George Orwell, one of English literatures most important and famous writers, draws the picture of a dystopia in one of his best known novels 1984. Being considered as a warning against totalitarianism, it is also possible to say that the novel puts fo

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Orwell’s 1984

George Orwell, one of English literature’s most important and famous writers, draws the picture of a dystopia in one of his best known novels 1984.  Being considered as a warning against totalitarianism, it is also possible to say that the novel puts forth a road map on how totalitarian regimes work and how certain ideologies are imposed on nations. Creating a world in which the worst possible totalitarian regime is present, Orwell also takes a very close look at the psychological states of people. The writer doesn’t only deeply analyze what a totalitarian regime stands for but also introduces the themes of the importance of language, how certain ideologies can be imposed on people and how physical pain can control the human mind. Putting stress on the dreadfulness and the destructive nature of totalitarianism, and also by pointing out that nations can in fact be forced to admire and support such a regime, the writer makes his reader face the cruelest and most realistic aspects of such a horrific repressive regime.  

Before taking a closer look at the novel, it would be helpful to give background information about the era in which Orwell was influenced to create such a hellish world. 1984 was written in 1949, when Fascism was on the rise, right after the Second World War, when Hitler was defeated and Stalin had performed his cruelest acts. Having worked in Spain in 1936 during the Spanish civil war, Orwell witnessed the cruelty of fascist regimes and had already collected his dreadful memories which lead him to write his political novels. Regarding Orwell’s intention in writing 1984, Jenni Calder in her book Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four states:

To anyone who was in Britain in the years immediately after the Second World War, and particularly in London, the sights and smell that Orwell recreates will be familiar... In 1984 he translates this situation in to the future by adding details that are unfamiliar (57).

 Thus, it becomes possible to say that as a result of the world’s existing state at the time Orwell wrote 1984, he was deeply concerned about the future and that his pessimist attitude in his novel acted as a warning and as a criticism of totalitarian regimes. Adriaan M. De Lange, in his book The Influence of Political Bias in Selected Essays of George Orwell says, “The rise of Fascism, Nazism and Stalinist communism in Europe and the resultant tremors in Britain left an indelible mark on Orwell’s thought and work (1).” At this point taking a closer look at Orwell’s intentions in writing 1984 from the perspective of the Marxist  Hungarian critic Georg Lukacs would be convenient. Due to his theory of “Reflection” Lukacs claims that literary works would reflect the hidden aspects of the social and political era in which they are written.  Parallel to Lukacs’ “Reflection” theory, Orwell reflects his concerns deriving from the political state in which he lives through fiction. Regarding 1984 Calder states, “Orwell is underlining a psychological as well as a political truth here, which is demonstrated in the kind of mass embracing of authorial influence that came with the rise of Nazism and Stalinism (63).” While the era in which 1984 was written marks itself with political depressions, it also hints that the world was within a phase when totalitarian and fascist regimes were condemned as a result of the devilish acts of Hitler and Stalin.

While taking a closer look at the book and the themes it introduces to the reader, the theme of the importance of language gains significance. “Newspeak”, Oceania’s official language, consists of limited words which are created by party members. The language totally deletes some words which are present in the English language such as “excellent” or “splendid” and replaces them with an extremely plain word such as “plusgood”. Changing the language and limiting it in number of words becomes a matter of importance since language   is one of the most important tools of expression and thought for human beings. Deleting complex words and limiting language also limits the thoughts of people and enables the party to delete certain concepts from people’s minds. As Syme explains Winston how important it is to change the language he says, “Don’t you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought? In the end we shall make thought crime literally impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it (60).” Analyzing Syme’s comment on language, the reader comes to the realization that it is the language itself that makes people think. Hence it becomes understandable that being a totalitarian regime, the party doesn’t want its people to think, since thinking may lead to original ideas and thus to through crime. By lowering the language to a very simple state, the party cleverly paralyzes the brains of its people and disables them from thinking.  As Syme continues to explain the real aim of the party in creating Newspeak, he also mentions one important topic about language forming concepts. He says:

How could you have a slogan like “Freedom is Slavery” when the concept of freedom has been abolished? The whole climate of thought will be different. In fact there will be no thought, as we understand it now. Orthodoxy means not thinking-not needing to think. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness (61).

   In trying to understand Syme’s remark on language, it might be useful to think of Ferdinand de Saussure’s theory that discusses whether concepts or objects would really exist if they were not expressed in language. According to Saussure, what makes a concept present is the language itself. He claims that the world is a whole and that the language divides this whole in to separate pieces to make it become more understandable. Thus, a concept or an object which isn’t expressed by language wouldn’t exist. When “Newspeak” is concerned, one may claim the same thing.  If the word “Freedom” doesn’t exist in Oceania anymore, there wouldn’t be such a concept.  Thus, one of the most important problems that threaten the party would be removed. When these facts are concerned, simplifying language and removing words that are used to express threatening concepts, would perfectionalize the regime in terms of the obedience of people.  Another remarkable aspect about language is that it is one of the most important things that make human beings privileged when compared to animals. As a result of the ability to think, human beings can speak.  Thus, decreasing language to a minimum level in words and expression also means the dehumanization of human beings. Limiting people’s one and very important ability to think and speak, the party tries to dehumanize human beings and make them become animal-like creatures.  Hence, it would be far easier for the party to have full control over its citizens.

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While language plays a major role in shifting people’s thoughts to fit in the Totalitarian regime, another striking aspect of the novel is the theme of how certain ideologies can be imposed on people.   As a starting point, the party chooses to change and destruct the past. Replacing true history with a fictional one which glorifies Oceania makes the already powerful party become even more invincible. As it is stated in the novel:

And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed-if all records told the same tale-then the lie passed into history and became truth. ...

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