How do 1984 and The Handmaid’s Tale show the state’s control over characters through the control of love and emotion?

Essay by aimeekerrHigh School, 12th gradeB+, October 2014

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Aimee Kerr

How do 1984 and The Handmaid's Tale show the state's control over characters through the control of love and emotion?

1984 The Handmaid's Tale

Totalitarianism

Propaganda

Extremely well organised and effective

The Ministry of Truth is responsible for disseminating all Party publications and information

All facts and figures come from the Ministry of Truth and are all dictated by the Party

Constantly correcting old material to reflect the Party's current position on any subject from chocolate rations to the loyalty of a specific individual allows the Party to completely dominate the range of information disseminated to the public

The machine determines reality

The Two Minutes Hate, Hate Week, posters of Big Brother, required daily participation of Physical Jerks

The Party uses literally every waking opportunity to instil its ideals into its citizens and is strikingly successful in achieving its goal of total loyalty

We see the vigour and loyalty such propaganda inspires in its citizens, they are filled with hatred for the country's stated enemies but it's easily redirected if the enemy happens to change, this efficiency is quite disturbing

If propaganda rules all information it is impossible to have any grasp on reality, the world is as the Party defines it

Love/Sexuality

The Party works to quell all physical sensations of love and depersonalises sex to the point where it is a "duty to the Party", some Part organisations even advocate complete abstinence and procreation only through artificial insemination

Winston suffers the Party's removal of personal fulfilment or enjoyment in relationships in his failed marriage with Katharine

When he finds Julia he relishes the freedom of being able to love someone physically and emotionally, most of his rebellion seems to be guided by the Party but not his relationship with Julia, he is only able to rebel...