Major Themes

Totalitarianism
In writing 1984, Orwell's main goal was to warn of the serious danger
totalitarianism poses to society. He goes to great lengths to demonstrate the
terrifying degree of power and control a totalitarian regime can acquire and
maintain. In such regimes, notions of personal rights and freedoms and individual
thought are pulverized under the all-powerful hand of the government. Orwell was
a Socialist and believed strongly in the potential for rebellion to advance society,
yet too often he witnessed such rebellions go wrong and develop into totalitarian
rule. Specifically, Orwell saw such developments during his time in Spain and in
Russia, where he witnessed the rise of communism and the accompanying
destruction of civil liberties, honest government, and economic strength.
During a time when much of the Western world was lauding communism as a step
towards human progress in the development of equality in government, Orwell
clearly and definitively spoke out against the practice. In 1984, Orwell presents a
dystopia, or in other words, the perfect totalitarian state. In composing this novel,
Orwell gave the world a glimpse of what the embrace of communism might lead to
if allowed to proceed unchecked. The Party is unflawed in its universal control over
society, as evidenced by its ability to break even an independent thinker such as
Winston, and has mastered every aspect of psychological control, largely through
utilizing technological developments (allowing for inventions such as the telescreen)
to their advantage. In ending the novel with Winston defeated in every sense of the
term, Orwell clearly suggests that there is no hope for quelling the expansion or
growth of such a perfectly established regime. And, more importantly, Orwell warns
that at the time, this outcome was within the realm of possibility as long as the
world supported and embraced communism.
Propaganda
A major factor in the Party's rule over Oceania lies in its extremely well organized
and effective propaganda machine. The Ministry of Truth, which is ironically where
Winston works, is responsible for disseminating all Party publications and
information. All figures and facts come from the Ministry of Truth, and all are
dictated by the Party. In other words, the Party chooses exactly what to tell the
public, regardless of what is accurate. The effectiveness of this propaganda
machine, which constantly corrects old material to reflect the Party's current
position on any subject ranging from chocolate rations to the loyalty of a specific
individual, allows the Party to completely dominate the range of information
disseminated to the public. Therefore, as O'Brien notes, the machine determines
what constitutes reality.
In addition to the massive amounts of doctored information the Party disseminates
to the public, there are also basic forms of propaganda, such as the Two Minutes
Hate, Hate Week, posters of Big Brother, and required daily participation in the
Physical Jerks. The Party uses literally every waking opportunity to instill its ideals
into its citizens, and is strikingly successful in achieving its goal of total loyalty.
In 1984 we see the vigor and loyalty such propaganda inspires in the citizens. The
citizens of Oceania are filled with hatred for the country's stated enemies, but this
hatred is easily re-directed if the enemy happens to change. This efficiency is quite
disturbing. Orwell's presentation of the power of propaganda significantly supports
his warning against totalitarianism. If propaganda rules all information, it is
impossible to have any grasp on reality. The world is as the Party defines it.
Love/Sexuality
The Party works to quell all physical sensations of love, and depersonalizes sex to
the point where it is referred to as a "duty to the Party" (for the purposes of
procreation). Some Party organizations even advocate complete abstinence and
procreation only through artificial insemination. Winston suffers the Party's removal
of personal fulfillment or enjoyment in relationships in his failed marriage with
Katharine. Later, when he finds Julia, Winston relishes the freedom of being able to
love someone in a physical and emotional way. So much of Winston's seeming
rebellion turns out to be guided and influenced by the Party (Mr. Charrington,
O'Brien, the Brotherhood), but his relationship with Julia is not. Winston is only able
to rebel against the Party through his affair with Julia, even though this love is
destroyed in the end.
Orwell's discussion of love is not only relegated to romantic love. Through Winston's
memories of his mother and the contrast between how she cared for him and his
sister and the average Party family is striking. Winston's mother deeply loved her
children and did all she could to protect them during the aftermath of the
Revolution and the Party's rise to power. In Winston's time, the Party has removed
such interfamilial loyalty, demanding that all love and loyalty be reserved for Big
Brother and the Party. In this way, the bonds between parents and children are
broken. Even worse, children commonly report their parents to the Thought Police,
placing the Party above the lives of their mother and father. The Party's eventual
goal is to destroy the family unit entirely and have all children raised in Party
facilities. The Party has no room for love, unless that love is directed with full force
at Big Brother and Oceania.

Independence/Identity
Through its effective psychological manipulation tactics, the Party destroys all sense
of independence and individuality. Everyone wears the same clothes, eats the same
food, and lives in the same grungy apartments. Life is uniform and orderly. No one
can stand out, and no one can be unique. To have an independent thought borders
on the criminal. For this reason, writing such as Winston does in his diary has been
outlawed. People are only permitted to think what the Party tells them to think,
which leads to what Syme refers to as "duckspeak." Independent thought can be
dangerous, as it might lead to rebellion.
