George Orwell and Margaret Atwood

Christopher Heal Mr Champion English Literature Yr13 December 10, 2004

George Orwell and Margaret Atwood are two writers famous for their politically themed books. Atwood is famous for her feminist views and Atwood for his political satires. In Orwell’s 1984 and Attwood’s The Hand Maid’s Tale both authors use the theme of control as one of the main ideas. These ideas which run throughout the books help the reader learn about how the governments of these dystopiain societies keep and gain control over it’s population.

One of the main aspects of control that both authors highlight is that of communication. In 1984, communication is controlled through the Party’s domination of language and all media outlets. The newspapers, TV and radio stations are all controlled by INGSOC. By owning and controlling the entire media the Party can expose the population to its intense use of propaganda. This use of propaganda influences the Party member’s ideas. The Party uses the TV to report news of its wars. It also changes the paper’s and TV reports to match what they want its members to think. They change facts placed in newspaper to match with what they are saying currently “copies which have been rewritten a dozen times still stood on the files bearing its original date, and no other copy existed to contradict it.”

This shows clear evidence of the Party’s control of the media and facts here. However the most important consequence of all this manipulation and control of the past is mainly that history is completely modified. For example, in 1984, Winston relays to the reader that the Party broadcasts that Oceania is at war with Eurasia and in alliance with Eastasia. However, as Winston well knew; it was only four years since Oceania had been at war with Eastasia and in alliance with Eurasia. But that was a piece of furtive knowledge which he happened to posses because his memory was not satisfactorily under control. It was also not true, for example, as was claimed by the Party that they themselves had invented aeroplanes. He remembered aeroplane’s since his earliest childhood. But you could prove anything since there was never any evidence. This form of control brainwashes its members into thinking along the same lines as the Party. It is very effective and helps the Party sustain their control.

The tight scrutiny the Party places on the media can be paralleled in Margaret Attwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. The media outlets are also strictly regulated by the Gileadian government.

The Gilead government enforces a strict control of censorship and propaganda based on the bible. Any information the population of Gilead receive is unreliable. This can be seen through Serena Joy who is watching the news channel before the ceremony takes place. In the same way that Big brother in 1984 controls what the members believe to be true the Gilead government control what the population think. However it is not as extreme in Gilead as it in Oceania. In Oceania when Big Brother tell its members something they are expected to believe it is true, and do believe its true, The republic of Gilead do not do so that intensely.

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The Party’s main propaganda figure that controls everything is the idea of Big Brother. He is supposed to be the head of the government in Oceania, but as it is revealed through out the novel we can see that he is not real, he is just one more element to control everything. Big brother is an idea used to enforce the fact that the Party members do not control anything. Big Brother can always see them.” He took a twenty-five cent piece out of his pocket. …..and on the other face of the coin the head of Big Brother. Even from the coins the eyes pursued you. On coins, on stamps, on the covers of the books, on banners, on posters and on the wrapping of a cigarette packet- everywhere. Asleep or awake, working or eating indoors or out of doors, in the bath or in bed-no escape. Nothing was your own to control except the few cubic centimetres inside your skull.” Winston himself is concerned with this manipulation and control but he fails to realize that he is a main element in helping carry out this manipulation. Winston ,through his work in the ironically titled Ministry Of Truth, changes the facts and figures for the Party and helps them keep thier control over the population.

The idea of control via a figure, Big brother, always watching you is very similar in The Handmaid’s Tale, where we are told of the Eyes who are watching you constantly. The Eyes of God are Gilead’s secret police. They represent the eternal watchfulness of God and the totalitarian state. This can be shown through their symbol - a winged eye. They create power and fear by people not knowing whether they will be caught and sent to be Unwomen. In Gilead’s theocracy, the eye of God and of the state are assumed to be one and the same. The main difference between the two however is that in 1984 Big brother is never seen and is thought to be a person created by paranoia as in Gilead the characters sees the eyes in their everyday life.

