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1984 - The Influence of Totalitarianism


            How would it feel being watched 24/7 on governmental surveillance cameras? What if the government tried to control every aspect of one's life, including how one spends their time, which one can associate with, what one is allowed to say or even what one is allowed to think or believe? This type of government is what is known as a totalitarian government. Totalitarianism is defined as the absolute control by the state or governing branch of a highly centralized institution (Dictionary, 2012). This type of government is prominent in George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. Nineteen Eighty-Four is a futuristic novel that outlines the use and abuse of power throughout the government of Oceania. The citizens are under constant control and surveillance by their dictator, Big Brother, and personal privacy is not permitted or respected. Due to the constant surveillance by the Inner Party, the individuality of citizens is unable to flourish and therefore makes one's human journey impossible. This can be clearly portrayed through the fear that the government instills upon the individuals, the attempts of certain citizens rebelling in the hopes of restoring stability to Oceania, and the conformity of the individuals under the dictatorship of Big Brother. .
             The government instills fear into the minds of individuals to attain ultimate control. The Inner Party's means of attaining ultimate control over the individuals is through the use of psychological manipulation and physical control. The Inner Party is composed of less than 2% of the population compared to the Proles whom make up 85% of the population of Oceania. The government is composed of the communist dictator, Big Brother, preceded by the Inner and Outer Parties, which work together to deceive and control the inhabitants of Oceania. The Inner Party developed the assumption that if the mind of each individual is controlled, it would be impossible for a shift in power to occur.


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