American Politics and Policy Blog .
• Moran, S. (2018). Control in WWII Novels: 1984 and Brave New World (Doctoral dissertation, Worcester Polytechnic Institute).
• Orwell, G. (1990). Nineteen Eighty-Four. 1949. The Complete Novels , 7.

Writing the Thesis Statement and Conclusion

Crafting the thesis statement.

An impactful thesis statement is the linchpin of a compelling essay. It presents your central argument clearly and concisely and guides the structure of your essay . When writing a thesis statement for an essay on “1984”, ensure it communicates your unique perspective and directly addresses the essay question or topic.

Your thesis statement should make an argument rather than stating a fact. For example, rather than saying, “George Orwell’s ‘1984’ presents a dystopian society,” you might argue, “Through the portrayal of a dystopian society in ‘1984’, George Orwell critiques the misuse of political power and the erosion of individual freedoms.”

Ensure your thesis is specific enough to be covered effectively in your essay and broad enough to allow you to discuss multiple aspects of the text. Your thesis statement should also indicate the key points you will use to support your argument.

For example: “In ‘1984’, George Orwell uses the motif of Big Brother, the concept of doublethink, and the character arc of Winston Smith to critique the totalitarian government’s manipulative control over individuals’ thoughts and actions.”

Finally, position your thesis statement at the end of your introduction . This placement effectively sets the stage for the rest of your essay and guides your readers on the journey of your argument.

Constructing the Conclusion

The conclusion is your final chance to make an impact on your readers, so make it count. It ties up your argument and gives your essay a sense of completion.

Begin your conclusion by rephrasing your thesis statement in a new way. Do not simply repeat your thesis verbatim—instead, revisit it in light of the arguments and evidence you’ve presented. This reinforces your central argument and demonstrates how your essay has supported it.

Next, summarize the key points you’ve made in your body paragraphs . This should not simply be a list but a synthesis of your main arguments demonstrating how they support your thesis.

Finally, consider the broader implications of your argument. What does your analysis of “1984” contribute to the understanding of the novel or the broader discussions around it? How does your essay connect to the world today? By ending your essay with a thought-provoking conclusion, you leave your readers with a lasting impression and demonstrate the relevance and impact of your arguments. For instance, you might conclude with a statement: “Orwell’s ‘1984’ serves as a chilling reminder of the power of propaganda and manipulation, urging contemporary societies to be vigilant against any infringement on individual liberties.”

Remember, your conclusion should not introduce any new arguments or information. Its goal is to wrap up your essay in a satisfying and coherent way, leaving your readers with a clear understanding of your argument and its significance.

Conclusion example

“ George Orwell’s dystopian novel “1984” profoundly illustrates the grim outcomes of totalitarian rule, creating a cautionary tale of manipulated consciousness and obliterated freedoms. [Introduction of main theme] The exploration of language manipulation, the concept of doublethink, and the pervasive presence of Big Brother exemplify Orwell’s portrayal of the dangerous potential of absolute power to manipulate reality and alter citizens’ perceptions of truth and morality. [Key themes & concepts] The novel’s relevance in today’s digital age is undeniable, with increasing surveillance technology and the proliferation of ‘fake news’ raising urgent questions about privacy, truth, and the power of political manipulation. [Contemporary relevance] More than a mere work of fiction, ‘1984’ serves as a chilling prophecy and stark reminder of the importance of critical thinking, freedom of expression, and individual autonomy. As we delve deeper into an era marked by digital surveillance and data manipulation, Orwell’s ‘1984’ remains a necessary critique and potent warning, underscoring the need for constant vigilance and resistance against any threats to our freedoms. [Conclusion & broader implications] ”

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The Definitive Guide to Analysing ‘1984’ for English: Summary, Context, Themes & Characters

Newspeak? Doublethink? What do all of these words mean? If you need help analysing 1984 by George Orwell, you’ve come to the right place — we’ve got all you need to know with a summary, list of key characters, themes and a 3-step essay analysis guide!

We’ve even got an analysis table and a sample paragraph that’s all free for you to download on 1984.

So, let’s throw back into 1984 (the fictional one of course)! 

1984 by George Orwell Summary & Key Messages Key Characters in 1984 Context Themes Explored in 1984 Essay Analysis of 1984

1984 by George Orwell Summary & Key Messages

The politics of oceania.

1984 belongs in the dystopian, science fiction genre as it explores the dangers of corrupted power under a totalitarian regime. Totalitarianism is a government system that dictates how its citizens think, behave and act by constantly keeping an eye on them and carrying out punishments for those who don’t obey. Sounds strict, hey? 

Sadly, this is the life of our protagonist, Winston Smith. Winston lives in a nation that resembles London in Oceania, which has been in a war with Eurasia and Eastasia since forever but no one really knows what the war is about. This is because the Party controls its people through rewriting history in the Ministry of Truth, where Winston edits historical records as part of his job.

The Party also invented a new language called “Newspeak” , which eliminates any words associated with rebellion to ensure full subservience of their nation. 

Wherever Winston goes, he is bombarded with posters of their omnipresent leader, Big Brother. There are also hidden cameras and microphones that are implanted everywhere by the thought police to monitor every move of its citizens.

It’s a scary place because if you do or say anything wrong, the thought police will capture you and force you into lifelong labour . In this world, people cannot have close friends, cannot date whoever they want and cannot have intimate relationships.

Instead, the people pent up these emotions and channel them into aggressive patriotism for their government which are expressed in two minute hate rallies. 

The Start of Winston’s Rebellion

Winston has had enough of the Party and its strict control. He purchases an illegal diary to commit crimethink, where he expresses his own thoughts and feelings about the Party through writing. He also writes about his interest in O’Brien, a member of the Inner Party who he believes could be part of the underground rebellion group called the Brotherhood. 

Access 1984 Downloadable Sample Paragraph and Examples of Analysis

Winston’s and Julia’s Relationship

At work, Winston realises that his historical records were not aligning with his memories . He notices Julia, a young beautiful girl staring at him, and he is afraid that she will turn him into the “thought police”.

However, Julia passes him a note that says “I love you” and they start an affair. 

O’Brien’s Betrayal 

As their relationship grows more seriously, so does Winston’s hatred for the Party. He and Julia decided to reveal their rebellion to O’Brien, who also appeared to be on their side .

O’Brien welcomes them into the Brotherhood and passed Winston a copy of Emmanuel Goldstein’s book. As Winston starts reading the book, the thought police charge in, arrest Winston and Julia and bring them to the Ministry of Love. Turns out, O’Brien is a snake. 

The Party Tortures Winston

At the Ministry of Love, Winston is tortured mercilessly and this makes him confess everything he knows about Julia and the rebellion .

It is then revealed that the government carries out these acts to exercise total power and control over the people of Oceania, to the extent where people not only do things out of fear, but genuinely believe in what they are doing even if it doesn’t make sense.

Winston’s Loss of Individuality

In Room 101, Winston experiences a true Fear Factor episode. The thought police threaten Winston with his ultimate fear, rats that would eat his face off. This caused Winston to scream “Do it to Julia, not me!”, which represents his betrayal to the only person that held value to him.

After this, the thought police let both Winston and Julia go, but the two ex-lovers can no longer look at each other face to face as they are both broken inside. Winston becomes a changed man who does not want to think about rebelling and instead becomes highly supportive of the Party and Big Brother. 

Key Characters in 1984

Winston Smith  The main protagonist who works under the Ministry of Truth in London, Oceania. His appearance is frail, pensive and intelligent. He hates the Party and its totalitarian system with a desire to revolutionise his current political situation. He can be emotional and idealistic with his goals. 

Julia  A beautiful young girl who is Winston’s love interest. Julia is sex-positive with an optimistic attitude about the future of the Party. She represents parts of humanity that Winston lacks, such as passive survival, intimacy, intuition and pragmatism. 

O’Brien  A mysterious leader of the Inner Party who Winston trusts as Winston believes that O’Brien is a member of the legendary rebellion group, the Brotherhood. It is revealed later in the novel that O’Brien is a leader of The Party who has been keeping a close eye on Winston. His betrayal launches us into the inner mechanisms of The Party and its totalitarian rule. O’Brien’s character parallels that of famous dictators in modern history such as Stalin and Hitler, as he is determined to indoctrinate Winston in the name of “purity.” 

Big Brother  Have you watched the show Big Brother? His character in the show is almost the same as in 1984, except a lot more controlling. In 1984, Big Brother is the most dominating figure in Oceania as he is perceived to be the ruler, although Orwell does not specify whether he really exists or not. Big Brother’s face is plastered among posters, coins and telescreens with the slogan “BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU” so it’s impossible to avoid him anywhere. 

