The Novel "1984" by George Orwell
The novel "1984" was published by George Orwell in 1948. The book offers a viewpoint on how to look at the future.
The Oppressive Structure
The novel is set in a country called Dystopia, where people live under an oppressive structure consisting of The Party and 'Big Brother.' The two have a great deal of power to regulate and repress anybody who has not complied with the rules and guidelines set. The book respects our culture today as it has developed structures about how the political and economic powers work together to undermine the common citizen's will. The capacity of people to think well and adequately characterizes a free society. Freedom is born from our thoughts.
Suppression of Will
From the fictional speech between Winston and Julia, it is clear that the Party suppressed the will of the people. For instance, the love affair between the two blossoms out of hatred of enjoyment and sexual attraction which is highly opposed by the Party. Julia despises the ideas presented by the Party but is forced to accept that it is a lasting ruling government (Orwell). On the other hand, Winston lives under the fear that he will someday be arrested and killed by the Party. However, with that in mind, Winston holds fatalism under the pretext that rebellion will arise against the party which will give birth to a Party-free future. Winston yearns for the freedom of thought and decision.
Manipulation and Fear
However, the people believed in Big Brother because it restrained their hope towards liberation by watching their every move in the country. The fellow intellectuals who should be fighting for independence have been bought freely with the perception of security and physical well-being. The poster of a man gazing down over the words "BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU" throughout London is a form of psychological manipulation (Orwell). The poster is simply the face of the Party. The citizens are easily swayed by the representation which can either act as reassurance or threat. For example, the words mean that the 'Big Brother is protecting and watching them.
The Protagonists and Antagonists
Winston and Julia are the main protagonists in the novel. However, they face a lot of challenges from antagonists represented by the Party, Big Brother, and O'Brien. In this case, O'Brien plans to break the rebellion posed by the protagonist by setting a trap (Orwell). The psychological manipulation is evident on how O'Brien intends to deal with Winston and Julia. Instead of protecting the society, the inner party represented by O'Brien tries to subvert the free will of the people. Moreover, the inner party has learned the weaknesses of the citizens. Therefore, they manipulate them based on their little education and poverty levels. The inner party in the society has learned how to use newspeak effectively to influence the other societal structures.
The Power of Language
Newspeak is a form of new and political language whose objective is to facilitate deception and fear. The employment of newspeak prevents people from differentiating between the truth and fake world through thought manipulation. In most totalitarianism, the government works best with the media. The abuse of language will eventually lead to a society where the subjects will abide with the governmental thought without question. The inability to freely think ensures that they accept propaganda as reality. Although the Party tries to suppress the free will of the society, others still find ways to express their thoughts.
Work Cited
Orwell, George. 1984. New American Library, 1950.
