The concept of freedom forms the basis of human behavior, encompassing both freedom of thought and action. This freedom empowers humanity with limitless possibilities. Generally, human behavior and thought are spontaneous and not guided by a systematic or deliberate process. Furthermore, accurately predicting human actions is challenging.
The undeniable fact is that humans have an innate freedom. Unlike machines and computers, humans have the capacity for thinking, speaking, moving, and experiencing emotions. Computers lack this freedom because they are governed by mathematics, programs, and ultimately controlled by humans. However, if humans were to acquire computer-like qualities and metaphorically transform into machines, they would experience dehumanization. This process of mechanization erases crucial human traits like instinctive expression, emotions, freedom of thought, body, and mind; as well as the spontaneity that defines humanity.
One could argue that the loss of any of these qualities would be considered inhumane. Humans possess the capability to transform into mechanized beings akin to computers, processing information and producing the intended result. This concept is apparent in literary works, particularly in George Orwell’s 1984 and Anthony Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange, where dystopian societies demonstrate the detrimental impact of control on humanity. These novels serve as examples depicting the extreme measures governments are willing to take to advance a dystopian society.
Both Anthony Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange and George Orwell’s 1984 demonstrate that efforts to improve deteriorating societies involve imposing control and limitations on humanity. These psychological and physical restraints aim to enhance efficiency and order in the respective worlds portrayed. Nevertheless, such improvements come at a high cost. In essence, both novels highlight the dehumanizing consequences of subjecting a society to measures of control.
Both novels utilize psychological and physical control methods to mechanize the characters. Although each technique operates differently, they are interconnected and rely on each other. In 1984 and A Clockwork Orange, control is attained through the interplay between the mental and physical aspects. As O’Brien explains in 1984, “we control matter because we control the mind” (Orwell, 227).
In both novels, the reverse is also demonstrated – that is, if specific physical actions are eliminated, the corresponding thoughts enabling those actions are also eradicated. The state employs psychological and physical constraints to repress human nature, employing methods such as fear as a control mechanism and propaganda as its physical manifestation.
Both 1984 and A Clockwork Orange demonstrate that the fear of brutality and violence can psychologically manipulate and dominate an individual’s actions. This fear can ultimately compel a person to suppress their genuine thoughts in order to evade punishment. Consequently, fear will gradually compel an individual to eliminate specific thought processes to protect themselves from harm. In 1984, Winston Smith embodies the dehumanizing impact of this phenomenon.
In Winston’s dystopian society, any form of independent thinking is considered a crime punishable by death. Winston understands this and therefore makes an effort to eradicate any thoughts that might be deemed incriminating by the Thought Police. He knows that such thoughts could lead to a horrifying fate, specifically a trip to Room 101 – a place of unspeakable horrors. Just like his society, Winston is conditioned to only think about what he is told, fearing the dire consequences of disobedience and free thought. This fear effectively turns him into a programmed individual, focused solely on thoughts that won’t bring punishment.
Similarly, Alex, the main character in A Clockwork Orange, is also forced to live with certain limitations on his thoughts and beliefs. In his case, it is violence that he must eliminate from his mind due to his fear of experiencing severe illness whenever he thinks about it. This fear stems from the government’s use of a psychological control technique known as Ludivico’s technique, which effectively conditions individuals by inducing adverse physical reactions as a deterrent against objectionable thoughts.
The fear that Alex has of becoming violently sick compels him to modify or eliminate specific thoughts. In one instance, Alex realizes that he must quickly alter his feelings towards a despicable individual or else he will fall violently ill (Burgess, 93). This particular situation illustrates how Alex is coerced into permanently changing his viewpoint regarding a person who has just attacked him. The authorities could just as easily impose the eradication of certain beliefs instead of opinions. Burgess demonstrates that the fear of violence leads individuals to reshape their thinking process, resulting in dehumanization as they lose their ability to express themselves. Both authors emphasize that fear as a psychological means of control ultimately leads to the restriction of free will and self-expression. Furthermore, they employ their characters as examples to convey the idea that this form of control destroys human nature in general.
In both 1984 and A Clockwork Orange, the measure of control is connected to propaganda as a form of physical control. Propaganda serves as a manifestation of fear to exert control over individuals. These novels suggest that propaganda is dehumanizing because it restricts people’s thinking to a single perspective, preventing them from being open-minded and having diverse opinions.