Emmanuel Goldstein As the leader of the legendary group of rebels called the Brotherhood, Emmanuel Goldstein is the opposing figure of Big Brother. Although he never appears in the novel, he has had a profound impact on Winston’s hope for the future. He is the most dangerous man in Oceania, according to the Party.  

Context in 1984

To understand 1984’s context, we must first understand the author’s personal background to craft a well thought-out essay analysis. This is because the author’s personal and historical experiences do shape the novel and its themes. So, let’s start with Orwell’s schooling days.

If you ever felt suppressed at school, Orwell can definitely relate with you on that. As a “lower-upper-middle class”, Orwell didn’t fit in with his peers and was upset with the restricted routine that schools impose on their students.

He then went on to become a British Imperial Policeman in Burma where he hated his job as he had to execute strict laws under a political system he didn’t like. After this, he moved to England and became a full-time writer. 

Orwell experienced poverty for awhile, and even lived as a coal miner in northern England which caused him to shift from capitalist ideals to democratic socialism. Here are the simplified definitions of the political concepts that influenced Orwell’s beliefs and 1984’s themes: 

• Capitalism: An economic system where property is owned and controlled by private actors, rather than by state. As such individuals can control how much they set their prices, instead of leaving it to the government to dictate. 
• Democratic Socialism: Unlike capitalism, democratic socialism is an economic system whereby property and products are owned and controlled by the entire society, alongside governments. So, the main difference here is that governments have a say in trade whereas in capitalism, governments do not interfere with private owner’s business. 

Orwell was also concerned with the rise of Thatcherism. 

In the year 1936, Orwell fought as a socialist in the Spanish Civil War during World War II, where he became familiar with totalitarian systems that are under leaders such as Hitler and Stalin. Although Orwell was passionate about socialism at first, he soon became disillusioned and disappointed with its ideals as Stalin used communism as the foundation of his authoritarian system. 

Stalin of the Soviet Union was also an important influence in shaping 1984’s totalitarian regime of Oceania, as Stalin used secret police to force confessions out of enemies through torture alike how the Ministry of Love did with Winston . Like the Party, the Soviet Union also tampered with physical records of people as they imprison and/or eliminate millions of lives. 

With the rise of the nuclear age and television in 1949, Orwell envisioned a future where everyone would always be monitored through screens in a post-atomic dictatorship . This became a fear that was highly possible when speculated thirty five years into the future. 

But as we all know, this did not become true. In the early 1990s, the Cold War ended with the triumph of democracy, as signified by the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Even so, Orwell’s 1984 still serves as a precautionary tale against the corruption and abuse of totalitarian regimes, along with a profound insight into the use of language and history to manipulate one’s individuality.  

Want more information on George Orwell? Take a look at this biography found via the Orwell Foundation page!

Themes Explored in 1984

To help you get started on your thesis or topic sentence , here are three key themes from 1984 that you can write about in your essay analysis !

The Consequences of Totalitarianism

After experiencing the violence and corruption of totalitarian regimes in Spain and Russia, Orwell wrote 1984 as a warning about the dangers of an authoritarian regime where the government holds the most power. As such, the Party in 1984 administered extreme methods of physical and psychological manipulation to enforce total submission of its people. 

Physical control by the Party includes total surveillance of its people to the extent where even a twitch in the face can be enough to warrant an arrest. Morning exercises, called Physical Jerks, are also carried out before long hours at work to tire people out so they don’t have the energy to think beyond the Party’s propaganda. 

The Party also uses physical torture to “re-educate” and punish those who rebel against them. It is this physical pain that causes Winston to lose his own individuality and moral beliefs, allowing the Party to infiltrate his mind and dictate his sense of reality. 

Meanwhile, the Party also uses psychological tactics to saturate the individual’s mind with propaganda and disable its ability for independent thinking. On top of watching everyone everywhere, the telescreens are also used to indoctrinate (ie. brainwash) people into supporting the Party despite its flaws.

The telescreens also perpetuate slogans such as “BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU” , to remind people that their government is always watching their back so they better behave according to the Party’s standards. 

The Party also deems close friendships and conversations with others illegal. So, if you’re itching to spill the tea, your only method of venting your emotions out is through pep rallies, where the Party encourages you to show extreme expressions of hatred to its political enemies. Ultimately, this allows the Party to dictate how and where you should express your emotions, keeping you from expressing your individual feelings, thoughts and opinions. 

Here are some quotes that illustrate the perils of totalitarianism: 

The Power of Language to Liberate and Control 

In 1984, language has the dual capacity to both restrain and facilitate individual expression. This is another key message that Orwell imparts, as he highlights how language can either promote or limit ideas which influence our beliefs, behaviour and identity. 

The Party uses Newspeak as a way of controlling the language that its people speak, which in turn dictates the people’s thoughts, actions and personalities (or lack thereof).

By eliminating words that are associated with rebellious thoughts, the Party essentially removes the people’s ability to think of resistance because there are no words to conceive it. With continual edits with Newspeak, the Party inches a step closer to their ultimate goal of total coercion from their people.

Yet, in Winston’s case, he uses language as a vehicle of self-expression as he purchases a diary for himself and writes his everyday thoughts, opinions and feelings into it . By writing in his own words, he is able to build himself an identity with his own passions, goals and perspective.

Sadly, in a world where the government overrules individual expression, Winston’s use of language dwindles, though it is encouraging to see how language can still work to preserve independent thought.

Here are three quotes that can help you get started on this theme: 

The Importance of Preserving Our Identity and Individualism

What happens if we lose everything that defines us as us? 

1984 truly delves into this scary concept as the Party removes everyone’s personal details so they are not able to establish their own identity. For example, even Winston does not know his own age, who his real parents are nor can he trust his own childhood memories as there are no photographs or evidences to help him differentiate between reality and imagination. 

Aside from Winston, the rest of Oceania are also denied documents that could give them a sense of individuality and help them differentiate themselves from others . This causes their memories to grow fuzzy, thus making the people of Oceania vulnerable and dependent on the stories that the Party tells them.

In turn, by controlling the present, the Party can re-engineer the past. Simultaneously, by controlling the past, the Party can rationalise its shortcomings and project a perfect government that is far from the truth. 

With no recollection of the past, the people of Oceania can no longer stay in touch with their real identities and instead, become identical as they wear the same uniform, drink the same brand of alcohol and more. Yet, Winston builds his own sense of identity through recording his thoughts, experiences and emotions in his diary. This act along with his relationship with Julia symbolises Winston’s declaration of his own independence and identity as a rebel who disagrees with the Party’s system. 

Despite this, Winston’s own sense of individuality and identity dissolves after his torturous experience at the Ministry of Love, which transforms him into another member of the Outer Party who blends into the crowd. By asserting a dark vision of humanity’s individualism, Orwell urges audiences in the present to truly value their freedom to express and preserve their identity. 

Here are some quotes that are related to this idea which you may find helpful:

Of course, 1984 also includes other themes that you may be thinking about writing analysis for, such as: 

• Rebellion and Patriotism 
• Active versus Passive Survival 
• The Corrupt Use of Technology

Check out our recommended related text for 1984 .

Essay Analysis: How to Analyse 1984 in 3 Steps

Analysing your text is always the first step to writing an amazing essay! Lots of students make the mistake of jumping right into writing without really understanding what the text is about.

This leads to arguments that only skim the surface of the complex ideas, techniques and elements of the text. So, let’s build a comprehensive thesis through an in-depth analysis of the 1984. 

Here are three easy steps that you can use to analyse 1984 and really impress your English teachers!

Step 1: Select your example(s)

1984 is a world of its own with its totalitarian systems, use of foreign words and more. So, we totally understand if you’re feeling lost and don’t know where to begin. 

Our piece of advice is to look for examples that come with a technique. Techniques offer you a chance to delve into the text’s underlying meaning, which would help you deepen your analysis and enrich your essay writing. 

Find our extensive list of quotes from 1984 by George Orwell!

Here are two quotes that relate to consequences of totalitarian power, which we have picked to help you visualise which examples can provide a deeper meaning: 

“Big Brother is Watching You.”  “WAR IS PEACE FREEDOM IS SLAVERY IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH” 

Step 2: Identify your technique(s)

Getting a good grade in English is more than listing out every technique that you can find in the text. Instead, it’s about finding techniques that allow you to dive deeper into the themes you’re focussing on, while also supporting your argument. 

Try to look for techniques that allow you to explain its effects and link to your argument such as symbols, metaphors, connotations, similes and historical allegories . In Orwell’s case, he uses a lot of language techniques such as neologism, where he makes up his own words such as “Doublethink” or “Newspeak”. 

For the two quotes above, its three techniques include historical allusion, rhetoric and oxymoron. 

If possible, you can look out for a quote that encompasses a few techniques to really pack a punch in your analysis. 

