Examine the first five chapters of 1984 - Discuss how Orwell explores and introduces the theme of control.

By Nathan Chang

Examine the first five chapters of 1984

Discuss how Orwell explores and introduces the theme of control

In the first five chapters of the novel we see different methods of control the parties uses to create the perfect totalitarian society. This as in ‘1984’ a book that was actually based on real life London 1948. At this point in history Orwell gathered peoples fear of Nazi Germany, Russia, China and all their controversial communistic views. Orwell used the setting of war torn London and a Stalinism rule. Stalin used the condition of the people together with making himself a Godlike figure to keep the Russian’s both inspired, focussed and under control especially through propaganda.

The barrage of constant Party propaganda just as Stalin did is gradually getting rid of the ability to reason and independent thought, in effect causes you to rely more on The Party and Big Brother. This to the extent that citizens believe anything that the Party tells them, even while possessing information that runs counter to what they are being told, this is doublethink. An example of this is when Winston knew that, ‘Oceania was at war with Eurasia and allied with Eastasia,’ this is whereas now he remembers that ‘it was only four years since Oceania had been at war with Eastasia and allied with Eurasia.’ I believe he remembers as he is strong-minded and his mind isn’t easily controlled. This is quite similar to The Party slogans and the names of their governmental buildings are easily excepted because of doublethink. This is very useful method of control as they can change anything they say at anytime, then erase records of what they say and it’s as though they never said it. This makes the party seem perfect, as it will never make them seem like they’ve made a mistake.

A method in which control and doublethink is channelled and enforced is inside every room and corridor are telescreens which are two way, sending and receiving. The giant telescreen in every citizen's room always is giving the citizens propaganda designed to make the Party appear to be a triumphant success. This beside in with their altering the past to make The Party seem perfect, better than it was before to which no one can question because there is no past to recollect from. The telescreens also monitor behaviour everywhere they go citizens are continuously reminded, by means of the ever-present signs reading "Big Brother is watching you," that the authorities are watching and checking on them. By them continually doing this, ‘asleep or awake, working or eating, indoors or out of doors, in the bath or in the bed-no escape. Nothing was your own except the few cubic centimetres inside your skull.’ This quote actually shows the extent of the telescreens nothing could be hidden, privacy did not exist and everything you knew Big Brother and The Party knew. The party uses these telescreens to keep a watchful eye on the public, which keeps them from committing any thought crime or crime against the party for fear of vaporisation. This supported by when Winston says, ‘people simply disappeared, always during the night. Your name was removed from the register every record of everything you had ever done was wiped out; your one time existence was denied and then forgotten. You were abolished, annihilated: vaporised was the usual word.’ We can see that this really got to Winston as the whole quote is repetitive on the point of destruction.

Anybody outside is either an unperson or a ‘animal’ as the proles are called. The party uses this to keep themselves in power as well as to keep control and order. As the party classing the Proles as ‘animals’ it keeps their loyal party members from having too much contact with them. In affect it keeps them from seeing the life of the Prole not under complete control of Big Brother and The Party. Although if we consider Winston’s betrayal through the shopkeeper we can see that the Proles maybe used as lure for thought criminals. As the Outer ...

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The Party undermines family relationships by inducting children into an organisation called the Junior Spies, which brainwashes and encourages them to spy on their parents and report any instance of disloyalty to the Party. The real reason for this is the Party wish for people to have only one love and that is for Big Brother. An example of this in the book is Parson’s children their detection of a spy of Goldstein’s. The Party also forces individuals to suppress their sexual desires, treating sex as merely a ‘duty to the party’ and ‘making a baby,’ whose end is the creation of new Party members. The Party then channels people's pent-up frustration and emotion into intense, ferocious displays of hatred against the Party's political enemies. The Party has invented many of these enemies just for this purpose. Love is a strong emotion and by the party channelling this emotion they develop and extreme love toward the party and an extreme hatred for anything or anyone against it. The getting rid of sex and marriage based purely on recreation breaks the bond leading to physical or mental ties between them both.

So to a certain extent anyone and everyone could be a spy and has the freedom to report as a thought criminal. An example of this is the relationship between Syme and Winston they are comrades yet Syme would report Winston to the Thought Police if he ever believed him to be one. In 1984 nobody has any real friends their comrades, just fellow servants of the Party. As all the citizens recognise this and so they have no real friends or loved ones as their emotionally detached from their parents at birth and from their husbands or wives so they begin to see Big Brother as their God to look up to.

