Consider Yourself Warned The Government watches all the time. They control where you go and what you think. They constantly monitor your every movement to prevent a rebellion, and persecute everyone that shows even a remote sign of negativity. These characteristics are definitive of the totalitarian Government Citizens of Orwell’s 1984 Oceania deal with. In the novel, 1984, Orwell depicts the dangers and risks of continuing an aggressive attitude in political affairs. Orwell having witnessed the tension and the problems with governments, who sought to be totalitarian, sends out a warning that the monitoring of thoughts along with the vaporizing of humans could become a very serious reality. Orwell uses the symbolism of Winston’s ulcer to represent his desire for individuality and to demonstrate how the party is capable of taking away ones hunger for freedom. Thus Orwell warns the world that f itt does not change the violent course of action, total war will remain a threat and the creative nature of humans will be destroyed, he illustrates the need for political actions because at the time, the political tension were raging between America and Russia; making total war a possibility and horror. Winston is established as one of a small minority of free speakers. He constantly seeks freedom and takes part in illegal dealings as a means to fulfill his hunger for rebellion. At the beginning of the story Orwell states, “Party members were not to go in ordinary shops… he had given a quick glance up and down the street then had slipped inside” (6). Orwell establishes Winston as a free thinker for he had the thought to buy something that was not allowed by the party, which represents his freedom. Winston’s ulcer on his ankle demonstrates his want for freedom. At the beginning of the book when his life is simple and his mind is the only object that is anti-party Orwell states, “He had a varicose ulcer on his right ankle” (1). He continues to say, “His varicose ulcer had begun itching unbearable. He dared not scratch it, because if he did so it
always became inflamed” (8). His “ulcer” represents his need desire to rebel (8). It was “itching” so bad because he was getting a taste of rebellion by buying and keeping a diary, going against the party, and he enjoys the feeling refuting the party (8). The problem is if Winston continues to rebel it will become “inflamed” because the party will capture him giving him no chance to be free, therefore no chance to stop the itchiness of his ulcer with anti-party activities (8). As Winston starts to fight back he immediately wants to more, but cannot because of the extreme surveillance of the telescreens and the microphones. The party is everywhere illustrating the possible outcome of totalitarian Government if they continue to rule over the nations with one active party and no chance of individuality. The political climate that Orwell wrote in was one of high tensions, the end of World War II and the beginning of the Cold War. In both Germany and Russia purges had taken place a direct comparison to the events leading up to the type of government in Oceania. Orwell says, “The two of them must evidently have been swallowed up in one the first great purges in the fifties” (29) “Purges” actually took place around World War II in both Germany and the U.S.S.R (29). Furthermore to relate the cold war to 1984 Goldstein writes, “ The splitting up of the world into three great super states ... with the absorption of Europe by Russia and the British Empire by the United States, two of the three, Eurasia and Oceania existing powers were already in being” (185). 1948 relates to the cold war by making the nations who were fighting in the cold war continue to fight in the future as two separate nation making a direct link between the past and future. Through this Orwell directly links the book to real events showing that with continuation of the current policies a Totalitarian government will be established. Similarity in Oceania a totalitarian government had taken over restricting freedom. In 1984 the government takes extreme measures to spy on its citizens. For instances Orwell writes, “The telescreens received
and transmitted simultaneously” (3). In comparison during the Cold War an immense amount of spying went on, new developments such as the magnetic microphone, the clandestine transmitter, and the Simpson multimeter were used (Listening In). In 1984 Children would turn on their parents, “Nearly all children nowadays were horrible” (24). “What was worse of all was that by means of such organizations as the Spies, they were systematically turned into ungovernable little savages” (24). “Spies” are everywhere from machines to children this will be the future if people continue to spy on each other and turn each other in for questionable motives (24). Humans will no long become individuals but products owned by the government doing whatever is asked of them. Since it is programmed into their mind to love and trust whatever the government of Oceania asks. Now the Government not only has thought of their actions but their thoughts. Orwell continues the warning with the idea of “doublethink” (26). In 1984, the Government makes sure they control the lives of the citizens and what has happened in the past. For instances the slogan that “War is Peace”, to the Government as long as there is stability they will remain in power which is peace to the Inner Party members (104). Emanuel Goldstein writes, “The war is waged by each ruling group against its own subjects, and the object of the war is not to make or prevent conquest of territory but to keep the structure of the society intact…by becoming continuous the war has ceased to exist”(199). The “war” is just a means of distracting the middle class and the proles from a revolt (199). By using up all the resources and keeping the middle class at work to fuel the “war” the government keeps the citizens occupied and prevents them from realizing that they could rebel and change the social structure (199). With total war and conflict this never has to change and the social structure is always safe and the party remains powerful. For the first time during the cold war with the development of
nuclear weapons total war was a possibility. With the continuation of the arms race complete war could have been established. In 1984 the war has become a war with the purpose of maintaining the influence of the party on the citizens. As shown by Winston the convincing of the people in Oceania is based on first eliminating their need for freedom. During the sessions of Winston’s torture when he gets to see himself Orwell writes, “The varicose ulcer was an inflamed mass with flakes of skin peeling off of it” (271). The ulcer is once again “inflamed” because the party has taken away any chance of freedom for Winston (271). He has become hungrier for freedom as it has been taken away from him. Once Winston has been brainwashed and Orwell states, “they had dressed the varicose ulcer with soothing oil” (274). The party has found away to control Winston by giving him “oil” he no longer needs or thinks about freedom for the part has brain washed him (274). The party has progressed to a level that they can break any one and make then believe anything they want to. Eventually there will be no one who does not love Big Brother. Orwell writes 1984 to send a warning of what will come if total war takes place. He relates the government to real life, illustrating that drastic measurement needs to take place in order to prevent a world of total war and destruction of human individuality. With the abundance of spying during the Cold War citizens become more loyal to the state then their own friends and family which eventually leads to a all powerful party who controls everyone out of fear and brainwash. Orwell gives a message of prevention that middle class needs to stand up and make change while they still have the capability of rebellious thoughts.
Work Cited
"Office of Security of Technology." Listening In: Electronic Eavesdropping in The Cold War Era (2008).
