James Widdicombe Mr.

Keith Schoen Grammar & Composition 7 April 2014 1984 Historical Analysis Literature often reflects the realities lived during the period in which the work was written. In the early 20th century, writers attempted to criticize a world which was struck by global conflicts. George Orwell, the writer of the classic novel 1984 was inspired by ideas and events that occurred during his time period. The novel depicted a dystopia that was similar to the totalitarian governments of the period. In 1984s world, there are three super-states that use the manipulation of truth through the media, oppressive tactics, endless wars that fueled nationalism, and the corruption of socialist ideas to stay in power. The novel focuses on one of these superstates named Oceania (essentially a futuristic mix of America and Britain) which is run by a dictator named Big Brother. Oceania stands out from the three super-states because it not only cruelly punishes crimes, but also what are known as thought-crimes (or unorthodox beliefs). This key aspect made 1984s world even more terrifying than the totalitarian governments of the period. Although the novel is praised for its unique dystopian vision of the world, it was directly influenced by existing societies. In fact, Orwell used both personal experiences and analysis of historical events to write his dystopian masterpiece. George Orwells 1984 exemplifies the abuse of power characteristic of the time period in which it was written. The dystopian society in 1984 is based on Stalin-era Soviet Union. During the early 20th century, the Soviet Union became a country run by a totalitarian government under the guise of communism. The Soviet Union was run by a dictator named Joseph Stalin who used the

manipulation of the media, the repression of political opponents, and the corruption of socialism to stay in power. In view of this governments methods, George Orwell decided to model his dystopia in 1984 based on Stalin-era Soviet Union. To illustrate, one of the primary similarities between the two is the idolized dictator figure. Joseph Stalin was a dictator that was respected by all Soviets and he utilized propaganda to glorify his image. Similarly, Big Brother, the dictator figure in 1984 was almost a worshipped figure. People loved and adored him, and trusted him as leader of their country. Big Brother and Joseph Stalin even share physical resemblance due to their prominent mustaches. Additionally, the Two Minutes Hate in 1984 reflected Stalins public demonization of all opponents. There are further parallels in the way that Joseph Stalin betrayed his own revolution. Stalins revolution promised social and economic equality; however, it only served to increase inequality under the guise of communism. Similarly, the Ingsoc ideology of Oceania promised total equality, but it instead caused stronger class distinctions. The similarities between Stalin-era Soviet Union and 1984s Oceania reveal that George Orwell modeled the novels dystopian society on actual totalitarian societies. 1984 also exemplifies characteristics of Hitlers Germany. George Orwell was very concerned with god-like fhrer figures of the era. The most prominent of these leaders was Adolf Hitler who successfully convinced Germany to allow his atrocities to be committed in pursuit of a powerful and wealthy nation. Like the Soviet Unions Joseph Stalin, Hitler is a model figure for Big Brother. Both Big Brother and Hitler were loved by their respective nations due to their promises. Consequently, both dictators abused this influence by attempting to keep their nations ignorant. In Germany, Hitler always used propaganda to cultivate a nation that was ignorant of his atrocities. Furthermore, Joseph Goebbels propaganda campaign was incredibly successful at using cinema, radio, and posters to lead the public to trust Hitler. Moreover, Hitlers government

would burn books that were against the governments goals. This manipulation of the media was similar to the way that false information is used in 1984 to keep the population ignorant about the awful conditions they were living in. In the novel, the Ministry of Truth was in charge of creating propaganda and eliminating all expressions that went against Big Brother and the Party. In both cases, propaganda was extended to youth leagues to essentially brainwash the youth into following their respective dictators. Another similarity between Hitlers Germany and 1984s dystopia is the use of an oppressive police force. During Hitlers reign of power in Germany, he created a secret police force named the Gestapo. The Gestapos goal was to eliminate all opponents whether they were political opponents, religious opponents, or foreign enemies. Likewise, 1984s world had an oppressive police force named the Thought Police. Their goals were similar to those of the Gestapo; however, they extended their abuse in order to control peoples thoughts as well as their actions. The dictator figure and the oppressive nature of Hitlers Germany served as an inspiration for 1984s Oceania. George Orwells experiences with censorship at the BBC in the early 1940s also influenced 1984s theme of abuse of power. In the early 1940s, George Orwell worked for the BBC to write articles. As an uncompromisingly honest writer, Orwell would write his news articles based on his observations of the events that were occurring. However, Orwell was later disillusioned when he realized that the BBC was changing information (including his own articles) to suit the British Empires purpose. He realized that the BBCs journalism was not about spreading truth; instead it was manipulated to keep Britain in power over India and other colonies. This is similar to the work that the Ministry of Truth does in 1984. The Ministry of Truth manipulated all forms of media to serve the Partys purposes. They even went as far as to eliminate all previous written materials and change them to fit the lies they were currently

propagating. The BBC censorship was similar in how much effort they went to glorify the British Empire. However, 1984s Oceania takes it even further by forcing even those they execute to believe in the Party and love Big Brother. While the BBC censorship was less extreme, it is evident that the dystopian society in 1984 was influenced by the manipulation of information by the BBC during the early 1940s. George Orwells 1984 presents a world that is based on actual historical societies and occurrences. Both Stalin-era Soviet Union and Hitlers Germany served as model societies for Orwells dystopia. Additionally, Orwells experiences with BBC censorship helped inspire themes of the manipulation of truth through the media in 1984. The novel essentially takes several of George Orwells common observations in order to criticize the direction in which the world was going. Orwells insights continue to inspire and delight readers through all generations. The books historical significance has given it a status as a warning for a changing society. Its greatest strength is that it not only criticizes one particular ideology. Instead, Orwell chooses to criticize all forms of abuse of power whether they are in capitalism, communism, or other ideologies. 1984 continues to serve as a testament to the brilliant observations of George Orwell. Writers today should continue to observe the world around them in order to write stories with immediate relevance and eternal resonance. Books like 1984 demonstrate that literature can be used as an outlet to criticize society in order to help the public comprehend the implications of contemporary life. For this reason, although George Orwells 1984 should be praised for its universal themes, it should also be understood within its historical context in order to fully appreciate its literary value.