1984 theme of totalitarianism and communism Flashcards
Orwell’s purpose of writing 1984
Orwell published Nineteen Eighty-Four in 1949, not as a prediction of actual future events, but to warn the world against what he feared would be the fate of humanity if totalitarian regimes were allowed to seize power. Orwell maintained that he had set the book in Britain in order to show that totalitarianism could succeed anywhere if it were not fought against.
What does INGSOC represent
In the novel, INGSOC represents the worst features of both the Nazi and Communist regimes. The Party’s ultimate ambition is to control the minds as well as the bodies of its citizenry, and thus control reality itself.
Aim of war quote
“The primary aim of modern warfare is to use up the products of the machine without raising the general standard of living.”
Aim of war quote analysis
The main reason for war is to use up goods in order to prevent a rise in the standard of living. The population is kept in poverty, as it is thought that the accumulation of resources would lead to better education and political resistance. The logic of war also gives a veneer of purpose to the Party’s control of the population and to policies such as rationing.
Controlled insanity quote
“If the High are to keep their places permanently then the prevailing mental condition must be controlled insanity.”
Controlled insanity quote analysis
Logic is a threat to the Party’s power, and thus doublethink is necessary because it is a way of perceiving the world that is by definition illogical––it is completely incompatible with logic and thus, in Goldstein’s words, can be considered a form of “controlled insanity.” It is also important to note Goldstein’s statement that the aim of the Party is for “human equality… to be for ever averted.”
Death is freedom quote
“To die hating them, that was freedom.”
Death is freedom quote analysis
Winston has accepted the Party’s control over reality and over his own mind. However, he still dreams of the past, and Julia, and has awoken realizing that he still loves Julia and thus his emotions are still free from the Party’s control. He realizes that he wants to die hating the Party and Big Brother, because even if the Party controls every other aspect of his life, this hatred will prove that he died a person with at least a tiny bit of dignity and agency.
Death is freedom foreshadowing
This sentence tragically foreshadows the remainder of the narrative, where Winston loses his emotional freedom, including his love of Julia and hatred of the Party. This is reflected in the final sentence of the novel, which is “He loved Big Brother.”