Step 3: Write the analysis

Once you’re done collecting your examples and techniques, the next part is writing. You must remember to explain what the effect of the technique is and how it supports your argument. Otherwise, it’s not going to be a cohesive essay if you’re just listing out techniques. 

An example of listing out techniques looks like this: 

“The rhetoric “Big Brother is Watching You” is also a historical allusion while “War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery and Ignorance is Strength” is oxymoronic.”

Instead, you must elaborate on how each of these techniques link to your argument. 

“Big Brother is Watching You” is a rhetoric imposed by the Party to instil psychological fear and submission of the people of Oceania, whereby Orwell uses to warn the dangers of totalitarianism. “Big Brother” is also a historical allusion to Hitler to remind the audience that 1984 is not entirely fictional but a possible future of our reality, urging us to take action against totalitarian regimes with the autonomy we have now. 

Meanwhile, the slogan ““WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH” represents the oxymoronic mentalities that have been indoctrinated into the people of Oceania, highlighting how totalitarian regimes would force its people to think whatever they want their people to think, no matter how illogical it is. 

Together, your analysis should look something like: 

The Party perpetuates the rhetoric, “Big Brother is Watching You” to instil psychological fear and coercion of the the people of Oceania, which forewarns a lack of individual freedom and private reflection within authoritarian regimes. As “Big Brother” is a historical allusion to Hitler, Orwell reminds the audience that 1984 and its extremist politics is a reality, urging us to defend our independence before it’s forbidden. Furthermore, the slogan “War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength” embodies the oxymoronic mentalities that the Party indoctrinates into its people, revealing the extreme extent of psychological control an authoritarian regime strives to ensure their power is never questioned, no matter how irrational it is.

Need some help with your essay analysis of other texts aside from 1984?

Check out other texts we’ve created guides for below:

• Romeo and Juliet
• Run Lola Run
• The Meursault Investigation
• In Cold Blood
• To Kill a Mockingbird
• The Book Thief
• The Tempest
• Blade Runner
• Things Fall Apart
• Mrs Dalloway

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A Summary and Analysis of George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four , completed in 1948 and published a year later, is a classic example of dystopian fiction. Indeed, it’s surely the most famous dystopian novel in the world, even if its ideas are known by far more people than have actually read it. (According to at least one survey , Nineteen Eighty-Four is the book people most often claim to have read when they haven’t.)

Like many novels that are more known about than are carefully read and analysed, Nineteen Eighty-Four is actually a more complex work than the label ‘nightmare dystopian vision’ can convey. Before we offer an analysis of the novel’s themes and origins, let’s briefly recap the plot.

Nineteen Eighty-Four : plot summary

In the year 1984, Britain has been renamed Airstrip One and is a province of Oceania, a vast totalitarian superstate ruled by ‘the Party’, whose politics are described as Ingsoc (‘English Socialism’). Big Brother is the leader of the Party, which keeps its citizens in a perpetual state of fear and submission through a variety of means.

Surveillance is a key part of the novel’s world, with hidden microphones (which are found in the countryside as well as urban areas, and can identify not only what is said but also who says it) and two-way telescreen monitors being used to root out any dissidents, who disappear from society with all trace of their existence wiped out.

They become, in the language of Newspeak (the language used by people in the novel), ‘unpersons’. People are short of food, perpetually on the brink of starvation, and going about in fear for their lives.

The novel’s setting is London, where Trafalgar Square has been renamed Victory Square and the statue of Horatio Nelson atop Nelson’s Column has been replaced by one of Big Brother. Through such touches, Orwell defamiliarises the London of the 1940s which the original readers would have recognised, showing how the London they know might be transformed under a totalitarian regime.

The novel’s protagonist is Winston Smith, who works at the Ministry of Truth, rewriting historical records so they are consistent with the state’s latest version of history. However, even though his day job involves doing the work of the Party, Winston longs to escape the oppressive control of the Party, hoping for a rebellion.

Winston meets the owner of an antique shop named Mr Charrington, from whom he buys a diary in which he can record his true feelings towards the Party. Believing the working-class ‘proles’ are the key to a revolution, Winston visits them, but is disappointed to find them wholly lacking in any political understanding.

Meanwhile, hearing of the existence of an underground resistance movement known as the Brotherhood – which has been formed by the rival of Big Brother, a man named Emmanuel Goldstein – Winston suspects that O’Brien, who also works with him, is involved with this resistance.

At lunch with another colleague, named Syme, Winston learns that the English language is being rewritten as Newspeak so as to control and influence people’s thought, the idea being that if the word for an idea doesn’t exist in the language, people will be unable to think about it.

Winston meets a woman named Julia who works for the Ministry of Truth, maintaining novel-writing machines, but believes she is a Party spy sent to watch him. But then Julia passes a clandestine love message to him and the two begin an affair – which is itself illicit since the Party decrees that sex is for reproduction alone, rather than pleasure.

We gradually learn more about Winston’s past, including his marriage to Katherine, from whom he is now separated. Syme, who had been working on Newspeak, disappears in mysterious circumstances: something Winston had predicted.

O’Brien invites Winston to his flat, declaring himself – as Winston had also predicted – a member of the Brotherhood, the resistance against the Party. He gives Winston a copy of the book written by Goldstein, the leader of the Brotherhood.

When Oceania’s enemy changes during the ritual Hate Week, Winston is tasked with making further historical revisions to old newspapers and documents to reflect this change.

Meanwhile, Winston and Julia secretly read Goldstein’s book, which explains how the Party maintains its totalitarian power. As Winston had suspected, the secret to overthrowing the Party lies in the vast mass of the population known as the ‘proles’ (derived from ‘proletarian’, Marx’s term for the working classes). It argues that the Party can be overthrown if proles rise up against it.

But shortly after this, Winston and Julia are arrested, having been shopped to the authorities by Mr Charrington (whose flat above his shop they had been using for their illicit meetings). It turns out that both he and O’Brien work for the Thought Police, on behalf of the Party.

At the Ministry of Love, O’Brien tells Winston that Goldstein’s book was actually written by him and other Party members, and that the Brotherhood may not even exist. Winston endures torture and starvation in an attempt to grind him down so he will accept Big Brother.

In Room 101, a room in which a prisoner is exposed to their greatest fear, Winston is placed in front of a wire cage containing rats, which he fears above all else. Winston betrays Julia, wishing she could take his place and endure this suffering instead.

His reprogramming complete, Winston is allowed to go free, but he is essentially living under a death sentence: he knows that one day he will be summoned by the authorities and shot for his former treachery.

He meets Julia one day, and learns that she was subjected to torture at the Ministry of Love as well. They have both betrayed each other, and part ways. The novel ends with Winston accepting, after all, that the Party has won and that ‘he loved Big Brother.’

Nineteen Eighty-Four : analysis

Nineteen Eighty-Four is probably the most famous novel about totalitarianism, and about the dangers of allowing a one-party state where democracy, freedom of movement, freedom of speech, and even freedom of thought are all outlawed. The novel is often analysed as a warning about the dangers of allowing a creeping totalitarianism into Britain, after the horrors of such regimes in the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, and elsewhere had been witnessed.

Because of this quality of the book, it is often called ‘prophetic’ and a ‘nightmare vision of the future’, among other things.

However, books set in the future are rarely simply about the future. They are not mere speculation, but are grounded in the circumstances in which they were written.

Indeed, we might go so far as to say that most dystopian novels, whilst nominally set in an imagined future, are really using their future setting to reflect on what are already firmly established social or political ideas. In the case of Orwell and Nineteen Eighty-Four , this means the novel reflects the London of the 1940s.

By the time he came to write the novel, Orwell already had a long-standing interest in using his writing to highlight the horrors of totalitarianism around the world, especially following his experience fighting in the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s. As Orwell put it in his essay ‘ Why I Write ’, all of his serious work written since 1936 was written ‘ against totalitarianism and for democratic socialism’.

In his analysis of Nineteen Eighty-Four in his study of Orwell, George Orwell (Reader’s Guides) , Jeffrey Meyers argues convincingly that, rather than being a nightmare vision of the future, a prophetic or speculative work, Orwell’s novel is actually a ‘realistic synthesis and rearrangement of familiar materials’ – indeed, as much of Orwell’s best work is.

His talent lay not in original imaginative thinking but in clear-headed critical analysis of things as they are: his essays are a prime example of this. Nineteen Eighty-Four is, in Meyer’s words, ‘realistic rather than fantastic’.

Indeed, Orwell himself stated that although the novel was ‘in a sense a fantasy’, it is written in the form of the naturalistic novel, with its themes and ideas having been already ‘partly realised in Communism and fascism’. Orwell’s intention, as stated by Orwell himself, was to take the totalitarian ideas that had ‘taken root’ in the minds of intellectuals all over Europe, and draw them out ‘to their logical consequences’.

