In this section you can find essays about the book 1984 (Nineteen Eighty-Four), a dystopian novel by the English novelist George Orwell (pen name Eric Arthur Blair) that was published on 30 June 1949. These essays are free to download as inspiration for your own work. Scroll down for an overview of 1984 including a list of important themes to include in your own essay.
Introduction Winston Smith is a low-ranking member of the ruling Party in London (in the nation of Oceania). The Party is controlling everything in Oceania likewise it is controlling Winston Smith. Everywhere Winston goes he is being watched by the leader of the Party, known only as Big Brother. Winston’s Struggle Against Oppression Winston is … Read more
Cyril Connoly once said, ‘While thoughts exist, words are alive and literature becomes an escape, not from, but into living.’ Truly, thoughts are our keys to open the gates of freedom and get away from man’s world of madness and hopelessness. However, if these thoughts are suppressed, then men will lose all sense of individuality … Read more
Fritz Lang’s expressionist film, Metropolis (1927) and George Orwell’s Swiftian satire Nineteen Eighty Four (1949) dramatise the impact of repressive governments upon the individual. Lang reflects the anxieties of the Weimar Republic of Germany, under the stresses following the First World War, highlighting the consequences of rapid industrialisation and the subsequent disunity between the working … Read more
Control and Manipulation of Big Brother Nineteen eighty-four by George Orwell, is a one of a kind novel with amazing themes. In George Orwell’s 1984, the main character, Winston Smith battles with brutality in Oceania, a world where everyone is being belittled and looked closely by the Inner Party. Though, Winston tries to defy the … Read more
Propaganda Project “This is America” – Childish Gambino Recently in the United States, gun violence has been a recurring case. From police shootings, mass shootings of popular public areas, and school shootings. “This is America” sung by Childish Gambino portrays and symbolizes the significant events regarding gun violence in America. In the music video there … Read more
One must utilize the theories Historical, Biographical, and Deconstruction in order to adequately evaluate George Orwell’s masterpiece 1984. These three categories of literary theory allow the reader to observe the dangers of authoritarian or totalitarian rule, take caution of the peril that could result of the trade of one’s freedom for security, and urge one … Read more
Ben Stein, an American writer, a political and economic commentator once wrote; “it is inevitable that some defeat will enter even the most victorious life. The human spirit is never finished when it is defeated…it is finished when it surrenders.” The novel 1984 by George Orwell reflects this statement by proving it to be true … Read more
1984 vs Brave New World Society often chooses between the safety of its people and the safety of its principles. Either may be compromised for the sake of the other in drastic situations, but ultimately, a balance exists. Who creates this balance and what the balance is like, however, determines how “good” the society is. … Read more
Character Analysis Syme: “He is too intelligent. He sees too clearly and speaks too plainly. The Party does not like such people” (Orwell 33). Intelligence is known as a good quality to possess. People strive to gain intelligence so that it will benefit them. That said, Syme’s intellect is a flaw. After a while, the … Read more
Introduction George Orwell’s classic novel 1984 directs us to review our understanding of a dystopian world, to challenge our beliefs, and warns against the power of totalitarianism. He writes about the government controlling everything in the fictional country of Oceania, where the leadership abuses its power by controlling people’s thoughts and actions through fear and … Read more
An American motivational author, Louise L. Hay, once said, “I do not fix problems. I fix my thinking. Then problems fix themselves” (Hay). Many of the problems people face today require much thinking to solve. Technology has taken a toll on the community and the way people think. Various articles discuss this impact, including The … Read more
Results of Crisis Management and Anti-Terrorist Regulations (and their connections to George Orwell’s 1984) Examining the patterns of American democracy, and government agencies in light of mass terror events lead to a close link in 1984 and its development of a surveillance state that looks to prevent citizen dissent and foreign terrorism. The Bush/Cheney administration … Read more
In the fictitious novel 1984, George Orwell uses stereotypical female characters to illustrate that men are more powerful physically and intellectually and more important in their place in society. Although Orwell portrays many different characteristics, he tends to illustrate three main roles for the women throughout the novel. The first role we see is the … Read more
Another country that has similar rules and regimes to the novel 1984 is North Korea. Ideals such as military requirements for all citizens and the looming danger of being thrown in prison or even killed for thinking differently from North Korea’s government are a constant threat. In 1984, Orwell shows a world where differentiations from … Read more