This theme comes to a head during Winston's torture, when Winston argues that he
is a man, and because he is a man O'Brien cannot tell him what he thinks. O'Brien
counters that if Winston is a man, he is the last man on earth. Moreover, O'Brien
suggests that this independence is evidence of insanity. O'Brien's view represents
the purity of a totalitarian regime, in that independent thought must be destroyed
to promote the needs and goals of the Party. Winston and Julia's downfall occurs
because they believe they are special. Their arrest and torture, however, breaks
this spirit. Once again, through this ultimate loss of individual thought, we witness
Orwell's warning against embracing any version of totalitarian rule.
Music
Songs appear throughout the novel, most often when Winston is reflecting on the
state of the world. Music appears to inspire Winston and allows him to see beauty
and simplicity in an otherwise violent, ugly, and frightening world. He sees a
powerful sense of tragedy in "Under the spreading Chestnut Tree," hope for a
brighter future in the beautiful thrush song, respect for the true, untouchable past
in the "St. Clement's Dane" rhyme, and freedom and hope in the passion with
which the prole woman sings while hanging her laundry. Below, listed in
chronological order are the musical events that occur in the novel.
Winston describes sitting in the Chestnut Tree Cafe, observing the clearly beaten,
defeated, and tragically sad Jones, Aaronson and Rutherford, while the song "Under
the spreading Chestnut Tree, I sold you and you sold me" plays over the telescreen.
The song seems to reflect the broken spirits of these three men, who were once
Inner Party members and now have lost everything.
Mr. Charrington teaches Winston the rhyme that begins "Oranges and lemons say
the bells of St. Clement's," which is a vestige of the past. Throughout the novel,
Winston holds on to this rhyme and tries to discover its entirety. He succeeds, with
the help of Julia, who remembers a few more lines than Mr. Charrington, and
O'Brien, who finishes the poem for Winston.
Julia and Winston are in the Golden Country, beginning their affair. As they stand
next to each other surveying the landscape, a small thrush begins to sing next to
them. Winston is taken in by the bird's boundless freedom and wonders what
makes him sing so beautifully. To Winston, the bird's song represents all he longs
for in life. It is the exact opposite of the Party.
Winston hears the prole woman in the yard behind Mr. Charrington's house sing
while she works. She belts out the tune without any hesitation, throwing herself
into the simple music with a passion Winston reveres.
Winston tells Julia of the poem Mr. Charrington taught him, and she adds two
verses. Her grandfather taught her the rhyme when she was young, and Winston is
elated to learn the next few lines of the piece. This cooperation reveals a strong
bond between Winston and Julia.
Winston discusses the Hate Song the Party created solely for the Hate Week
celebration. This is the only time we hear of a song created purely for negative
means. Winston notes that the Hate Song is not as popular among the proles as
some of the more simple tunes the Ministry of Truth has produced for them.
O'Brien completes Mr. Charrington's rhyme, and Winston is immensely satisfied to
finally know the complete piece. He feels that gaining the last puzzle piece from
O'Brien symbolically represents their bond in rebelling against the Party and
pursuing a future steeped in freedom.
Winston again hears the prole woman singing passionately while doing her wash
and reflects on the primitivism in song. Winston thinks about the millions of people
around the world, just like this woman, who find such pleasure, power and freedom
in music and are able to embrace it in their lives. He is arrested immediately after
this brief scene, which fulfills the last line of the "St. Clement's Dane" song, "Here
comes a chopper to chop off your head!"
Winston sits in the Chestnut Tree Cafe, just as Jones, Aaronson and Rutherford
once did. He hears the same song he heard when watching those three men,
"Under the spreading Chestnut Tree, I sold you and you sold me." Here, the song
speaks to the destruction of Winston's independence, and his newly discovered love
for Big Brother.
Loyalty
The Party is fueled by loyalty, and thus demands that its citizens support any and
all actions it takes in pursuing a greater Oceania. For the Party, loyalty means
accepting without question or hesitation. Ironically, when Winston pledges his
loyalty to the Brotherhood, he also agrees to accept the goals and requirements of
the Brotherhood without question or hesitation. Winston agrees to do anything the
Brotherhood requires, even if that means murdering innocents. However, Winston
is also loyal to Julia, and refuses to be separated from her forever. This split loyalty
is what separates Winston from the other Party members. Party members are loyal
to the Party, Big Brother, and Oceania alone. Personal relationships are of no
importance.
While in the Ministry of Love, O'Brien notes this weakness in Winston's mind and
effectively removes it. Through painful physical torture, O'Brien first teaches
Winston that the Party's perspective is the accurate perspective. Next, by
threatening him with carnivorous rats, O'Brien breaks Winston's loyalty to Julia. In
the last scene of the novel, Winston finally comes to love Big Brother, and his
transition from split loyalties to a greater single loyalty to the Party is complete.