Like much classic speculative fiction – the novels and stories of J. G. Ballard offer another example – the futuristic vision of the author is more a reflection of contemporary anxieties and concerns. Meyers goes so far as to argue that Nineteen Eighty-Four is actually the political regimes of Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia ‘transposed’ into London of the early 1940s, during the Second World War.

Certainly, many of the most famous features of Nineteen Eighty-Four were suggested to Orwell by his time working at the BBC in London in the first half of the 1940s: it is well-known that the Ministry of Truth was based on the bureaucratic BBC with its propaganda department, while the infamous Room 101 was supposedly named after a room of that number in the BBC building, in which Orwell had to endure tedious meetings.

The technology of the novel, too, was familiar by the 1940s, involving little innovation or leaps of imagination from Orwell (‘telescreens’ being a natural extension of the television set: BBC TV had been established in 1936, although the Second World War pushed back its development somewhat).

Orwell learned much about the workings of Stalinism from reading Trotsky’s The Revolution Betrayed (1937), written by one of the leading figures in the Russian Revolution of 1917 who saw Stalinist Russia as the antithesis of what Trotsky, Lenin, and those early revolutionaries had been striving to achieve. (This would also be important for Orwell’s Animal Farm , of course.)

And indeed, many of the details surrounding censorship – the rewriting of history, the suppression of dissident literature, the control of the language people use to express themselves and even to think in – were also derived from Orwell’s reading of life in Soviet Russia. Surveillance was also a key element of the Stalinist regime, as in other Communist countries in Europe.

The moustachioed figure of Big Brother in Nineteen Eighty-Four recalls nobody so much as Josef Stalin himself. Not only the ideas of ‘thought crime’ and ‘thought police’, but even the terms themselves, predate Orwell’s use of them: they were first recorded in a 1934 book about Japan.

One of the key questions Winston asks himself in Nineteen Eighty-Four is what the Party is trying to achieve. O’Brien’s answer is simple: the maintaining of power for its own sake. Many human beings want to control other human beings, and they can persuade a worrying number of people to go along with their plans and even actively support them.

Despite the fact that they are starving and living a miserable life, many of the people in Airstrip One love Big Brother, viewing him not as a tyrannical dictator but as their ‘Saviour’ (as one woman calls him). Again, this detail was taken from accounts of Stalin, who was revered by many Russians even though they were often living a wretched life under his rule.

Another key theme of Orwell’s novel is the relationship between language and thought. In our era of fake news and corrupt media, this has only become even more pronounced: if you lie to a population and confuse them enough, you can control them. O’Brien introduces Winston to the work of the traitor to the Party, Emmanuel Goldstein, only to tell him later that Goldstein may not exist and his book was actually written by the Party.

Is this the lie, or was the book the lie? One of the most famous lines from the novel is Winston’s note to himself in his diary: ‘Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows.’

But later, O’Brien will force Winston to ‘admit’ that two plus two can make five. Orwell tells us, ‘The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears.’

Or as Voltaire once wrote, ‘Truly, whoever is able to make you absurd is able to make you unjust.’ Forcing somebody to utter blatant falsehoods is a powerful psychological tool for totalitarian regimes because through doing so, they have chipped away at your moral and intellectual integrity.

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4 thoughts on “A Summary and Analysis of George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four”

1984 is a novel which is great in spite of itself and has been lionised for the wrong reasons. The title of the novel is a simple anagram of 1948, the date when the novel was written, and was driven by Orwell’s paranoia about the 1945 Labour government in UK. Orwell, a public school man, had built a reputation for hiself in the nineteen thirties as a socialist writer, and had fought for socialism in the Spanish civil war. The Road To Wigan Pier is an excellent polemic attacking the way the UK government was handling the mass unemployment of the time, reducing workers to a state of near starvation. In Homage To Catalonia, Orwell describes his experiences fighting with a small Marxist militia against Franco’s fascists. It was in Spain that Orwell developed his lifelong hatred of Stalinism, observing that the Communist contingents were more interested in suppressing other left-wing factions than in defeating Franco. The 1945 Labour government ws Britain’s first democratically elected socialist governement. It successfully established the welfare state and the National Health Service in a country almost bankrupted by the war, and despite the fact that Truman in USA was demanding the punctual repayment of wartime loans. Instead of rejoicing, Orwell, by now terminally ill from tuberculosis, saw the necessary continuation of wartime austerity and rationing as a deliberate and unnecessary imposition. Consequently, the book is often used as propaganda against socialism. The virtues of the book are the warnings about the dangers of giving the state too much power, in the form of electronic surveillance, ehanced police powers, intrusive laws, and the insidious use of political propaganda to warp peoples’ thinking. All of this has come to pass in the West as well as the East, but because of the overtly anticommunist spin to Orwell’s novel, most people fail to get its important message..

As with other work here, another good review. I’m also fascinated that Orwell located the government as prime problem, whereas Huxley located the people as prime problem, two sides of the same coin.

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How to write a song title in an essay, wonder summary, “1984” by george orwell essay sample, example.

“ 1984 ” is a novel about totalitarianism and the fate of a single man who tried to escape from an overwhelming political regime. The book was written by the British writer and journalist George Orwell in 1948 and had the Soviet Union as a prototype of the social structure described in it.

Events in the book take place in London, a capital of Airstrip One, which is a province of the state of Oceania. The year is 1984, and the world is engaged in an endless omnipresent war. The political regime called Ingsoc (a misspelled abbreviation for English Socialism) constantly seeks out ways to control the minds and private lives of its citizens. The regime is run by the Party, headed by a half mythical Big Brother. The main protagonist of the novel is Winston Smith, an editor in the Ministry of Truth, which is responsible for propaganda. He has doubts about imposed dogmas that are shared by the majority, and at heart, he hates the Party and the Big Brother.

Winston buys a thick notebook where he writes down his thoughts about the reality that surrounds him. In his world, each step of the individual is controlled by the Thought Police, whose main function is to punish people who think differently from what is contained in the official propaganda. Everyone reports on each other, and even children are taught and encouraged to denounce their parents. Winston knows he commits a crime when he denies the Party’s slogan: “War is Peace. Slavery is Freedom. Ignorance is Strength,” but still he writes in his diary: “Down with the Big Brother.”

At work, Winston recalls recent “Two Minutes Hate” periods of time, when all Party members must gather in special rooms where they watch a short film about Emmanuel Goldstein, the former leader of the Party, who betrayed it and organized the underground movement called the Brotherhood. People are obliged to express hatred towards Goldstein’s image on the screen. During one of these periods, Winston fixates on O’Brien—a member of the most powerful Inner Party. For some reason, Winston imagines that O’Brien could be one of the leaders of the Brotherhood. He wants to talk to him, and he even has a dream in which O’Brien’s voice says: “We shall meet at the place where there is no darkness.”

After the Two Minutes Hate, he received a note from a girl named Julia that reads “I love you.” Julia is a member of the Anti-Sex League, so at first, Winston treats her with mistrust, and he even considers her to be a member of the Thought Police. However, she manages to prove to him that she hates the Party too and they start a love affair. It brings Winston to the thought that they are both doomed, because free romantic relationships between a man and a woman are prohibited. Julia is more optimistic about their situation, because she simply lives in the present moment and does not think about the future. They meet in an old second-hand shop in the Prols’ district—a place where people who have not yet joined the Party life. They seem to be more free and light-hearted than the rest of Airstrip’s One population.

Eventually, Winston and Julia get arrested. They are held separately, tortured, and interrogated. Winston is beaten by jailers and he is forced to confess to various crimes, legitimate and fictional. But still, the physical pain is nothing for him compared to the shock that he experiences when he meets O’Brien and finds that he is a loyal servant of the Big Brother. O’Brien uses a special device that causes incredible pain to “re-educate” Winston, make him love the Big Brother and adopt all the Party’s false dogmas. Winston resists and he declares that despite the fact that, under torture, he has betrayed everything he valued and believed in, there is one person that he is still devoted to: Julia. But here, Orwell depicts the Party’s endless possibilities to monitor the thoughts of each citizen in Oceania. The Party knows exactly what Winston fears most, though it is a secret for Winston himself. O’Brien puts a swarm of rats in front of his victim’s face and, driven to panic and horror, Winston finally cries: “Do it to Julia! Do it to Julia! Not me! Julia! I don’t care what you do to her. Tear her face off and strip her to the bones. Not me! Julia! Not me!”

The novel ends with a description of how Winston is sitting in a cafe, drinking gin. Sometimes he meets Julia occasionally, but they dislike each other now because they know that both of them are traitors. Winston looks at the screen, where an announcer gladly informs everyone that Oceania has won the recent war, and he understands that he now loves the Big Brother. The system managed to break and completely remake Winston.