In the novel 1984, set in the country of Oceania, people are constantly subjected to propaganda as a means for the government to instill fear and prevent rebellion. Winston observes that the posters have eyes that seem to follow your every move (Orwell, 3). Additionally, the propaganda videos induce a terrifying mix of fear and vengefulness, evoking a strong desire to kill and brutally attack others. This emotional influence spreads among the population like an electric current, even affecting individuals against their own will, transforming them into deranged and screaming lunatics (Orwell, 16).
Orwell illustrates that propaganda, like an “electric current,” has the ability to take over a person’s body and compel them to act against their own volition, thereby leading them to say and do things that are inconsistent with their true character. It is akin to a robot, whose actions are dictated by an external electric current, thereby prompting behavior akin to that of a controlled machine. Orwell ultimately labels propaganda as both controlling and dehumanizing due to its ability to strip away a person’s free will. Similarly, in A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess portrays propaganda as having a dehumanizing impact through the continual presence of a propaganda poster within Alex’s residence.
The painting serves as a symbol for the control of Alex’s body by Brodsky and the state. Before Alex is tortured, the painting is filled with drawings and covered in vulgar language, which represents his complete self-control as the propaganda is hardly recognizable and therefore ineffective. However, after being released from prison and subjected to Ludivico’s Technique, the poster becomes clean and depicts “well-developed boys and girls, serious and dignified in their work” (Orwell, 25).
Burgess suggests that the increased influence of the government over Alex and other individuals can be attributed to the heightened implementation of propaganda. The act of removing the poster illustrates the strengthening power of propaganda during Alex’s incarceration, ultimately resulting in greater control by the state.
In conclusion, Burgess and Orwell convey the idea that propaganda dehumanizes individuals by depriving them of free will and choice, which is evident in their respective works A Clockwork Orange and 1984. Both novels highlight the dehumanization that occurs in society through the manipulation of psychological and physical control in social interactions. Furthermore, the suppression of love and desire, which are vital social elements and inherent human needs, is frequently observed in society.
The society depicted in A Clockwork Orange by Burgess aims to eradicate sexual abuse and the aggression linked to sexual desires. However, this results in the incapacity to engage in or even contemplate sexual activities. Alex confesses his desire for an attractive girl, stating that he wants to have her “on the floor with the old in-out real savage.” Nevertheless, he is quickly struck by a sense of illness, as if being observed by a detective who now pursues him for his wrongdoings. This compels Alex to come up with a fresh approach or mindset (Burgess, 93).
In response to his predicament, Alex comments that he is a “clock-work orange” (Burgess, 96). This means that he is a biological organism like an orange but has been turned into a machine that operates based on clockwork, routine, and patterns. He is more machine-like than human and incapable of experiencing lust. Burgess suggests that Alex’s dehumanization through sexual repression is a result of a loss of potential for love and desire.
On the other hand, Orwell attributes dehumanization through sexual repression to a loss of freedom of expression and the mechanization of sex. In Winston’s world, sexual intercourse is not seen as a form of expression. The only recognized purpose of marriage is procreation for the benefit of the Party (Orwell, 69).
The Party employs sex as a repulsive procedure to produce a population of identical individuals. According to Orwell (69), the Party considers it a way to develop a society where 300 million people share an indistinguishable appearance (77). The main objective of the Party, as indicated by Orwell (68), is to eradicate all enjoyment and expression from sexual activity. By comparing the government’s policies to the process of cloning and the emotionless mechanical process of artificial insemination, the text illustrates that these policies strip sex of all meaning.
Both novels portray the dehumanizing effects of sexual repression, though the authors attribute the cause to different factors. In both works, the suppression of human sexuality serves as a psychological method of societal control. Additionally, both novels demonstrate how government powers manipulate relationships to exert control over individuals within a society.
The human desire to form connections and make friends is so deeply ingrained in our behavior and thinking that any interference with this aspect would change human nature. Through the character Alex, Anthony Burgess suggests that peer pressure is a means of exerting physical control over individuals, leading to their dehumanization by modifying their innate behavior.
Peer pressure often forces individuals to act in ways they wouldn’t typically behave, as is the case with Alex. Previously malicious and violent, Alex undergoes a transformation influenced by peer pressure, aspiring to be like Pete. Pete, who dresses in his regular attire, serves as a subtle government soldier to coerce Alex into conforming, aligning with the government’s expectation of law-abiding and employed citizens. Just like Pete, Alex now desires to don a suit and exhibit professional behavior. This approach proves highly effective, leading Alex to question whether he was becoming too old for his previous way of life (Burgess, 139).