The Party’s control, in 1984, of people’s mind can further be highlighted through Winston’s frustration by the impossibility of knowing what is and what is not a lie. The Party claims that the average human being is better off under the Party than before the Revolution and for all Winston knows this could be true. His only evidence is that he instinctively feels that his standard of living is unbearable and that at some other time in history, things must have been better.

The reality of life under the Party (poor, dirty, and hungry) is completely different to the image of life according to their propaganda (efficient, futuristic, and mechanical). Even so, everyone appears to swallow the propaganda and believe they are living the great life they see in posters and on films. This highlight’s just how great the extent of the Party’s control over its members minds.

Writing and reading of books, other than Party school books, which themselves are greatly manipulated, is forbidden. This is due to the fact that the Party sees either as a threat and a way of communicating idea’s that may go against the Party. An example of this is Goldstein’s book which if anyone is caught reading, is punishable by death. The Party has outlawed literary elements to protect itself and prevent the freedom of thought. In a similar way, the Party’s national language is Newspeak. Unlike other languages which are used to develop expression of thought and feeling the Party controls and contains these feelings and idea’s by reducing the Oldspeak language. This prevents any idea of rebellion and keeps the Party’s control tighter. Communication between families has also become an area not to be trusted, as children are taught and rewarded to betray their parent’s in if they do anything against the Party. The Party also sloganise everything. There are no laws in Oceania just slogans. Sloganising reduces the already narrowed vocabulary of Newspeak to ideas which are intended to be
taken in by the citizens to such an extent that movement away them from is not ordinarily a distinguishable possibility. To impose this upon a nearly global urban community is the monumental task of the authorities in Oceania and one which in 1984 is nearing completion. By using slogans the Party has gained even more control over it’s members and in the book it is near completion of overall domination.

In Handmaid’s Tale the fanatical leaders of Gilead have also created a new language like The Party have in 1984. The language in Gilead warps reality in order to serve the needs of the new society’s leaders. Women are given titles according to their newly created roles, Handmaids, Wives or Martha’s. By creating this knew title the government control’s there individuality. Deformed babies and feminist are now called “unwomen” and “Unbabies”. Greetings have now changed and new phrases created. Failure to use these new greeting can cause suspicion of unloyalty. By controlling thier names and aspects of language, Gilead can maintain it’s control over women and their bodies. By using a new language both Atwood and Orwell are exploring the link between the perversion of language and a government’s repression.

Handmaids are not also allowed to read and write in Gileadian society. Shop names are shown through symbols. Talking between a group of more than three is also strictly forbidden. Communication between one another is also highly dangerous as they have to monitor what they say as in 1984 no one can be trusted so not only do the population monitor what they say they also monitor what each other say out of fear. This can be shown through Offred when the new Ofglen Handmaid arrives. Offred does not know how to act around her as she does not know how devoted to the Gilead cause she is. This highlights just how much control the Gilead society has over it’s subjects and how fearful they are.

As well as controlling the Party members lives the Party also control it’s member relationships. There can be no personal relationships. The Party does not allow it or sex. Sex can no longer be used as an expression of two people’s feeling for each other, hence why Winston has to go to the prole dominated lands to sleep with a prostitute whenever he wants sex. The Party states that sex is only for bearing children. "goodsex," "normal intercourse between man and wife, for the sole purpose of begetting children, and without physical pleasure on the part of the woman; all else was sexcrime." The minimizing of sex is again the Party enforcing control over it’s member ways of expressing emotion. They can not express their feelings verbally due to Newspeak or physically through sex. The Party is trying to eliminate positive feelings and relationships for/with one another and allow only a relationship with Big Brother with all their optimistic feelings and love shown towards him. The same happens in Gilead. Handmaid’s are not allowed any form of relationship’s be it friendship or a loving relationship with another person. The Handmaid’s are there to be used for procreational use not to be loved. They are not allowed to feel love. Handmaid’s are not even allowed friendships with each other or Martha’s. Both characters have previously felt a love which the government want to control and eliminate. Winston has a love for a mother which he can erase and can not hate her like most children in 1984 do. Offred and her husband Luke had the kind of male-female relationship which she is no longer allowed. Offred’s memories of Luke contrast with the regimented, passionless state of male-female relations in the new society. The governments control over relationship’s can be shown by Offred when she states that “forgotten how to love”. The Gileadian government wishes this to happen and is just as the Aunts at the Red Centre told her it would eventually become the norm to be isolated from society. Homosexuality is also outlawed just like marriage with a divorcée is, this which emphasizes the governments control over who you can and cannot love in both totalitarianism states.

