Resistance, Rats, Relapse,
Readjustment: Stages of Submission
Since his humble beginnings in Bengal , India
George
Orwell’s sensational and satirical novels, 1984
and Animal Farm, explore the effects
that a potent totalitarian regime has on the feeble working class. Though
pockets of opposition exist in a totalitarian system of government, ultimately,
no one endures the immense challenge of overthrowing the establishment,
especially with the supreme authority of the government. Throughout history, totalitarian
governments have sought after the subordination of all aspects of their
citizens’ lives. Once the principles of the absolute, oppressive establishment
are initiated, rebellion becomes futile. After all, “WAR IS PEACE. FREEDOM IS
SLAVERY. IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH” (Orwell 6). Orwell recognizes the looming
dangers of totalitarianism and desires to warn the Western World of its
relentless and sadistic nature. Government officials in these two novels
utilize psychological manipulation, torture, technological surveillance and the
control of language to coerce citizens into utter submission. Orwell
demonstrates that the efforts of the lower societal class to modify the principles
and ethics of a totalitarian authority are in vain. Through the employment of
satire, irony and allegory in 1984 and
Animal Farm, Orwell represses language,
illustrating the continuously crushed will of the individual, in spite of
attempts of rebellion.
In 1984, George Orwell’s
direct approach and simplicity in his writing style contributes to his overall success
as a writer. Many of the fundamental themes and concepts of this novel are utilized
by the government to suppress infidelity against it. Several examples include:
doublethink, which refers to the acceptance or promulgation of contradictory
facts or values; Big Brother, which can be described as an
exceedingly-controlling leader; and Newspeak, which exists as a deliberately
impoverished language employed into mainstream society via the state. By
utilizing a basic form of the English language, as well as by applying
seemingly contradictory ideas to common culture, the Party, the ruling class of
Oceania , asserts its dominance over its
inhabitants. The loss of an individual voice and communication between
different social classes foreshadows the very end of individuality for the
working class in 1984; the
totalitarian regime retains power and all hope is lost for making any
significant modifications to the government
Since the dawn of time, humanity
has persisted in confronting “a range of dimensions concerning the nature of
public truth and lying” (Ingle 743). When reality and fantasy intermingle,
however, people cannot uncover the truth because it is wholeheartedly
manipulated to fit the standards of the aristocracy. The theme of truth is
especially relevant in the novel 1984.
As a satirical novel, 1984 allows
Orwell to present his political beliefs to the general public, without being
chastised for his principles. Winston Smith, the protagonist and main character
of 1984, commences his journey with a
strong sense of reality, a resilient rebellious nature and an appreciation of
formality in the English language. Although the Party imposes lies upon its
society, Winston admits that “if all others [accept] the lie which the Party
[imposes] – if all records [tell] the same tale – then the lie [passes] into
history and [becomes] truth” (Orwell 31). This statement by Winston refers to
the malleability of facts and current beliefs, which is paradoxical in nature.
How could the Party make two plus two equal five, a clearly deceitful dogma,
when modern mathematics had taught us that it equaled four? Torture. The Party
persistently inflicts pain onto its unruly citizens to bring them to a breaking
point. Because of this, the Party keeps its power over individual spirits by
implementing policies and ideologies that exposes insurgents and preserves
order in Oceania . Winston’s job at the
Ministry of Truth, the government agency which creates propaganda,
predominantly functions as a place to rewrite history to match the Party’s
perspective. Minitru (the Ministry of Truth), Miniluv (the Ministry of Love),
Miniplenty (the Ministry of Plenty) and Minipax (the Ministry of Peace) are
misnomers, and actually represent the opposite of their alleged names; these
are several examples of verbal irony. As Winston rigorously works to revise the
past, he loses sight of reality because of the government’s power. Threats from
the government foster unity through fear as memories become lost to the distant
past, truth becomes irrelevant and the aristocracy fabricates the foundation of
mainstream societal beliefs. Oceania , the
super-state acting as the primary setting of 1984, purges all thoughts of resistance from its societal structure
through seemingly endless cycles of torture. The reason behind a totalitarian
government’s success is its “brutal—as opposed to elegant—simplicity” because
although language represents “power at a distance, totalitarian language
[exists] as brute force” (Schneider 7-8). The sheer simplicity of all elements
of society renders discussion of rebellion as a useless measure. Language is a
powerful tool; once it is controlled, nothing is able to stop the influence of totalitarianism
ideals. Even if rising poverty levels lead to crime, “the effect of which has
been to arouse the antagonism of the general public against the poor,” the
power of a totalitarian government cannot be undermined because of its vindictive
disposition (Beadle 199). Individual opinions become meaningless as alternative
thinking is eradicated from society via Newspeak, the impoverished language
promoted by Oceanian society.
