The Importance Of Totalitarian Government In George...

â€Å"War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength† (Orwell). This may seem like a list of paradoxes, useless and arbitrary in the context of any government. But, these three statements help establish the foundation of the world in the novel 1984 by George Orwell. The novel is set in an alternate version of the year 1984, imagined by Orwell in the 1940s. The world had split into three superstates: Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia. The main character, Winston Smith, lives in Oceania where the entire superstate is run by an all powerful government, lead by the divine and immortal Big Brother. This is a government in which all love and individual thought is outlawed. This is reinforced by constant surveillance either by telescreen or the†¦show more content†¦He explains that their intentions are the same as that of the Party, but they were unable to reach the same result. When torturing Winston during the second stage of reintegration called â€Å"understanding †, O’Brien answers Winston questions regarding the Party’s motives that he had written in his diary. He first explains that the Nazis and the Communists were unable to achieve what the Party had because they were too cowardly to admit their own motives. They believed they were only holding power until they turned the nonexistent corner into â€Å"paradise where humans beings would be free and equal† (Orwell 263). The novel is admitting its replications of the unsaid motives of totalitarian leaders. Orwell’s revelation, in this sense, establishes the last reasons of why such systematic and oppressive governments exist. Afterward, Orwell highlights the motives specifically of the Party in his novel through O’Brien. He writes, â€Å"We know that no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it. Power is not a means; it is an end† (263). This urge for never ending power is a replication of what Orwell thought the true motive s of past totalitarian governments were. With these political objectives to create an everlasting government, Orwell is left with the task of imagining effective methods of manipulating a mass amount of human minds. Human companionship, whether it be in the form of a mother, father, sibling orShow MoreRelatedGeorge Orwell s Dangers Of Power Through A Totalitarian Government1186 Words   |  5 PagesWhile writing 1984, George Orwell strongly displayed the theme of the dangers of power through a totalitarian government. Not only were Orwell’s ideas of corruption in an all-powerful government portrayed in his novel, 1984, but comparisons can be made with the story’s points of a spying authority, keeping the lower class ignorant, and an unscrupulous corporate influence with America’s power-heads today. Big Brother could be considered the main antagonist of George Orwell’s 1984. Serving as aRead MoreIndividuals and Society1056 Words   |  5 Pagesfollows that the act of standing up against the beliefs of a society or government is in itself a characteristic of individuality, one, however, that may prove very dangerous. This idea is encapsulated in Voltaire’s saying that â€Å"It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong†. Although some people believe that one should remain passive, as, according to Voltaire, it is dangerous to turn against a corrupt regime, Orwell’s â€Å"1984† and Bradbury’s â€Å"Fahrenheit 451† demonstrate that citizens shouldRead MoreWe Are Living 1984 Today668 Words   |  3 PagesWe Are Living 1984 Today Today’s society is predicted as living in a world George Orwell envisioned in 1984. The system Orwell invented is compared to what the United States government is capable of doing. Government control of society is an essential subject due to the current mind set of the world today. 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Although Big Brother is merely a figurehead, he plays a major role in The Party’s plan to seize control of Oceania, as well as revealing the main theme in Orwell’s book. He is a creation of The Party, used to personify the government and makeRead MoreGeorge Orwell s Dystopian Novel1444 Words   |  6 PagesIt is often debated why populations under totalitarian regimes allow the ten percent minority to control the massive ninety percent majority with such inhumane tactics. Although the goals of individual regimes vary on their end goal, the means of achieving that goal are strikingly similar. 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