Uniform is used in both of the books to cancel out any individuality which allows the society to control the people by their group. The uniform is plain and practical. The uniform helps distinguish between the Party members and the proles. It shows the society who the Party has control over and who they don’t. It also helps the Party keep control as everybody looks the same therefore everyone is the same. They all think and look the same. Nobody is different in anyway. The same is true of Gilead; different groups wear different uniforms to show where they belong. The Uniforms of Gilead also place control over the handmaids as the winged visors mean they can not be seen by anyone, they are anonymous. The government is taking away further from their identity as an individual like in 1984. This shows further examples of controlling an idea to gain total power.

Both governments in the books have complete control and have forms of punishment for anyone who tries to go against their control. In 1984 there are no written laws, although several crimes are punishable. “Crimes” such as Doublethink, facecrime and sexcrime are punishable by death and impose a certain amount of fear into the Party member’s lives. They comply to Big brother’s idea and values to escape death. The routine that the members live by, are also at the control of Big Brother. Anyone who does not follow the routine is vaporized. The workers must perform morning exercises everyday and participate in community activities such as Hate Week. All these add to the love the people have for Big Brother, Big Brother makes them perform thier workouts as he loves them and wants them to stay fit. The members of 1984 also work a lot of the time for the ironic ministries. Failure to do so again results in death. Big Brother rules by a mixture of fear and love. People fear for their lives yet care a great deal about Big Brother and by suing this mix the Party ensures it will stay in power. In The Handmaid’s Tale it is a different scenario. The Gileadian government like to think they have a strict regime which everyone is following but as we read the text it is clear to see that not everyone is strongly devoted to the new way of life. Every major character in the books breaks a rule without being punished. Even the characters high up in the hierarchy who are supposed to be the major players of the cause break the rules. This can be shown through the commander who plays scrabble with Offred and Serena Joy who arranges Offred to have sex with Nick. The rules are there they are just broken. All the rules are backed up by bible quotes. The idea of handmaids is base don the biblical story of Jacob and Rachel. The bible is major source of rules and because the government believes everyone believes in the book they think everyone will conform to the rules. No one can question the bible either as they are not allowed to read it. Through the bible the leaders can keep their control on the people. The characters are also expected to, like in 1984, to follow certain routines. The routines are hard to break as it draws suspicion to you and you may be sent to the colonies and become an Unwomen. The idea of ruling by fear, like in 1984, is used to control people. The handmaids have a structured timetable just like Winston does in 1984. This allows the governments to know who is doing and when they are doing it. Just like in 1984 the Handmaids have a lack of freedom of movement. They are closely monitored by the angels and like in Orwell’s book if they become suspects of not complying to the regime they will be killed.

The two governments of Oceania and Gilead both use different forms of control to stay in power. 1984 appears to be the most successful at its method of using control to keep in power. By rewriting the having people follow the same routines, dress the same and use the same language it makes everyone one kind of person. This one person is easier to control as everybody is the same. In Gilead however there are lots of different groups who all think different and have different roles. It is harder to control the people of Gilead for this reason. Both totalitarianism governments use propaganda as the main point of trying to stay in control. They paint a picture of themselves that they know the people will like and be more likely to follow and it appears to work in both novels especially 1984 where people just accept any changes that happen and seem to forget anything they have been told that contradicts it.

Overall both societies, in both books, achieve a dystopian totalinarism state where theyhave complete control but they achieve this in different ways. In 1984, Big Brother has made everyone the same as in Atwood’s book people are split up into a hierarchy. Orwell removes individuality completely. It is due to this that 1984 is more successful in it’s quest for total control.

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