"1984"

Paper Summary:

This paper studies and critiques George Orwell's book "1984", which explores the themes of totalitarianism, love, freedom and betrayal. The paper discusses the book's prolific symbolism, such as Orwell's Big Brother, who represents the dictators that use scare tactics to control their people. The paper demonstrates how this symbolism was a social commentary on World War II. Further, the author of this paper asserts that "1984" continues to offer relevant commentary on today's abusive dictators who terrorize their own people in the false name of nationalism.

From the Paper:

"Winston thinks that the proles alone have the ability to change life. They make up such a great deal of the population of Oceania and have been able to hold on to their emotions and some semblance of life without Big Brother watching every moment. He is discouraged about the chances of that happening as he writes of the proles, "until they become conscious they will never rebel, and until after they have rebelled they cannot become conscious" (Orwell, 74). Although they have the strength in numbers, they have not attempted to stage an uprising against the Party. The Brotherhood, which seems to be elusive and no one has proof that they actually exist, seems to be the only attempt at civil disobedience. They are uneducated, poor and lacking in initiative to change anything about their future. Winston thinks if they would wake up, they could change the future of Oceania. He also thinks their "humanness" is what makes the difference in them and the Party members. Big Brother and the Party don't expect a revolution, for good reason, and don't restrict the prole's actions."

More papers on "1984":

• Book Review # 74481 : "Orwell's Vision in '1984'"
• Comparison Essay # 73704 : "Orwell's "1984" and American Society"
• Comparison Essay # 71032 : "Orwell's "1984" and Freedom of Thought"
• Analytical Essay # 921 : "George Orwell's Novel "1984": The Paradoxical Government"

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