Orwell, George. 1984 . London: Penguin Books Limited, 2005. Print.

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Introduction of 1984

Summary of 1984, major themes in 1984, major characters in 1984, writing style 1984‎, analysis of literary devices in 1984, related posts:, post navigation.

1984 by George Orwell Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Social Impact

Doublespeak in our current social setting, position of citizens, works cited.

In his 1984 writing, Orwell (p.10) indicates how the societies fight to archive utopianism. There are high hopes that the current settings of the twenty-first century and the predictable future of governance will be sustainable and responsible especially on issues of cultural identity and preservation.

As predicted in ‘1984’ by Orwell (p.10), the current major threat to humanity is lack of enough support for local uniqueness and distinctiveness. People have not yet embraced the need for cultural enrichment in their day-today lifestyles. According to him (p.2), the future holds possibilities for more personal, meaningful and understandable relationship or the need to understand the social cultural settings in a better way. Utopia destiny is a collection of ideas for a sustainable future.

Orwell (p.12), sparks ideas that are more creative and that inspire ambitions for better lifestyles and techniques of governance. Human lifestyle will need less governance by rules and more enhancement of behaviour, unlike the past when people did not exhibit thoughts. This is well depicted from the character of Watson who was an official, whose role was diminished by the totalitarian rule at airstrip one. The situation at England forces Watson to confine personal thoughts to private writings, away from the telescreen (Orwell, p.3).

Most of current work-tools such as the television, surveillance webcams, cell phones and listening appliances relate to the telescreen due to easy manipulation and ability to preach propaganda. These unnecessary political wrangles make officials to behave in a definite and similar manner of thoughts and actions. The type of governance in his writing tries to limit information from publicity, just like the current government. The public in certainly not sure of the way government officials utilize fund allocations.

The government often conceal the required transparency, and citizens never know what the head of state does every day due to limited form of communication. There is however some improvements due to the media freedom thus the reason why we are able to know majority of the details that can affect governance such a good example was the Lewinsky-Clinton incident in the white house.

Recording of thought by state officials such as Watson was a critical crime according to 1984 by Orwell (p.2). Comparatively, the officials fail to reveal information, because they are in accord with reasons and service to the “Big Brother” who in this case is the government Orwell (p.19). The twenty first century government want similar situations where those involved stand in accord with one objective.

Revealing of career-disparaging information is also questionable in majority of the current government systems. There is a close connection between the behaviours of 1984 governance and the current one, since people have to follow defined procedures. They are possibly not as harsh as those of the twenty-first century are but when we break laws, the consequences for our actions are still unsympathetic.

The restrictions as shown in the 1984 by Orwell (p.37), indicates that people were restricted to speaking in the workforce since this would be social interactions. Social interaction is also a prohibited practice in majority of the workforce today. The workplace is not a social situate but a work setting. We can consider the way of life from Orwell writing as despicably over-harshness, but it is very similar to how we act today. Order and efficiency requirement for are common to all social settings.

One of the key reasons why earlier and current governance styles find it necessary to engage doublespeak, is because it is a natural way of realizing slavery into the systems and where total surveillance in put into practice.

As Orwell (p.4), puts it, the character Watson works for the government as a propaganda asset whose task is to alter information in support of government actions or claims and still believe in the truth of those claims. Today people still respond instinctively with a similar concept or logic of doublespeak.

Doublespeak is not a confine in the text of Orwell, but is an evident part of our society as well. Good examples include our government fight for peace. U.S. government engagement in war with Iraq on March 19 th 2003, due to the assertion by the Bush Administration that Iraq was in violation of some U.N. Security Councils Resolutions among them being in possession of weapons of mass destruction seem ridiculous (Bush, p.1) .

It is not possible to fight in order to enhance peace. Fighting stands in the way of peace and therefore current peacekeeping forces resembles the classical use of doublespeak where Orwell (p.4), bring in the name of ministry of peace in the writing. Arguably, today and future prospective consists of doublespeak in action rather than verbalize. Is our government really concern with the welfare of citizens through defence and need for peace, or is hiding the concept of invasion and attack in their undertakings?

Orwell (p.5) presents the patriot act in his writing where citizens are required to forsake freedom, which the government alleges to protect and freedom. The concept is outrageous and lacks meaning. Relinquishing basic human rights to gain freedom is doublespeak. The Orwell’s indication (p.4), that “War is peace, freedom is slavery and ignorance is strength” is total doublespeak.

Almost every religion preaches peace and prohibits violence. If our religious practices were for the love of neighbourliness, then it is doublespeak to consider a holy conflict.

Bush, George. “ Remarks on Iraq.” National Assembly, 2003. Web.

Orwell, George. “ 1984 .” New York, NY: Signet Classic Publishers. 1977. Web.

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IvyPanda. (2018, July 13). 1984 by George Orwell. https://ivypanda.com/essays/1984-by-george-orwell/

"1984 by George Orwell." IvyPanda , 13 July 2018, ivypanda.com/essays/1984-by-george-orwell/.

IvyPanda . (2018) '1984 by George Orwell'. 13 July.

IvyPanda . 2018. "1984 by George Orwell." July 13, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/1984-by-george-orwell/.

1. IvyPanda . "1984 by George Orwell." July 13, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/1984-by-george-orwell/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "1984 by George Orwell." July 13, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/1984-by-george-orwell/.

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George Orwell’s “1984” Analysis

Introduction / thesis, analytical part.

• Bibliography:

Ever since George Orwell’s famous novel “1984” has been published in 1949, its semiotic significance was being discussed from a variety of political and sociological perspectives, with most literary critics concluding that “1984” was meant to increase people’s awareness as to the sheer wickedness of Communism, as a political doctrine. In his article “Utopia, Dystopia, and the Middle Class in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four”, Robert Paul Resch states: “Both admirers and detractors alike have tended to assume Orwell’s notion of totalitarianism to be straightforward and thus unworthy of any particular theoretical reflection” (1997, 138). However, this Orwell’s novel is not being concerned with the discussion of totalitarianism’s evils as much as it is being concerned with exposing what happens when society’s functioning gets to be adjusted to correspond to purely utopian theories that actively deny people their right to be endowed with natural instincts.

Therefore, we can say that “1984” does not only contain many ideological but also philosophical implications, which explains the fact that Orwell’s insight onto the very essence of totalitarianism remains fully valid even today, especially given the fact that the oppressive ideology of political correctness is now being forcibly imposed upon citizens of Western countries despite their will, as we speak. In this paper we will aim at exploring this thesis even further, while bringing readers’ attention to the fact that if self-appointed “experts on tolerance” are going to be allowed to proceed with their agenda of suppressing the truth, the horrors of “1984” will come to reality in very near future.

One of the most memorable aspects of Orwell’s anti-utopia is the fact that in it, author was able to predict the emergence of truly effective totalitarianism as such that would be closely associated with the invention of a new language “newspeak”, designed to serve the needs of a ruling party, while depriving ordinary citizens of even a hypothetical possibility to express their contempt with surrounding reality: “Whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought. In the end we shall make thought crime literally impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it” (Orwell, 22). And, as we are all well aware of – nowadays, the hawks of political correctness apply a great amount of effort in trying to convince people that under no circumstances should they be resorting to utilization of emotionally charged words, due to these words’ often offensive connotation.

In his article “The Age of Newspeak”, Lee Congdon points out to the fact that Orwell’s “newspeak” is actually the part of today’s politically correct realities: “Although some Americans dismiss “political correctness” as an aberration, its purveyors have succeeded in replacing standard English with a form of “newspeak”… Universities have attempted to impose speech codes in order to outlaw language that makes some students “uncomfortable” or that contradicts doctrines that, because they are difficult to defend in argument, must be insulated from criticism” (2002). Nowadays, the promoters’ of “tolerance” willingness to alter English language often assumes truly comical subtleties. For example, according to neo-Liberal whackos in governmental offices, the children’s fairy tale about Snow White and Seven Dwarfs should be referred to as “The Story and Seven Vertically Challenged Males and one Caucasian Female”.

Yet, there is nothing funny about these people’s intention to act as thought police’s officials. Whatever the improbable it might sound, but they seriously believe that there is no existential difference between the representatives of opposite genders, which in its turn, causes them to actively strive to undermine the very concept of gender differentiation. As of today, men try not to even look at women while in the same elevator, for example, simply because they are being utterly terrified of a prospect of losing their jobs on the account of “sexual harassment”. It might very well be the case that in very near future, men will be required to refer to women as “representatives of vaginal group” or something like that.