Peer pressure is incredibly effective because it has the power to instantly change the mindset of someone like Alex, who is a tyrant. However, it is also dehumanizing as it gradually but surely compels individuals to imitate the prescribed behavior. Alex is so influenced by peer pressure that he admits his immediate intention to seek out “some devotcha or other who would be a mother to his son” (Burgess, 140).
Orwell, however, believes that the dehumanization caused by controlling social interaction is due to the inhibition of innate desires such as communication. Both authors demonstrate that the most inhumane methods of control involve literal control of the mind and body, in addition to propaganda, fear, and social interactions. Burgess and Orwell employ A Clockwork Orange and 1984 to assert that societal order can only be achieved by suppressing human nature and transforming individuals into a “machine” or a “mindless person”.
Both authors employ instances of literal mind control in their novels to magnify the consequences of any form of control in general, thereby illustrating the detrimental impact it has on human beings. While both authors concur that dehumanization is the ultimate outcome of literal mind control, they attribute this outcome to different causes. In Anthony Burgess’s narrative, mind control is exemplified through Alex and the torment of Ludivico’s Technique; as a result of the imposed controls, Alex’s every thought is manipulated and, as one character conveys to Alex, “they have transformed him into something other than a human being – he no longer possesses freedom of choice” (Orwell, 115).
According to Burgess (115), he argues that the loss of humanity occurs when an individual is unable to exercise free will and engage in critical thinking, as these qualities are fundamental aspects of being human. Through the character of Alex, Burgess demonstrates that when an individual’s mind is manipulated, they forfeit their ability to control their own thoughts, resembling a transformation into a computer-like entity. In this state, one’s mind operates akin to a programmed computer, adhering to instructions for information processing.
Orwell, in contrast, utilizes his novel 1984 to investigate the notion that dehumanization through mind control is partly influenced by the mechanization of individuals. Throughout the narrative, there is a recurring theme of doublethink, which the state employs to ensure its citizens unquestioningly embrace all information presented. This showcases how mind control diminishes an individual’s capacity for critical thinking and transforms them into a machine-like being that merely echoes the information provided. An exemplification of this can be seen in Winston’s mental manipulation as he transitions from believing that 2+2=4 to accepting that “2+2=5 – although he does not arrive at this conclusion independently” (Orwell, 290).
According to Orwell, Winston completely ignores his previous knowledge and accepts the current information as truth, despite knowing it was false before. This showcases how mind control transforms individuals into thoughtless machines that merely echo what they have been instructed, devoid of critical thinking or independent thought.
The mathematical aspect of Orwell’s writing illustrates Winston’s acquisition of mechanical characteristics when his thoughts are controlled, as he is conditioned to accept that “2+2=5” without questioning his own thinking. In both novels, mind control is portrayed as dehumanizing, since the mind influences the physical world and vice versa, thus exerting control over a person’s behavior has equally detrimental effects on their human nature.
The societies depicted in each novel employ both physical and mental control to manipulate individuals. The intricate use of technology affords the government in A Clockwork Orange the ability to exert literal control over a person’s mobility. Utilizing Ludivico’s Technique, the government can manipulate Alex’s body as if he were an automaton, devoid of agency. Burgess suggests that Alex’s dehumanization stems from the mechanization of his body, stripping away his ability for spontaneity and reducing him to a mere robotic routine. By exerting control over his physical actions, Alex becomes incapable of behaving aggressively or violently. As F. Alexander points out, Alex has transformed into “a machine capable of only good” (Orwell, 115).
The novel’s title is a clear reflection of Alex’s behavior. He is portrayed as a dehumanized machine, trapped in routine and devoid of free will. This likening to clockwork emphasizes the predictability of his actions, controlled by the inescapable clockwork that governs his life. Burgess explores the idea that suppressing physical freedom ultimately reduces a person to a mere machine, dictated by monotonous routine.
In contrast, Orwell presents a different perspective on dehumanization. He argues that literal physical control is dehumanizing because it represses and eliminates any form of personal expression or freedom. Unlike Burgess, Orwell highlights the oppressive nature of complete physical control, which strips individuals of their humanity.
The telescreens in Oceania exert constant control over every individual, dictating their actions and suppressing freedom of expression. This physical control eliminates any form of self-expression due to the severe consequences that come with it.
Throughout history, humans have expressed their emotions through writing, singing, and performing. However, in Winston’s home and in the oppressive society of Oceania, people are forced to conceal their true feelings. In fact, Winston is expected to wear a mask of positivity in front of the watching telescreen. Consequently, Oceania’s citizens must keep their pent-up desire to reveal the atrocities committed by the Party locked away deep inside.