On several occasions, we speak of literature on a light note. Sometimes we see the fictitious work of writers as part of history or a future that may never come to pass in our generation. Whether the authors highlight concerns over the economy, environmental degradation, political anarchy and censorship, morality, or general societal guidelines, it … Read more
The themes of dystopia and the revolution and rebellion that it provokes, are highly prevalent throughout George Orwell’s literary masterpiece, Nineteen Eighty-Four (often stylised as 1984), as well as Fritz lang’s revolutionary silent film, Metropolis. To a reader who has a general historical knowledge of the eras with which each text was produced, it would … Read more
George Orwell wrote 1984 after World War II to give a warning to the raising of USSR and Nazi Germany. He described a fictional government that is extremely dictatorial in 1984. The Inner Party of Oceania control people’s mind through manipulating media contexts, torturing thought criminals, and instigating people’s hate toward other nations. The party … Read more
Mr. Charrington is a fairly old man who, to Winston’s initial impression, is a friendly and helpful individual whom like Winston, has an affinity for history. Mr. Charrington appears for the first time towards the beginning of the novel. He is the owner of an antique store in the prole district of London, which is … Read more
Introduction Brave New World and 1984 are both over sixty years old. However, they continue to be read and studied in the modern day. Both novels were intended to show that a perfect society is not achievable; 1984 was written to warn the Western world of the dangers of Communism, and Brave New World was … Read more
In 1984, It is a time in which there are many wars between countries, politics is always ahead in these wars, which governs and of course the people who follow it. In the book just happens what happened at that time and the protagonist tells what is happening and how it is happening. My theme … Read more
There are a lot of questionable actions made by citizens and the government in our world today. From President Trump’s opinions on other countries and wall-building proposals, to the way some Americans treat their fellow citizens because of their gender, race, or sexual identity. One may ask, “Why that would pertain to a Humanities III … Read more
1984 is a novel written by George Orwell and was published in 1949. It features a dystopian society in which Big Brother is the face of the ruling party. The Party is compelling the usage of an imagined dialect called Newspeak, which endeavors to anticipate political disobedience by dispensing with all words identified with it. … Read more
Introduction With Brave New World set just under 600 years after 1984 (Vega De Febles, 94), both George Orwell’s 1984 and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World introduce dystopias, establishing societies that are both problematic and possible. The possibility of this type of society coming to be is what evokes fear in the reader associated with … Read more
Atwood suggests that the social prediction of both novels Brave New World and 1984 “cast their shadows over our futures, 1984 with its horrific vision of a brutal, mind-controlling totalitarian state and the other, Brave New World, which proposed a different and softer form of totalitarianism.” Brave New world can be interpreted as a ‘softer … Read more
George Orwell’s book 1984 entails a story with the main character Winston Smith and his journey through him having a different thoughts and opinions in the society of Oceania in which he lives in. Orwell’s book was published a couple years after WWII in 1949 and he incorporates a lot of war subjects that actually … Read more
1984’s Relevance to Today’s Society In 1984, by George Orwell, a future was predicted where the government would be in total power and control. As predicted, technology is an addiction to many people in this century that consumes American lives on a daily basis. In addition to the prediction of technology, Orwell was also … Read more
1984 is an anti-utopia by George Orwell, which aims at portraying a totalitarian regime where people live in constant fear and oppression of the political elite. The novel explores the theme of individuality oppression by presenting a society, where people’s conscience and beliefs are corrupted, having a sense of individuality is unneeded, wishing for … Read more
Manipulation of the mind and language are depicted as a weapon to show the mistreatment of power. One of the most important themes shown in the novel 1984 is psychological manipulation. The Party is able to control what they think, what they do, and how they interact with each other. The Party enforces these awful … Read more
Whether in a dystopian society ran by totalitarian rule, or in 11th century Scotland, getting what you want does not come easy, especially when you selfishly long for power, or simply want to be free. The play Macbeth by William Shakespeare tells the tale of a once honorable Macbeth, who would do anything that it … Read more
Cameras, televisions and microphones are everywhere. Our actions are constantly being monitored for various purposes. Though it generally poses no threat to our well being, nothing we do goes unnoticed. In George Orwell’s 1984 and Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 neither protagonist agrees with the actions and views of their respective totalitarian governments. Due to the … Read more