As the language of Oceania , Newspeak is primarily employed by the Party to
express a clear-cut meaning for every word. This method of developing a common
language does not allow for ambiguity to exist, rather, individual thoughts are
diminished through this process. As Newspeak progresses into its final form,
the spirit of humanity is suppressed on account of repetitive limitations
placed on it by the government. The slogan of the Party, “WAR IS PEACE. FREEDOM
IS SLAVERY. IGNORANCE IS TRUTH” exists as an oxymoron; it seems to contradict
itself, but in fact has elements of truth in it (Orwell 6). As long as Oceania is at war, it drives its citizens into states of
patriotism and nationalism, thus directing frustration from the masses toward
another, supposedly inferior, super-state. The Inner Party maintains its own
freedom if they enslave the commoners. If everyone continues to be ignorant to
the truth, the strength of the Party does not fluctuate and the Party endures
as the unequivocal leaders of Oceania . Winston’s
sense of individuality is crushed under the tyrannical totalitarian regime; he
is coerced into submission by the government. Upon the conclusion of his rehabilitation,
Winston is completely reintegrated into mainstream society as an avid supporter
of the Party due to its oppressive nature. He even denounces his own feelings
for Julia, his one and only true love, as he declares his “love [for] Big
Brother” (Orwell 342). Winston’s spirit is overwhelmed and defeated by the vast
amount of power and influence retained by the Party because of its ability to
control individual thought with constant surveillance, relentless rounds of
torture and the usage of propaganda. As Winston watches the telescreen at the
Chesnut Tree, a depressing café in Oceania , he
traces “with his finger in the dust on the table: 2+2=5” (Orwell 336). Although
Winston understood that thought criminals spent a great amount of time here, it
is ironic to note his negligence in acknowledging his own defeat at the hands
of the Party. Winston’s love for Julia has been transferred to Big Brother,
which is ironic due to Winston’s inability to hold true to his convictions.
As he conforms to the standards of Oceania ’s society, Winston loses his ability to
effectively utilize language in order to defy the oppressive establishment.
Although he pledges to “commit acts of sabotage which may cause the death of
hundreds of innocent people” at a particular instance in the novel, Winston
fails to hold onto his own convictions (Orwell 199). At this point, he is
unable to differentiate between truth or lies, reality or imagination, morality
or immorality. Winston has become another mere pawn of the government,
illustrating that the state has supremacy over the actions of each individual
person. Through its own contradictions, the Party is able to reestablish itself
at the helm of Oceania ’s totalitarian
government. Even though “individual relationships and a completely helpless
gesture [. . .] could have value in itself,” even miniscule areas of resistance
and charity could not undermine the oppressive nature of the authority figure
(Orwell 146). Winston’s meaningful love affair with Julia merely serves as a
catalyst to his downfall and loss of individuality. Their actions are in vain;
the lovers predict their inevitable demise. Because Big Brother and the Party
could alter information to fit fluctuating standards, the past did not just
change, “but changed continuously” (Orwell 70). The Party comprehends the
importance of the private domain because Oceania
would cease to exist; personal trust frequently overshadows trust given to the
state. As a result of this, the Party programs its citizens, from an early age,
that the act of sex is disgraceful and should only be performed as a duty to
Big Brother. The Party recognizes the power of language; if it controls all
aspects of modern language, theoretically speaking, there would never be a
possibility of an uprising. As explained by Stephen Ingle in his literary
criticism entitled Lies, Damned Lies and
Literature: George Orwell and ‘The Truth’, “the destruction of Oceanian
civil society brought about by the erosion of its cultural base, especially its
language provides a picture of the threat posed by all modern governments [. .
.]” which conveys the immense presence that government has in everyday life. In
a totalitarian system, all aspects of common culture must be regulated by the
government to promote loyalty, and to establish a feeling of dependency towards
the state. The censuring of information in Oceania ,
combined with consistent surveillance and the threat of torture, ultimately
erases Winston’s rebellious nature. The Party reasserts its dominance with
contradictory statements that are forced upon the revolutionaries in Oceanian
society. The concept of regulation and loyalty is extremely prevalent in Animal Farm, which explicitly points out
the flaws of Russian government from the Russian Revolution into the Stalin
era.