One cannot help but to draw a parallel between anti-sexist hysteria, which continue to gain a momentum in today’s Western countries, and governmentally sponsored anti-sexist hysteria, described in “1984”: “Sexual intercourse was to be looked on as a slightly disgusting minor operation, like having an enema. This again was never put into plain words, but in an indirect way it was rubbed into every Party member from childhood onwards. There were even organizations such as the Junior Anti-Sex League, which advocated complete celibacy for both sexes” (Orwell, 27).

One might wonder as to how come the contemporary enforcers of “newspeak” were able to convince many citizens that it is namely the neo-Liberal political agenda that should be considered as the only legitimate one? The answer to this question is simple – the hawks of political correctness have succeeded in taking over Western Medias in the same manner that members of Inner Party in Orwell’s “1984” have taken over the Medias in Airstrip One, while turning them into the ultimate tool of ideological brainwashing. In Orwell’s novel, Medias served only one purpose – perpetrating the most blatant lies 24/7: “War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength” (Orwell, 3). If we take a closer look at how Medias operate into contemporary equivalent of Airstrip One – a politically correct Britain, it will appear that the foremost principle of their functioning is also being solely concerned with perpetrating lies and with promoting intellectual decadence.

For example, it now being estimated that, during the course of so-called London’s “race riots” of 2001 and 2003, close to 500.000 Londoners and the residents of London’s suburbia had openly expressed their growing concerns about the process of Britain’s Islamization. And yet, British mainstream Medias still refer to these events as “racist provocation”, “crime against the spirit of tolerance” and “neo-nazi conspiracy”, even though that people who participated in mass rallies against the process of their country being gradually turned into Northern Pakistan, were ordinary citizens, who simply got fed up with newly arrived Muslim immigrants’ tendency to “celebrate diversity” by gang-raping White women and bringing explosives to London’s subway.

Another example – in 1999, when NATO planes were bombing innocent civilians in Yugoslavia, so that world’s attention would be diverted from Clinton-Lewinsky affair, British Medias used to provide people with a live “entertainment” of buildings being destroyed and people being blown to pieces, much like Airstrip One’s Medias used to expose citizens to the graphic sights of destruction and death: “Then you saw a lifeboat full of children with a helicopter hovering over it… Then the helicopter planted a 20 kilo bomb in among them terrific flash and the boat went all to matchwood. Then there was a wonderful shot of a child’s arm going up up up right up into the air a helicopter with a camera in its nose must have followed it up and there was a lot of applause from the party seats” (Orwell, 5). The reason for this is simple – throughout the course of history, it was in enforcers’ of ideological dictatorship best interests to keep ordinary citizens intellectually marginalized. And, the best way to achieve it is make sure that crowds never lack “bread and entertainment” – the more graphic and violent such entertainment is, the better.

However, despite having been subjected to politically correct brainwashing for a long time, many citizens in Western countries were still able to retain their ability to think in terms of logic. And, such their ability poses clear and immediate danger to those who work on behalf of New World Order’s secret bosses. This is exactly the reason why neo-Liberal governments in Western countries are being in such a rush to introduce more and more of so-called “hate speech” laws.

Nowadays, in such countries as Britain, France, Germany and Canada, one can easily be sentenced to 3-5 years in jail for simply stating that Jews were not only the people who had suffered during the course of WW2 (the “crime of historical revisionism”). The editorial “Holocaust Denier Irving is Jailed”, available on the web site of BBC News, leave no doubt as to validity of earlier suggestion: “British historian David Irving has been found guilty in Vienna of denying the Holocaust of European Jewry and sentenced to three years in prison” (2006). Why would the representatives of world’s Plutocracy be so terrified with people’s absolutely legitimate strive to reexamine the history? Orwell’s novel provides us with the ultimate answer to this question: “Who controls the past,’ ran the Party slogan, ‘controls the future: who controls the present controls the past” (Orwell, 15). As we all know, the representatives of “chosen people” have now attained a status of “holy cows”, simply because they were able to turn the issue of Holocaust into a profitable industry.

Nowadays, even a slightest criticism of Israeli genocidal policies in Palestine is being considered the “act of anti-Semitism” – a punishable criminal offence. If Holocaust did not occur, Jews would have invented it, because the “historical guilt” on the part of “goyms” benefits them in so many ways – Germany alone pays Israel $700 millions annually in reparations. In order for the “chosen people” to be able to proceed with their traditional activities of money laundering, promoting sexual perversion and destroying the economies of whole countries, the issue of Holocaust simply cannot be reexamined – those who control past, control future.

Thus, it will not be an exaggeration, on our part, to suggest that Orwell’s “1984” should not be considered as much as the literary insight onto the probable future – this novel is actually about the present. People, who read the novel in fifties, would naturally come to conclusion that “1984” was the ultimate criticism of USSR, which explains why in Soviet Union Orwell’s novel was officially banned. However, despite the fact that in 1991 Soviet Union had collapsed just like a stack of cards, we now have its ideological descendant – European Union.

In his article “Former Soviet Dissident Warns for EU Dictatorship”, Paul Belien quotes a former Soviet dissident Vladimir Bukovksy, who had suggested that slowly but surely, EU transforms itself into the miniature replica of Soviet Union: “The Soviet Union used to be a state run by ideology. Today’s ideology of the European Union is social-democratic, statist, and a big part of it is also political correctness… When you look at the European Commission it looks like the Politburo. I mean it does so exactly, except for the fact that the Commission now has 25 members and the Politburo usually had 13 or 15 members. Apart from that they are exactly the same, unaccountable to anyone, not directly elected by anyone at all” (2006). EU’s unelected bureaucrats really do believe that it is up to them to tell the citizens of European countries not only how should they live their lives but even what kind of thoughts they are allowed to keep in their minds – the similarity between Orwell’s vision of a grim future and today’s realities of living in politically correct Europe are being just too obvious not to be noticed.

Whereas; in “1984”, people were expected to openly express their love to Big Brother, in EU, people are being expected to openly express their love to countless “Holocaust survivors”, who were born in fifties and sixties. Whereas, in “1984”, Medias used to mislead citizens about the history of wars with Eastasia and Euroasia, in EU, Medias mislead citizens as to the history of WW1 and WW2. Whereas; in Orwell’s novel, it were namely the members of Inner Party, entitled with undisputed power of exercising control over ordinary people’s lives, in EU, this function is being performed by unelected and often anonymous bureaucrats.

Just like what it used to be the case with Oceania’s citizens, people in countries of EU simply cannot afford the luxury of being honest with their friends and neighbours – all it takes for an individual in today’s “tolerant” Europe to be instantly fired from work and to face the prospect of criminal prosecution is to suggest that Europe might not be benefiting a whole lot from the hordes of immigrants from Third World being allowed to settle here.

Apparently, the fact that Orwell novel’s many implications seem to be clearly concerned with the present, is being slowly realised by promoters of political correctness, which is exactly the reason why it might only be the matter of time, before “1984” will be banned from public libraries in Western countries, just as it used to be the case in Soviet Union. In her article “Cultural Sensitivity and Political Correctness: The Linguistic Problem of Naming”, Edna Andrews says: “There are instances of censorship not only in contemporary American media, but also in educational systems, where not only are teachers restricted in their speech, but literary works, such as Salinger’s “Catcher in the Rye” and Orwell’s “1984”. The reasoning behind the exclusion of such works from the classroom generally entails a belief that the “word” is so powerful that an inappropriate one can harm innocent children and destroy public morals” (1996, 396). Andrews’ suggestion does not appear being altogether deprived of rationale – in today’s Western countries, which suffer under the yoke of neo-Liberal dictatorship, the criticism of Communism is not being tolerated, simply because the closer look at hook-nosed proponents of neo-Liberal agenda reveals them as being nothing but spiritual and often biological descendants of Communist commissars. This is exactly the reason why children in American schools are now being taught to think of Hitler as the “embodiment of evil”, while being simultaneously indoctrinated to refer to Marx, Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin as simply the “misunderstood geniuses of workers’ liberation”, even though that the magnitude of Communist atrocities cannot even be compared to that of Nazis.

The conclusion of this paper can be formulated as follows: George Orwell’s novel “1984” is an absolute must for reading, because this literary masterpiece does not simply provide us with the better understanding as to what world would have been like, had Commies succeeded with their original intention of conquering the whole planet, but it also specifies techniques, used for ideological brainwashing. However, the greatest benefit of reading “1984” is the fact that this novel contains a clue as to the fact that the proper functioning of just about any utopian society cannot be achieved, without such society’s members being turned into brainless robots. This is why “1984” is not being particularly liked by today’s Marxists, who now operate under disguise of neo-Liberal sophisticates – apparently, they are being well aware of the full spectrum of novel’s ideological, political and philosophical implications. Therefore, “1984” must be referred to as to what it really is – one of 20 th century’s most important literary masterpieces, the publishing of which had revealed the true essence of Communism; thus, contributing a lot to the process of this bloodthirsty ideology being deprived of its popular appeal.

