George Orwells 1984

Essay by iamgenius September 2004

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1984

The year 1984 has come and gone, but 1984's message has stood the test of time and continues to evoke thought in this day and age. George Orwell wrote 1984 as a political statement against totalitarianism. The novel reveals a horrifying picture of life in a communist society in which it's citizens are forced to obey the party completely or be vaporized. Only those who accept everything that the Party does or says is a law abiding citizen. Freedom of thought and expression, a basic democratic right of all men today, does not exist in this society. Citizens are isolated and alienated from others, a state of existence in which the Party encourages. Orwell uses 1984 to show it's readers the flaws and horrors of living in a society in which the government that has complete control over everyone and everything.

Throughout his life Orwell expressed his hatred of communism and totalitarianism.

A totalitarian system, like the one in the novel, condemns current society as corrupt and problematic, and introduces plans and programs to solve the problems presented. These measures demand complete conformity from the people. Party control is solidified through information control and censorship, and swift and brutal action for those who fail to comply. Orwell felt the effects of communism while living in Spain in the 1930's. Fearing imprisonment he was forced to flee. Towards the end of his life he wrote mainly on political issues. His views against totalitarianism were also revealed in Animal Farm, published in 1945, as well as 1984, which was published in 1949.

The society created in Orwell's novel is a society totally controlled by the Party, which strips the individual of all freedom. Big Brother, the supreme ruler of the party, has the ability to closely moniter everyone at all times.