Orwell was able to explore his
imagination in his allegorical novella Animal
Farm, which addresses the corruption of Russian leaders, as well as the
effects of apathy, ignorance and voracity. Through his usage of an allegory in Animal Farm, Orwell displays his
distaste of totalitarian systems of government. Because “Orwell is always
deeply concerned with the motives that actuate human behavior, particularly in
the area of social and political action,” he tends to explore the effects that
government had on its citizens, while simultaneously expressing his own
preference for democratic socialism (Beadle 197). The novella begins with the
animals starting a revolution against their wretched owner in search of a
better life; according to the entire population of the farm animals, “Man
serves the interests of no creature except himself” (Orwell 5). By adopting
Seven Commandments, which were created in order to make every animal equal, the
farm prospers and ascends into an era of tranquility. As conflict escalates,
due to the increasingly heated arguments taking place over how to run the farm,
the leaders of the farm alter the Seven Commandments to demonstrate their changing
attitudes toward humankind. Although Mr. Jones was overthrown in order to
create equality between the animals, the pigs seize the opportunity to
establish themselves as the ruling class of Manor Farm. In doing so, the tenets
of the original, “perfect” Manor Farm are completely obliterated as the now
unquestioned leaders of Manor Farm begin to convey human qualities. As these
commandments are altered, Orwell portrays that any political doctrine can be
adjusted to become an effective piece of propaganda. The pigs, symbolic of the
nobility and aristocracy on the farm, progressively exhibit human
characteristics as they lose sight of reality by not holding true to their
original intention—making all animals equal. By the completion of the novel,
the other animals, representative of the working class, realize that their “miserable,
laborious, and short” lives exist primarily to serve the desires of their
tyrannical figureheads (Orwell 3). The farm’s reign over its “citizens” is not
merely short-lived, because its effects subsist even after its collapse. As the
pigs neglect their own identities as animals, they continue to pursue knowledge
to quench their thirst for dominance; in doing so, they enlarge the gap between
social classes. This gap is also representative of the differences in intellect
of the various animals on Manor Farm. Once the pigs began to cooperate with the
humans, the other creatures on the farm “[look] from pig to man, and from man
to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it [is] impossible to say which
[is] which” (Orwell 118). The inability to tell pigs apart from humans
illustrates the lack of moral decency that is present at the end of the novel.
As opinions dissipate, attributable to the tyrannical nature of Manor Farm,
language is monitored by the pigs to clear themselves of accusations of
wrongdoings. Through the technique of repressing individual thoughts, combined
with the presence of persuasive propaganda and an overpowering governmental
influence, a totalitarian regime brings its opposition into a state of
obedience. Although government may be an institution based on trust, the
subversion of language by a totalitarian establishment obliterates any element
of trust between the general public and the administration.
George Orwell’s satirical novels, 1984 and Animal Farm, use their imaginative nature to analyze various
political systems. Through the control of the English language, totalitarian
institutions can recreate the truth in their own image, while also triumphing
over individual spirit. As common culture is relinquished by the citizens of
the state, a totalitarian government takes control of all aspects of mainstream
society to recreate it in its own image. Orwell’s warning of communism to the
Western World is successful because of his ability to craft a dystopian and an
allegorical novel (1984 and Animal Farm, respectively), both of
which display the ruthlessness of totalitarianism. Through use of a pessimistic
tone, blended with the devastation of the main characters and the general
public in both novels, Orwell successfully identifies how totalitarianism could
affect society if it is left unimpeded by attempts to go against it. As
individuality and innocence are lost, Orwell depicts the futile struggle of the
masses to rise above a higher power to achieve its goals.
Orwell, being a staunch advocate of
democratic socialism, understood that “BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU” (Orwell 3).
As principles and morals of typical citizens are thrown to the wayside, a new
system of beliefs arises to take their place. Without room for interpretation,
the very essence of words—meanings—disappear from civilization forever, thus
promoting the same totalitarian society that no one wants in the first place.
“The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture.
The object of power is power” (Orwell 258). Language is power. Without it,
resistance is futile.
No comments:
Post a Comment