The Nature of Control
Is it a typical human inclination to crave power over others? Totalitarian regimes strive to exercise their supremacy and domination over various facets of existence. In the book 1984, Orwell depicts totalitarianism by means of psychological manipulation, physical coercion, and language control. The totalitarian party manipulates and discredits the thoughts of both members of the outer party and the proles. Orwell vividly portrays Winston’s environment as an embodiment of totalitarianism: The face with a black mustache looked down from every authoritative corner.
The caption read “BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU,” while Winston’s own dark eyes stared deeply into them. At street level, another poster revealed the single word “INGSOC.” In the distance, a blue helicopter flew between rooftops like a fly and quickly disappeared – it was the Police Patrol. Simultaneously, behind Winston’s back, the telescreen’s voice continued to babble. The telescreen had the ability to receive and transmit all sounds, meaning any noise made by Winston would be detected. Additionally, as long as Winston remained within its field of vision with his metal plaque visible, he could not only be heard but also seen.
Orwell highlights The Party’s surveillance of Oceania’s citizens through the poster and its caption, emphasizing their control over not just their thoughts but also their behavior. By utilizing fear-inducing tactics like the veneration of Big Brother, The Party aims to manipulate every action of its citizens. The constant presence of telescreens that both receive and transmit all sounds serves as a constant reminder of The Party’s authority, overwhelming those residing in flats and molding their behavior.
The party constantly manipulates their minds to a corrupted state. Orwell highlights the party’s psychological manipulation through the Two Minute Hate: “In its second minute, the Hate rose to a frenzy. People were leaping up and down, shouting at the top of their voices to drown out the maddening voice from the screen.” The little sandy-haired woman blushed bright pink, her mouth opening and closing like a landed fish.
Even O’Brien’s heavy face was flushed. He sat very straight in his chair, and his powerful chest swelled and quivered as though he were standing up to the assault of a wave. The dark-haired girl behind Winston began crying out ‘Swine! Swine! Swine!’ Suddenly, she picked up a heavy Newspeak dictionary and flung it at the screen. The outer party is forced to take part in an “activity” of screaming and shouting at the face that stands for everything the party admonishes. The Two Minute Hate illustrates the extent of control.
The totalitarian government demonstrates its extreme animosity towards Goldstein by hurling the Newspeak dictionary at the telescreen. By compelling individuals to partake in the Two Minute Hate, they gradually instill a greater belief in Big Brother, effectively suppressing their mental faculties. Additionally, the government enforces doublethink, wherein individuals hold contradictory thoughts simultaneously. Thus, the party exercises control over people through both psychological manipulation and physical discipline.
The Inner Party’s physical control dominates the territories of the party. The narrator describes Winston’s ordeal of being beaten, stating that it began with a blow to his elbow and became a nightmarish experience. He later understands that this was just an initial and standard interrogation that most prisoners go through. He cannot remember the number of times he was beaten or how long it lasted. The beatings included punches, truncheons, steel rods, and even boots.
Winston experiences intense torture during the party’s punishment of prisoners. The torture is so severe that Winston writhes on the floor like an animal (247). The party’s objective is to mutilate the prisoners until they are emaciated, with the aim of indoctrinating them into loving Big Brother. This recurring abuse becomes a regular occurrence for Winston, as the dominion of Big Brother strives for total control over its citizens. Even during Winston’s interrogation by O’Brien, the torture continues: “No!” (Orwell).
The purpose is not solely to extract your confession or impose punishment, but rather to heal you and restore your sanity. Do you comprehend, Winston? The Party states that no one who comes here ever remains uncured. The Party aims for the inhabitants of Oceania to genuinely love Big Brother, not halfheartedly. They perceive prisoners as mentally ill and consider themselves as the sane ones. According to their perspective, exercising such control is essential for managing millions of citizens.
In Oceania, the totalitarian government believes it is crucial to re-educate individuals deemed as heretics. They consider it an act of freedom to die while harboring hatred towards Big Brother. The party exerts control over language to restrict ordinary human emotions, thoughts, and ideas. Winston is enlightened by Syme about the purpose of Newspeak, which aims to reduce the diversity of thoughts. Syme emphasizes that the ultimate goal is to eliminate thoughtcrime entirely by depriving the population of words to express it.
In Orwell’s portrayal, language control is a central aspect of totalitarianism, as it structures and limits our verbal expression. The ultimate goal is to have every concept represented by a single word with a rigidly defined meaning, while all subsidiary meanings are forgotten. As time passes, the number of words decreases, narrowing the range of consciousness. No pretext exists for committing thoughtcrime in the present, but the revolution will achieve perfection once the language itself is perfect (54).
The party aims to restrict the thoughts of the outer party and proles by eliminating words that convey ideas and emotions, thus preventing thoughtcrime. This notion is conveyed through a language called Newspeak. Syme discusses with Winston the principles of Newspeak, projecting that by 2050, all knowledge of Oldspeak will disappear. The entire body of past literature will be eradicated; Chaucer, Shakespeare, Milton, Byron – they will only exist in Newspeak versions that not only differ but contradict their original meaning.
Even the literature of the Party will undergo changes, including the slogans. It is impossible for a slogan like ‘freedom is slavery’ to exist when freedom itself no longer exists. The whole thought process will be altered, and there might not even be any thoughts in the way we currently comprehend them. Conforming to the Party’s ideals means a complete absence of thinking, which is essentially equivalent to being unconscious.
The objective of the Party is to utilize and dominate language in order to attain both absolute devotion and adoration for Big Brother, along with unrestricted authority.
The manipulation of language by the totalitarian government suppresses independent thought, making the ability to think freely essential. The government’s message propagates the notion that orthodoxy implies not thinking and negates the need to do so, ultimately leading to unconsciousness. In a similar vein, the Catholic faith hinges on orthodoxy and the belief in God, despite lacking direct perception of Him. Numerous Catholics sustain their faith entirely through belief.
Values instilled by faith implant unconditional thoughts in the minds of the oppressed, establishing unquestioned and automatic faith in Big Brother. Orwell illustrates the typical human tendencies toward totalitarianism and oppression through the manipulation of psychology, exertion of physical control, and control over language. In 1984, the Party seeks to manipulate the minds of both the outer party and proles to gain ultimate worship and power. Orwell presents this book as a cautionary tale, warning readers that the desire for control, power, and adoration is inherent in human nature.