George Orwell’s book 1984, has been an important work in the eyes of many critics because of its views on a totalitarianistic society. Peter Firchow states that, “Orwell is one of the great essayists of the period—as well as in his documentary books” (Firchow). Orwell uses a variety of literary tools to embellish his novel … Read more
Quote RAE “Winston picked his way up the lane through dappled light and shade, stepping out into pools of gold whenever the boughs parted. Under the trees to the left of them the group was misty with bluebells. The air seemed to kiss one’s skin. It was the second of May. From somewhere deeper in … Read more
All in all, you’re just another brick in the wall. Society loves conformity. To conform is to succeed, and those who do not are made an example of; an unpleasant reminder of what failure to conform looks like. The acid-dropping hippie, the Feminist, the LGBTQ member or the tattooed “freak”. Time after time we are … Read more
George Orwell’s 1984 gives readers a glimpse into a frighteningly plausible future where censorship and absolute power have taken the place of freedom of thought and democracy. The narrator and main character, Winston, is a citizen of Oceania, a fictitious superstate ruled under an iron thumb by Big Brother and his authoritarian regime, which is … Read more
Both texts reveal that resistance and rebellion are futile; the system will always win in the end, at the expense of the individual. Discuss this with reference to both texts. When distribution of power in a society is too unevenly spread, or when one group abuses their power too greatly to the detriment of others, … Read more
‘People must stand up against authority’ is a reoccurring theme which is being used in our wider world amongst many others. The text that relate to this theme are Animal Farm by George Orwell, Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut, Dulce et Decorum est by Wilfred Owen and 1984 by George Orwell. Within the novel of … Read more
“The ultimate end of any ideology is totalitarianism” (Robbins). In 1984 by George Orwell, the main character is Winston Smith who battles with oppression in Airstip One, Oceania; previously known as Great Britain, a place where the Party monitors human actions with Big Brother. Going against a ban on individuality, Winston commits rebellious acts … Read more
My ultimate intention for this portfolio of evidence is to set forth and explain the rationale and research behind my performance recital with the theme of Communist Ideological Thinking. In choosing this theme, I aim to explore three main subjects; Soviet censorship in 20th Century Speech and Drama, the formation of the ‘communist ideal’ and … Read more
Utopia: an imagined place or state of things in which everything is perfect. In the novel, 1984, written by George Orwell, Orwell warns the people of what can become of their society if there is no action taken against the government. The novel takes place in Oceania, where Winston Smith, a 39-year-old man lives … Read more
Constructing the Language of Tyranny; How Aspects of Newspeak and North Korean Language Enforce Totalitarianism The human perspective is malleable by features of language, as the process of thought relates directly to speech. For instance, countless variants of formal speech riddle South Korean language, rendering South Koreans sensitive to subtle differences in class. Indonesia lacks time-indicating … Read more
There are many issues in the world and one of them are the social injustices. According to honorsociety.org, “Social injustice is the way unjust actions are done in the society. Social injustice occurs in a situation where the equals are treated unequally and the unequal is treated equally. Three common examples of social injustice include: … Read more
1984 is a visionary and disturbing novel, in which a haunting setting in our near future is established. Orwell’s writing implies that the current unbalanced circumstances of the world are enough to throw society, in the span of one generation, into tragedy. He displays a profound cynicism about the ability of the individual heart; its spirit of love and freedom and the power to survive oppressive indoctrination.
The novel is a dystopia, its purpose being ‘a serious vision of society as a single intellectual pattern’ (Gorman Beauchamp). The characters could be seen as mouthpieces of the ideas they present, or the author’s views. Orwell’s politics were not only Left but to the dissident Left, directly contradicting what is one of his key themes in the novel: totalitarianism. Perhaps it is his political view that encourages him to be so vivid in his writing, showing that the effort of The Party’s overwhelming presence of surveillance tools and manipulation of language create a society ripe for exploitation by a less than just political leadership.
1984 can be seen to be a prophecy for our future. ‘The implied prediction [is] that the dawn of the new era is already near at hand’ (Edward Bellemy). This was one interpretation of the novel which was then contradicted by Orwell, as he stated that he didn’t ‘believe that society will necessarily arrive, but could arrive,’ and that ‘totalitarian ideas have taken root in the minds of intellectuals everywhere’. He is alerting us to what could happen via using systems of surveillance to protect us from war, terror and disease. Ultimately, the Party’s argument is what good is freedom if you’re unprotected from foreign aggression? Big Brother would insist that kind of freedom is slavery (one of the slogans).
