1984 by Orwell and Frankenstein Essay

Introduction

The level of defiance exhibited in a society occurs as part of human reactions to changes that threaten their freedoms. The story presented by Orwell in 1984 exhibits two contradictory perspectives harbored in a similar environment with the actions of the Big Brother (the party) and Winston Smith the main character revealing the difference in views on leadership between the two. The story based on the genres of political fiction, a fiction of dystopian and utopian attribute and social science fiction presents a leadership that is based on the "big brother is watching you" statement. Fighters of the wrongs or actions of a totalitarian regime face significant difficulties with some such as Winston Smith exhibiting a slow process to conversion forcing them to embrace the system despite their inherent desire to influence change. The literary analysis following takes into account the above view employing journal articles in examining the life of Winston Smith in a totalitarian environment.

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Totalitarianism and the "Big Brother is Watching You" Leadership

Starting with the tenets of a totalitarian system as described by Mukherjee, the state pays attention to contrary evidence to that ideology the party ensuring that these are destroyed with possible falsification of records (15). The nature of environment created by a totalitarian system is one in which a socialism perspective would not survive. The actions of Winston Smith in 1984 faced significant opposition until the final conversion performed by O'Brien. The Big Brother believed in a system that subscribed to the notion "war is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength" (Orwell, 6). The environment created by the Big Brother promoted social wrongs that Winston viewed as contrary to his beliefs. The leadership in the Oceanic enhanced surveillance on their subjects by placing telescreens in a strategic position within the facility. The telescreens were meant to ensure the Big Brother was aware of the actions of their subjects also serving as a reminder to the latter that "Big Brother is watching you" (Orwell, 3). In addition to the above, the Big Brother had a set of rules and regulations spelled out to its subjects including the things forbidden in Oceanic. However, these did not stop Winston from attempting to live a life contrary to the requirements. Winston practiced rebellion one of the crimes considered dire in the facility. As per the review by Mukherjee, the Big Brother focuses on destroying Winston and converting him to a supporter of the totalitarian system in place.

Dystopian Attributes: Misery, Oppression, and Control in 1984

The other attribute propelled by a totalitarian rule is the destruction of human rights creating an environment in which the subjects under the system remained powerless and lived a life devoid of hope (Wicaksono, 39). The system is much of dystopian in nature with rare presence of hope for the subjects. Characterization of a dystopian system further includes the degree of misery endured by the humans, high rates of poverty, violence, pollution, disease, and oppression (Wicaksono, 39). The rules and regulations in Oceanic controlled the actions of the subjects and provided punishment that one would face for defying the system. The lengths the Big Brother would reach to destroy a contrary perspective to the tenets of totalitarianism in the place indicated the determination to maintain it. Breaking down the beliefs of Winston and forcing him to embrace the totalitarian rule followed the same rules with intentions of O'Brien to reach his breaking point. "The worst thing in the world, varies from individual to individual. It may be burial alive, or death by fire or by drowning, or by impalement, or fifty other deaths" (Orwell, 358). The above sentiments indicated the extent to which O'Brien was willing to reach to breakdown Winston. The actions would not subscribe to human rights as the system would push one to their breaking point irrespective of the lengths needed including death.

Mental Duress: A Pigeonhole of Oppression in Oceanic

Oceanic is presented as a "pigeonhole of mental duress" (Place, 108). The photography that Winston comes across prior to 1984 action had three men on it. The three men Aronson, Rutherford, and Jones had been accused of treason with the party having instituted the charges against them as a means of creating a force that would change their attitude and that of others over the systems practiced. Winston comes across the photo and holds onto it as the evidence he needed for the actions of the party in case of an opportunity to expose them. The actions of Winston that follow create a turn of events with increasing mental pressure exerted on him to convert his ideology and follow that propelled by the party. The actions are fundamental indicators of a system that relies on mental duress to create the desired impact that is synonymous with a totalitarian system of governance.

Conclusion

Summarily, fighters of the wrongs or actions of a totalitarian regime are forced to adapt to the system slowly through the institution of mental duress enforced in an environment that gradually changes the ideology of those involved. Winston Smith presents an ideal example of an individual's perspective slowly destroyed by a totalitarian system.

Works Cited

Mukherjee, Udayan. "The Development of Socio-Cultural Society in Orwell's 'Nineteen Eighty-Four'." IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS), vol. 19, no. 1, Jan. 2014, pp. 12-16. Accessed 4 June 2018.

Orwell, George. "1984." Planet EBook - 100% Free Literature for Win, Mac, IOS, Android and Kindle, www.planetebook.com/free-ebooks/1984.pdf. Accessed 4 June 2018.

Place, Troy. "Orwell's 1984." Journal The Explicator, vol. 61, no. 2, 2003, pp. 108-110. Accessed 4 June 2018.

Wicaksono, Erviyan R. "DYSTOPIA AND ORWELL'S PITFALL IN GEORGE ORWELL'S 1984." Rainbow: Journal of Literature, Linguistics and Cultural Studies, vol. 3, no. 1, 2014, pp. 37-44. Accessed 4 June 2018.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for Essay:

Q: What is the primary focus of Orwell's 1984?

A: Orwell's 1984 explores society's response to changes that threaten individual liberties, specifically totalitarian regimes like China or North Korea that limit freedoms while those who resist its control face consequences such as imprisonment.

Q: In 1984, what were the differences in leadership styles between Big Brother and Winston Smith?

A: In 1984, leadership is depicted through two opposing perspectives. Big Brother represents the party leadership characterized by surveillance, control, and the slogan - Big Brother Is Watching You". Winston Smith represents an opposing view, challenging and calling for changes within his system.

Q: Could you list some characteristics of totalitarianism depicted in 1984?

A: In 1984, totalitarianism is defined by the destruction of evidence that contradicts party ideology, along with an emphasis on controlling its subjects through surveillance, strict rules and regulations, punishment for dissidence, and surveillance. Human rights are disregarded and dystopia reigns as humans struggle against oppression while waiting in hopeless circumstances for help to arrive.