Orwell's Analysis of the Government's use of Power to Control and Manipulate Society for Its Own Purpose

Essay by nyk1583College, Undergraduate August 2005

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Outline

I. Introduction

A. Orwell's life as it relates to his works.

B. The danger of a totalitarian government.

II. Freedom of mind and body

A. Physical control

1. Extreme force and coercion

2. Effects of torment

B. Psychological manipulation

1. Doublethink

2. Use of propaganda

III. Technology role in government control

A. Compromise of privacy

B. Tele-screen vs. computers

IV. Control of communication

A. Control of information

1. Control of news

2. Control of history

a) Importance of history

b) Repeating history

B. Abuse of language

1. Language as control of the mind

2. Newspeak

V. Conclusion

A. Ignorance of Society

1. Danger of naïve working class

2. Society letting the government getaway with its abuse

B. Significance of Orwell's novel in modern day

George Orwell was the alias of Eric Blair, the author of 1984 and Animal Farm. Orwell was a political writer whose novels and essays criticized the political oppression taking place in Europe in the middle of the twentieth century.

Orwell was a relentless opponent of capitalism and communism. He witnessed firsthand the horrific lengths to which totalitarian governments in Spain and Russia would go in order to sustain and increase their power during the Spanish Civil War. Orwell was deeply disturbed by the widespread cruelty and oppression he saw in communist countries (Duiker, 16-20). Orwell can be remembered through his works as a supporter of freedom and contester of capitalism and totalitarianism. Two of his greatest works, Animal Farm and 1984, form the basis of his fight against totalitarianism. Orwell's 1984 foreshadows the sadistic personality of the authoritative government. Animal Farm demonstrates that society's ignorance will prove to be the reason the government gets explicit control, even in a democratically ruled government.

Orwell uses 1984 to alert society about the abusive nature of a...