Kaleb Padgett

Mrs. Koener

English IV

27 November 2012

Dystopian Government’s Intentions are not Benevolent, but Self-serving

A society in which independent thinking is a crime punishable by death, the government does not think of the common good by which all of the society will benefit, and the leaders are self-serving. Big Brother doesn't need to justify its ways because it holds all of the power in society through its ministries. In the novel, 1984 by George Orwell, there is one theme that stands out the most from the point of view from Winston, the main theme of the book is that government’s intentions are not benevolent, but self-serving this is show through government control, population control, and …show more content…

How often, or on what system, the Thought Police plugged in on any individual wire was guesswork” (Book I Ch. 1). With these police the citizens of Oceania are afraid to even talk bad in secret about the corrupt government. The Party uses clever slogans, which are present throughout the city of Oceania to maintain propaganda and induce fear among the citizens of the city from the very moment that they are born, until the end of their life. These slogans are constantly in view to all of the citizens of Oceania through the telescreens and banners. The main slogan that is used by the Party is "War is Peace; Freedom is Slavery; Ignorance is Strength" (Book I Ch. I). This slogan introduces the idea of doublethink, being able to hold two contradictory beliefs in ones mind simultaneously, while accepting both of them no matter which one you lean to. These slogans, which are constantly in view, weaken the independence and strength of individuals' minds, and force them to live in constant fear. Through this fear, the Big Brother is able to force its subjects to accept anything they wish, even if it is entirely illogical. The slogan is an important example of how the Party falsifies the records of history in order to break down the psychological independence of its people of Oceania. The Party does not allow individuals to keep memories from their past, such as photographs and documents, because this would cause the Party to lose