Bibliography

Andrews, Edna “Cultural Sensitivity and Political Correctness: The Linguistic Problem of Naming”. American Speech 71.4 (1996): 389-404. Print.

Belien, Paul “Former Soviet Dissident Warns for EU Dictatorship”. 2006.  The Brussels Journal . Web.

Congdon, Lee “The Age of Newspeak”. 2002. Virginia Institute for Public  Policy . Web.

Goldstein, Philip “Orwell as a (Neo) Conservative: The Reception of 1984”.  The Journal of the Midwest Modern Language Association 33.1 (2000): 44-57. Print.

“ Holocaust Denier Irving is jailed ”. 2006. BBC News . Web.

Lutman, Stephen “Orwell’s Patriotism”. Journal of Contemporary History  2.2 (1967): 149-158. Print.

Nagel, Joane “Ethnicity and Sexuality”. Annual Review of Sociology 26.5 (2000):107-133. Print.

Newfield, Christopher “What Was Political Correctness? Race, the Right, and Managerial Democracy in the Humanities”. Critical Inquiry 19.2 (1993): 308-336. Print.

Nincic, Miroslav & Nincic, Donna “Race, Gender, and War”. Journal of  Peace Research 39.5 (2002): 547-568. Print.

Orwell, George “1984”. Wall Street Cockpit . Web.

Resch, Robert “Utopia, Dystopia, and the Middle Class in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four”. Boundary 2 24.1 (1997): 137-176. Print.

Simms, Valerie “A Reconsideration of Orwell’s 1984: The Moral Implications of Despair”. Ethics 84.4 (1974): 292-306. Print.

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Teaching Text Rhetorically

Integrating Reading and Writing Instruction by John R. Edlund

New 1984 Writing Prompts

In a college-level literature course for English majors, the general practice is to assign several novels or other works and then let the students decide what they want to write about. Usually, this involves choosing a theme, a motif, a set of symbols, a social issue, or other focus and examining how it plays out in a particular work or works. Students support their reading of the work with evidence from the text. However, this practice is a bit too open-ended for non-majors. For ERWC, the writing assignment needs to have more focus.

A novel like 1984 is bristling with themes and big ideas to write about. However, the Internet creates problems in this regard. All of the obvious themes and big ideas have been explored in Spark Notes, Cliff’s Notes and various homework helper sites. A student can easily find essays to download, or detailed comments to copy and paste from Goodreads and other review sites.

In my original module, I tried to follow somewhat unconventional themes that perhaps had not been explored so thoroughly. I created four topics:

• The Party and Power: Can a society based on hate survive?
• The Fall of Big Brother: What might cause the fall of Big Brother?
• The Party and Objective Reality: Can Big Brother decide what is real and what is not?
• Surveillance and Big Brother: Is our technology taking us closer to the world of Big Brother?

Because these were all complex issues, I tried to help students by quoting relevant passages and asking lots of questions about subtopics. The prompts ended up being long and complicated, which is why I kept coming back to the core questions listed above. Recently, I asked one of my colleagues on the ERWC Steering Committee, who has read more sample ERWC essays than anyone I know, how these topics were working. The news was not good. Most students chose the fourth question about technology. Those who chose the first one about a society based on hate usually just answered “no” and went on to describe how horrible it was to live in Oceania. The topics were not inspiring good writing or thinking.

The other two topics were rarely used. The second topic about the fall of Big Brother requires an understanding of the fictitious book by Emmanuel Goldstein, plus an understanding of the implications of the appendix, the essay on Newspeak. It is an interesting political question, but too much for most students. The third topic, about Big Brother’s control of the perception of reality through language and power, is at its heart an epistemological question. I was setting the bar pretty high.

So as I revise the module for ERWC 3.0, one of my tasks is to create new writing prompts. My criteria are as follows: the prompt should

• Require that the student have read the novel
• Connect ideas from the novel to the student’s own experience
• Be formulated in such a way that the student can take a stance and write a thesis statement

Here is a list of possible new topics (linked here and pasted below).  Please help me refine them by posting a comment:

1. Winston Smith is a low-level party member. In the course of the novel he has several interactions with the “proles” (short for “proletariat, essentially “the people”). How are the lives of proles and party members different? Would you rather be a prole or a Party member in 1984? Provide specific examples from the novel to support your argument.

2. The world of Big Brother has three main slogans:

WAR IS PEACE FREEDOM IS SLAVERY IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

These slogans seem to be paradoxical and contradictory on the surface, but in the world of Big Brother, they make a kind of sense. Each is like an equation, but how can one thing equal its opposite? Perhaps it would be better to ask “How can one thing lead to its opposite?” Could war abroad lead to peace at home? Could absolute freedom make you a slave to your own desires? Could knowing too much make you think more than act? Choose one of these slogans and explore what it means in 1984, using examples from the book. Then think about how the slogan might apply in our own society.

3. The people of Oceania are under constant surveillance by the government, through telescreens and microphones. How does this surveillance affect the lives of the people? If you knew your TV, your smartphone, and other devices were constantly watching and listening to you, how would you change your behavior? In a well-organized essay, discuss the effects of surveillance in the novel and potentially in our own lives.

4. 1984 provides a cautionary tale about the potential of surveillance technology to allow an authoritarian government to control the population. At present, current technology, including smartphones, web cams, GPS tracking, internet-connected home appliances, and many other items, is being used to make daily life more convenient. However, each of these is potentially a very powerful surveillance technology that the totalitarian oligarchy of 1984 would have been overjoyed to use. At this moment, the government, or another entity, could easily see every Web site you have visited, read every message you ever sent, and listen to every phone call. In what ways does 1984 suggest that we should be worried that our use of electronic devices could someday lead to totalitarian control? If Big Brother really might use our electronics to watch us, what could we do to stop it?

5. Science fiction novels don’t always try to predict the future, but in 1984, Orwell is trying to warn us of what might happen if new propaganda techniques and technology were combined in the hands of an authoritarian leader. As a prediction of the future, how accurate is 1984? In a well-organized essay, discuss what Orwell got right, and what he got wrong. Support your arguments with examples from the text.

6. “Newspeak” is attempt by Big Brother to control thought by reducing the number of words in the language and eliminating words that might lead to “thoughtcrime,” which is itself a Newspeak word. Is it possible to control thought through controlling language? Does our own society have similar tendencies? In a well-organized essay, discuss examples of Newspeak in the novel and how this kind of control might function in our own society.

Share this:

14 thoughts on “ new 1984 writing prompts ”.

This is so helpful! May I please use your writing prompts? I will certainly credit you for them!

Absolutely! That is what they are here for.

Pingback: 1984 Newspeak Blog – Nadeen’s Blog

I am also using your prompts, and your feedback about the problems with the first ones was so helpful. Thank you much.

Jeez, I’m kinda stuck on the thesis statement, I was going to write about the general totalitarianism theme, but the teacher said that’s too general!

If we define “totalitarianism” as government control of the actions and thoughts of the citizens, we might then ask how the government exerts this control. We might then focus on part of that definition, say thought control. Then we might ask, how does Big Brother control the thoughts of the citizens of Oceania? Then you could discuss specific techniques that Big Brother uses, such as propaganda, media control, rewriting history (which is Winston Smith’s job), and Newspeak. Then in your paper you could discuss specific passages in which these things appear.

Does that help?

I need more than 5 examples for “war is peace”. I can do the others except this one please help

I need help with war is peace. can you please provide me with 4 examples to back up war is peace

I think that Lina and Lisa are the same person and that you are a student trying to do this assignment. Let’s see if I can help without doing the thinking for you.

The question is, “How can war be the equivalent of peace?” Oceania is in a perpetual state of war with at least one of the other countries. What effect does this war have on the population? Does it make them more patriotic? Does it create more support for Big Brother? Does it make the people more willing to sacrifice in order to defeat the enemy? Does it explain the shortages of goods and the poor quality of the food? Does it keep the people from thinking about rebelling against Big Brother because an enemy might take over and be worse? Does war against an external enemy help keep the peace in the national population?

For “In what ways does 1984 suggest that we should be worried that our use of electronic devices could someday lead to totalitarian control?” I am not sure where to begin and what could be possible examples? Kindly help.

Your cell phone is a far better tracking device than Big Brother’s telescreens and microphones. It tracks what you watch, what you say, where you are, and what you do. It has built in microphones and cameras that can be activated remotely. You can limit some of this by turning off geolocation and other settings, but it is not hard for a hacker to bypass these efforts. If a government or other entity such as a corporation wanted to, it could easily gather more information about the citizens than Big Brother did, and most of the information gathering would be automated. That is just a beginning. Imagine what a government might do with this information.