These are all forms of Psychological Control that the Party uses to altogether make Big Brother look good.

In addition to manipulating their minds, the Party also controls the bodies of its subjects. The Party constantly watches for any sign of disloyalty, to the point that, ‘even a tiny facial twitch could lead to an arrest and a person's own nervous system becomes his greatest enemy.’ The Party forces its members to undergo morning exercises called the Physical Jerks, where they’re also under control and surveillance. When Winston does his daily exercise he can ‘never show dismay! Never show resentment!’ This is as he may commit face crime as well as many other types of crimes. After exercise they then have to work long days at government agencies. This keeps the people in a general state of exhaustion. Keeping the populace at a constant exhaustion keeps them concentrated on their work and Big Brother. Anyone who does manage to defy the Party is punished and "re-educated" through systematic and brutal torture. The Party uses this to keep everyone under their control, while they don’t have rules and laws they use the Ministry of Love as a deterrent.

Winston comes to the conclusion that nothing is more powerful than physical pain. No emotional loyalty or moral conviction can overcome it. By conditioning the minds of their victims with physical torture, the Party is able to control reality like convincing Winston that ‘2 + 2 = 5.’ As a result of The Party doing this they take away the freedom of people and the ability to think clearly. So we can see that The Party uses Physical control.

The Party controls every source of information, managing and rewriting the content of all newspapers and histories. By them doing this there is never a documentation which doesn’t clash with what they say. So it can appear that there has never been a different view, making them appear to be all-powerful. The Party does not allow individuals to keep records of their past, such as photographs or documents. As a result, memories become fuzzy and unreliable, and citizens become perfectly willing to believe whatever the Party tells them. By controlling the present, the Party is able to manipulate the past. And in controlling the past, the Party can justify all of its actions in the present.

In 1984 Orwell shows us that language can be used as a method to control peoples thought and what they say. He shows us that language allows us to convey our feelings and ideas, when our words are limited, as is our ability to define our thoughts and emotions. This is how Big Brother intends to use Newspeak. Also it limits their ability to rebel, as there won’t be a word to describe it. The Party is constantly perfecting Newspeak, with the ultimate goal that no one will be capable of questioning the Party's absolute power.

The condition in which Winston is living in is also a form of control. Winston describes the city as being a ‘grimy landscape,’ and his hallway as smelling like ‘boiled cabbage.’ The elevators never work and necessities such as electricity and plumbing are extremely unreliable. The Party probably doesn’t improve conditions as this forces the workers to want to for a better future. Therefore the citizens are always working hard and The Party is receiving maximum effort from them. Though instead of using their efforts to possibly improve rations they use it to train spies and technology.

All these methods of control are to keep Big Brother in power and so that there is no one to oppose against them. So they do this to prevent anyone from remembering whether it was good in the past.

Peer Reviews

Here's what a star student thought of this essay

GarethEvans

24th of Mar 2012

Quality of writing

I would suggest that the quality of written communication could be improved. Most notably, I would revise certain phrases as their meaning is often ambiguous to say the least. 'Based on real life London'? Orwell's novel, although characterised by a harsh environment, is hyperbolic in nature as it emphasises the mass sufferering that a totalitarian state could bring. Equally, 'the perfect totalitarian society'? This appears oxymoronic considering the novel is a scathing critique of totalitarianism and Stalinist Russia. In essence, be careful with phrasing. However, one cannot dispute that grammar, spelling and punctuation are all fine.

Level of analysis

The level of analysis is adequate here, as this candidate often references specifics within the novel and uses them to support a given point. Undoubtedly they have a good understanding of the methods that the party uses in order to gain control of the majority. Furthermore, they have selected a variety of points which is always recommended in order to avoid a linear essay. However, I was often left questioning how the said method gains control, and I was hoping for greater depth and detail. For example, this candidate discusses the, oligarchic, social order by referencing the 'proles' yet does not conclude by explaining its effect. Yet, this essay does contain a fair level of analysis with a good, rounded, understanding of the subject in question.

Response to question

There is no doubt that this candidate answers the question with both focus and direction. They do not detract from their answer, which is common with such a broad subject. The question itself is answered with distinct sections, all of which provide concise and relevent ideas. For example this candidate discusses propaganda, surveillance, the environment, control of records and language amongst others. Yet, I would suggest expanding these points by combining them into broader themes as I have done above. For example this candidate discusses 'telescreens' and body language seperately, why not simply discuss surveillance? On the whole, this candidate's response is both relevent and direct.

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