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George Orwell’s novel 1984 is a classic of dystopian literature where a future society is presented, in which rewriting history and control over language are used to manipulate the masses. The novel became a bestseller and is widely considered a cult work of 20th-century literature. It was written in 1949 but still resonates with readers today due to its relevance and talent to penetrate the essence of contemporary societal issues. Orwell’s 1984 is a perfect illustration of how language can be utilized to control people politically and manipulate them psychologically.
One of the key themes in the novel is the control over language and rewriting history. In the world of 1984, the government uses language as a tool for shaping and manipulating people’s thoughts and behaviors (Hama 267). In the novel, the government creates a new language called Newspeak to limit people’s cognitive abilities by forbidding the use of certain words and phrases (Orwell 6). Additionally, the ruling class rewrites history to conceal its mistakes and maintain its power. That way, the government controls the masses by manipulating their thoughts and memories.
In Orwell’s book, language serves as an important tool of power and control. The main character, Winston Smith, works at the Ministry of Truth, where his job is to rewrite historical records to fit the existing political situation (Orwell 6). This means that the past can be changed and controlled by those in power. In the novel, Orwell describes how the Ministry of Truth rewrites the history of World War II to demonstrate that Oceania has always been a Eurasian ally, not their enemy (17). The author, thus, shows that power controls not only the present but also the past, which is the foundation of people’s identity and culture. Changing the past, in turn, enables the government to control the future.
Orwell’s book also indicates that language is an instrument of thought control. In 1984, Newspeak, the language created by the government, was adopted as the official language of the country. This language was specifically designed to eliminate people’s ability to think and express their thoughts. Hence, since individuals could not express their thoughts and feelings in the new language, they were not able to talk about those important things at all. As Hossain remarks, the language in Oceania was utilized more for “intimidation” than “regular communication” (24). Newspeak is intended to destroy all ideological thoughts that contradict the country’s political regime. One example of Newspeak in the novel is the word ‘freedom,’ which is replaced with ‘unfreedom’ (Orwell 256). Thus, it is apparent that control of language leads to the restriction of people’s feelings and thoughts.
In the novel, the government establishes a monopoly on the use of language. People in Oceania cannot speak or write anything that contradicts the government’s political ideology. One example from the novel is the ban on using words that may cause government dissatisfaction, such as ‘freedom’ or ‘truth.’ As Hodge and Fowler note, such an “extreme compression” of the language led to a total elimination of ideas (7). Hence, people were forced to use only simplified variants of words and language, which made it impossible to express themselves to the full extent.
Furthermore, the government in the novel promotes the idea of doublethink, which allows people to believe in two conflicting ideas simultaneously. One example from the novel is the government slogan, “War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength,” which contradicts common sense but is still accepted by society (Orwell 6). These instances indicate how the government in 1984 uses control over language and rewrites history to manipulate the masses and create their own version of the truth. As Orwell states, the control of one’s past depends “above all on the training of memory” (269). Therefore, the government took away people’s identity and history with the aim of controlling both their present and future.
Orwell also shows that the government can use information technologies to control people. In the book, the government used televisions that served as both a source of information and a means of control over people (Orwell 259). The televisions were constantly on and could not be turned off, and even when they were off, they could serve as a means of surveillance. Therefore, the novel 1984 is a criticism of totalitarianism and dictatorship, which are popular in the world. Orwell warns that if the state controls language and history, it can easily manipulate the masses, not allowing them to think and express their views freely. The author suggests that readers always remain vigilant and resist such threats to freedom.
Orwell’s 1984 is a work that leaves an indelible mark on the hearts of the audience. The novel makes the readers think about how important it is to preserve the freedom of thought and expression and also shows the horrors that can happen if individuals lose it. Although the novel was written over 70 years ago, its themes are still relevant and significant. George Orwell’s 1984 is a work that should be read by everyone who wants to understand the world in which one lives better. The book is a reminder that freedom is invaluable, and everyone must do everything possible to preserve it.
Works Cited
Hama, Bakhtiar Sabir. “Language as an Oppressive Device in Orwell’s 1984.” International Journal of Humanities and Cultural Studies, vol. 2, no. 1, 2015, pp. 265-277.
Hodge, Bob, and Roger Fowler. “Orwellian Linguistics.” Language and Control, edited by Roger Fowler et al., Routledge, 2019, pp. 6-25.
Hossain, Mozaffor. “Language as the Device for Psychological Manipulation in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four: A Psycholinguistic Analysis.” European Journal of English Language and Linguistics Research, vol. 5, no. 8, 2017, pp. 25-31.
Orwell, George. 1984. Planet eBook, n.d. Planet eBook, Web.
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