If you knew that your TV, smartphone, and other devices were constantly watching and listening to you, how would you change your behavior?

These prompts are perfect for my Honors Seniors! Thank you so much, and of course, I will credit you!

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — 1984 — Archetype Analysis Of The Novel 1984 By George Orwell

Archetype Analysis of The Novel 1984 by George Orwell

• Categories: 1984 George Orwell

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Published: Mar 18, 2021

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50th anniversary reflections: Remembering BYU’s 1974 team

By Dick Harmon

Editor’s note: First in a two-part series on the 1974 BYU football team.

They were trendsetters.

They became foundational stalwarts of LaVell Edwards ’ tenure as a Hall of Fame football coach at BYU.

They overcame adversity and played themselves into history.

They were pretty good, the first BYU team to ever play in a bowl game. They had a squad of stars, players who made names for themselves on NFL teams, guys like Todd Christensen (Dallas Cowboys, Oakland Raiders), Bart Oates (San Francisco 49ers) and Brian Billic k (Baltimore Ravens) to name a few.

BYU’s 1974 team celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. It will be feted and recognized regularly in the coming months, including events the weekend of BYU’s season-opening game against Southern Illinois on Aug. 31. The day before that game, they’ll gather at Sleepy Ridge Golf Course for a reunion round of golf and will attend a banquet with Patti Edwards , wife of the late legendary coach.

After a 0-3 start with losses to Hawaii, Iowa State and the home opener against Utah State, things looked bleak for the Cougars. After BYU seemingly had the fourth game won at Colorado State, it ended in a tie. BYU led with six seconds left, possessed the ball, and only had to snap the ball to end the game. The snap was fumbled and CSU ended up scoring to tie the game at 33. In a weird twist of fate, an excessive celebration penalty on CSU’s bench and fans on the field resulted in a 15-yard penalty and the PAT kick failed.

This wasn’t just drama, it was a dagger for Edwards and his team. They had their first win all but tucked away.

“I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry,” Edwards said later. “Riding home on the bus that night was the low point of my coaching life. I knew we had a good team but we didn’t have a win in four starts. The players were grumbling and starting to doubt if they could win. I began to wonder about my ability to produce a winning program. It was probably the turning point in my career, even though I can’t take credit for what happened next,” wrote Edwards in a book published in 1980, “LaVell Edwards: Building a Winning Football Tradition at Brigham Young University.”

The spark was a players-only meeting, organized by team captains. The results were an undefeated record from then on out and an average of 44 points per game in the last five.

This was the birth of what became BYU-style football.

Chris Crowe, now a BYU professor, has joined teammates Doug Adams, Jeff Blanc and John Betham on a 1974 WAC championship/Fiesta Bowl reunion committee to help note the accomplishments of that team.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has declared Aug. 31 “The Golden Anniversary of the 1974 BYU Football Team.”

The weekend of BYU’s opener, they’ll gather as many of the former players and coaches as possible, including four surviving coaches, JD Helm (running backs), Dave Kragthorpe (offensive coordinator, offensive line), Mel Olsen (freshman team, O-line) and Dwain Painter (QB, receivers).

Crowe believes that team is the most important group of players in BYU history and cites the late coach Edwards.

His thesis is based on the following watermark achievements:

• When LaVell Edwards gathered his 1974 national championship team for a reunion in 1984, he told them his 1984 title team could not have accomplished that undefeated season without that 1974 team accomplishment.
• Edwards didn’t get fired when that 1974 team started 0-3 before tying Colorado State in the fourth game of the season. It was Edwards’ third season and he was feeling some heat. The program seemingly struggled to gain traction and he told some players he was worried about losing his job. They won the next seven games and without that spurt of victories, says Crowe, LES (LaVell Edwards Stadium) wouldn’t be LES.
• This was a team that produced 15 NFL players. That was an “unprecedented” success and raised expectations and the caliber of recruits BYU began landing in coming years.
• Facing lagging success to start that season, there were private players-only meetings. “We all loved coach Edwards,” said Crowe, “and we all knew the team was underperforming. Guys like Betham, Carr, Brad Oates and Paul Linford started calling players-only meetings, where we could recommit and air grievances in ways that made us a better team. From those meetings, our coaches learned to listen to players more and give us more of a say in how things were run.”
• Success breeds quality wins. “We were the first BYU team to beat ASU and Arizona (both ranked at the time) in the same conference. We put the conference (WAC) on notice that BYU was no longer the conference doormat.”
• Making it to the Fiesta Bowl, that team qualified for the first bowl game in school history. Program expectations were reset and led to a train of WAC championships and record-setting performances, national honors and NCAA records.
• This team jump-started a remarkable pass-game philosophy based on high-level execution. Led by quarterback Gary Sheide, that switch to the aerial attack leveled the playing field for BYU. “It still does,” said Crowe.
• From that team came two members of the Quorum of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Craig Christensen and Gifford Nielsen.

“Last year, Lloyd Fairbanks, another ‘74 teammate, was named to the Canadian Football League’s Hall of Fame. Lloyd played 17 seasons in the CFL,” said Crowe.

“Because of their teammates’ friendship and example, a few players (e.g., John Betham and Gary Sheide) joined the church.”

Most of the players are still living and in their mid-70s, but some players have passed on.

Some of those who have died include coach Edwards, 2016; assistant coach Dick Felt, 2012; assistant coach Fred Whittingham, 2003; assistant coach Tom Ramage, 2023; Dave Meteer, OT, 1984; Dave Campos, DB, 1991; Dev Duke, K, 2001; Gary Petersen, DT, 2011; Todd Christensen, RB, 2013; Marcus Kanahele, DE, 2013; Sam Lobue, WR, 2015; Stan Varner, DE, 2018; Mark Terranova, DB, 2020; Keith Rivera, DE, 2021, Mark McCluskey, DB, 2001; Frank Linford, LB, 2022; and Phil Jensen, LB, 2022.

Sheide, the star QB of that squad, said BYU’s defense in 1974 was the best he’s ever seen at BYU over the decades.

“We had two defensive tackles, Paul Lindford and Wayne Baker,” Sheide said. “Baker was drafted in the third round by the 49ers and Lynford went in the fourth by the Colts. Linebacker Larry Carr played another of year in the NFL and CFL, as did Loyd Fairbanks. We had great linebackers and backs.

“It was probably the best defense I’ve seen all the years at BYU. They kind of held us together. We had Jay Miller (NCAA record single-game receptions, 22) and when he got hurt, Johnny Betham did a great job. We brought up Jeff Blanc as a running back and he really helped us move the ball on the ground.”

Back 50 years ago, Sheide said “it was fun to see other teams get three or four yards a play and we go pass, pass, touchdown. It was just fun, really fun, but our defense was very good.”

Sunday : In-depth with QB Gary Sheide

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His Murder Conviction Was Overturned. Why Is He Still in Prison?

Brian Scott Lorenz was convicted of killing a young mother near Buffalo in 1993. The district attorney is fighting a judge’s decision last year to throw out the case.

By Jesse McKinley and Danny Hakim

After 30 years in jail, Brian Scott Lorenz thought he might be going home. Last summer, an Erie County judge threw out his conviction in a 1993 murder that had set off a raft of accusations involving bad cops, famous killers and prosecutorial misconduct.

Nearly a year later, the crime is still unsolved and Mr. Lorenz remains behind bars.

In 1994, Mr. Lorenz and a co-defendant were found guilty of the savage slaying of a young mother, Deborah Meindl, in the Buffalo suburb of Tonawanda. Last August, a state judge set aside the conviction, citing DNA taken from the crime scene that did not match either defendant and the fact that prosecutors had not revealed evidence to the defense.

But the Erie County district attorney’s office continues to appeal the overturned convictions, raising the prospect of a second trial despite a paucity of physical evidence or potential prosecution witnesses. And the district attorney has successfully fought efforts to release Mr. Lorenz, who has spent more than half his life behind bars for a crime he insists he did not commit.

“It just seems like it’s never going to end,” Mr. Lorenz, 54, said in a recent interview from jail in Erie County. “I’m on a treadmill, in a tunnel, with the light at the end. But it’s just not getting nowhere, man.”

James Pugh, Mr. Lorenz’s co-defendant, was released on parole in 2019. But the trial judge and an appellate judge in Rochester refused to intervene to release Mr. Lorenz pending another possible trial. In late June, his lawyers asked the chief judge of the Court of Appeals, New York’s highest court, to intervene. A spokesman said the court would “decide the motion at a future session.”

Ilann Maazel, one of Mr. Lorenz’s lawyers, called his client’s continued imprisonment a “Kafkaesque nightmare” that is “intolerable, unconstitutional and wrong.”

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