In Oceania, political realities convince Winston and others that it’s necessary to eliminate ‘unreliable elements’ as that refers to enemies from Eastasia or Eurasia. But when the Party uses its absolute power over media and public language ‘to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable’ by purely eradicating Winston’s neighbours and workmates, that is pure oppression. Although our democracy may appear to protect us against totalitarian control, one need only cast a casual glance at the government’s efforts to defeat terrorism by avoiding civil liberties to see how governments convince us to sacrifice freedom for security.
Winston and Julia hunger for a ‘secret’ and ‘private’ life, an inch of personal space that is indeed ‘small and… fragile and… the only thing in the world worth living for’. This inch is denied them, and it leads to their sadly inevitable doom. As Donne once quoted, ‘no man is an island’; they both lust for some form of emotional connection. Although it is clear that they are not compatible in many ways, he longs for her as a means of being able to have a natural human communication, to interact with another human in a way that is open and unknown by the Party. Yet again, the totalitarian regime enforces these laws that ban all forms of emotional bonds between their citizens; to tell someone they love them requires courage as it is seen to be dangerous.
Possessing a relationship, be it a romantic or platonic one, is forbidden by the Party, as it creates the threat of emotional bonds in which they can share original thoughts or ideas; any rebellion is a threat as it can entice others to follow. Sexual fantasies are sadistic due to the repression of sexuality; Winston’s memory of the prostitute was depicted as taboo and violent. Winston shares his views with Julia, and it is apparent to the reader that she is disinterested. He views their relationship as political, whereas she enjoys merely beating the party in the limited way she can and makes no attempt to overthrow them. Primarily, defying the Party is the aim, so Winston claims to love Julia ‘more with the more men’ she’s had, a seemingly romantic comment to her.
Winston is conscious of his intellectual limitations, yet still believes that he is correct in any contradictory thought to the Party. Intelligence, or the ability to question the status quo, seems to Winston as a guarantee of thoughtcrime and eventual detection and extinction. His fatalistic expectations in the case of Syme and Parsons come true.
Orwell’s novel remains an argument for maintaining individuality as the only means for preserving democracy. Strong leadership initially inspires us to better things, but Big Brother shows how power in the hands of too few leads to corruption. Force is the entitlement of official power, the same as in any propaganda initiated either by seemingly democratic or totalitarian forces. Successful propaganda suggests a definite object of hate and contempt, which should be blamed for all disasters and consequently unite all people on the opposite side against it. Immigrants, Muslims, homosexuals, terrorists remain convenient symbolic targets for hate in the speeches and public events of political oppressors who offer a distraction from their abuses. In the novel, the Party illustrates this principle through public executions, the Two Minutes Hate, and their ever-present messages of manipulation broadcast on telescreen; essentially, a media with a two-way component.
Winston finds little escape from this universal brainwashing courtesy of The Party, bringing ‘the sound of marching, charging feet’ to one’s doorstep every morning. Orwell utilises satire to make the flaws of the government evident The party possesses a sadistic desire to make people they deem guilty suffer for even the smallest of ‘crimes’. Beauchamp ultimately summarised Orwell’s satirical intention, stating he ‘exaggerated the motive far beyond the historical evidence’.
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When writing an essay about 1984, you should discuss these themes:
1. Totalitarianism and Oppression:
George Orwell‘s novel 1984 portrays a world of oppressive totalitarianism and extreme government control. Analyze how the party maintains power and how it affects the citizens of Oceania.
2. Surveillance and Privacy:
Consider the themes of privacy, surveillance, and Big Brother‘s watchful eye. How does the party use technology and psychological manipulation to control and oppress its citizens?
3. Language and Manipulation:
Analyze the role of language in 1984 and how the party manipulates language to control the people.
4. Rebellion and Hope:
Explore the theme of rebellion and how Winston and other characters resist the oppressive party. Discuss the struggle between hope and despair and how it is portrayed in the novel.
5. Memory and History:
Discuss how memory and history are used in 1984 to control and manipulate the citizens. Consider how the party rewrites the past and how Winston attempts to remember the truth.