Poverty vs. Wealth
Oceanian society presents a clear dichotomy in living conditions. The small Inner
Party lives luxuriously, with servants and lush, well-furnished apartments. Party
members, on the other hand, live in run-down single-room apartments with no
amenities and low-quality, tasteless food. The proles live in absolute poverty. The
chasm between poverty and wealth in the novel is striking, and is most noticeable
during Winston's forays into prole society. The buildings the proles live in are
decaying, and the city of London is filled with bombed-out ruins. While the Inner
Party comforts itself with luxury, the citizens of Oceania suffer, getting by with the
bare minimum in a dying city.
Orwell presents this dichotomy to demonstrate how totalitarian societies promote
the wealth of the ruling regime while decreasing the quality of life for all other
members of society. Such governments often tout their hopes for establishing an
equal society when in reality the separation between their living conditions and
those of the citizens is vast. Winston looks out on the city of London and sees a
dying world. Meanwhile, O'Brien looks out on the city of London and sees a society
trapped in a single moment in time, defined and controlled by the Party.
Technology
As previously noted, technology is an extremely important tool that the Party uses
to maintain control over its citizens. Without telescreens, the Thought Police would
not be nearly as effective, and propaganda would not be so widespread. The
constant supervision of the telescreen effectively imprisons citizens of Oceania in
their daily lives: they are always under observation.
Ironically, other areas of technological development are strikingly stagnant. For
example, the printing machines in the Ministry of Truth are still quite basic, and
each superstate continues to build the same bombs that were used decades before.
Scientific progress has halted, except where it serves the Party's goals (such as in
artificial insemination or new methods for psychological manipulation). In the world
of Oceania there is no such as thing as progress for the sake of progress; there is
only power for the sake of power. When technological developments serve this
power, they are encouraged. When they do not, they are stopped.
Language
Newspeak plays an extremely important role in Oceanian society and in the Party's
control over its population. As Syme says, Newspeak reduces and limits the number
of words in the English language, and removes words used to describe rebellion or
independence (with the ultimate goal being to remove citizens' ability to think anti-
Party thoughts). Interestingly, the Party works to form a language around itself
rather than naturally accepting and assuming the language of the people that make
up the country. In this way, language is used as yet another mechanism of mind
control.
Removing a nation's original language serves to reduce the importance of a nation's
past. Languages develop over centuries, and are deeply intertwined with culture
and history. Redefining and forcing a language on a population, as was often done
in the postcolonial era, denies that society its individuality. The Party meets this
goal with great efficiency.

About 1984
In 1984, George Orwell presents his vision of dystopia, a world consisting of three
massive totalitarian states constantly at war with each other and using
technological advancements to keep their respective Party members and masses
under careful observation and control. Written in 1948 and published in 1949, this
novel is often touted as one of the greatest novels written in the English language.
In writing the work, Orwell was influenced and inspired by totalitarian regimes of
the time, including Hitler's Nazi Germany and Stalin's Soviet Union. Both regimes
glorified their respective leaders as demi-gods and saviors, required the destruction
of all individuality in order to promote the Party's needs over the individual's,
demanded absolute loyalty from their citizens, and resorted to violence whenever
disloyalty was suspected. Moreover, both regimes consistently demonized their
enemies, just as the Party and Big Brother do in 1984, through the Two Minutes
Hate, Hate Week, and daily mass propaganda. Other parallels include the Thought
Police as a reinvention of the Gestapo, NKVD (People's Comissariat for Internal
Affairs), which orchestrated large scale purges and terror, and the Spies and Youth
League as a reinvention of the Hitler Youth and the Little Octoberists, which
indoctrinated young people to the Party and encouraged them to report disloyalty
observed in their elders, even among family members.
The similarities between 1984's Oceania and Stalin's regime are particularly
striking. Like Stalin, the Oceanian government embraces characteristics of both
fascist and communist authoritarianism: the former glorifies the wisdom of the
leader, and the latter, the infallibility of the Party. We can see both trends in 1984,
where Big Brother (albeit apparently a fictitious entity) is worshipped as a wise and
loving leader, and the Party is practically structured around its own supposed
infallibility. In addition, many of the particulars of the Oceanian system, such as the
Three-Year Plans and the forced labor camps, appear to be thinly veiled allusions to
aspects of Stalin's rule. It is even often suggested that Oceania's Big Brother, with
his dark hair and heavy mustache, is inspired by the larger-than-life images of
Josef Stalin's visage so commonly seen in the Soviet Union.
Orwell's time working with the Indian Imperial Police in Burma introduced him to
the shameful activities of the British in the Far East, and appears to have
encouraged his exploration of the lives of the urban poor. After returning to Europe,
Orwell continued to focus on this subject and began to develop a vague distrust of
machine-age capitalist society that later blossomed into a firm adherence to
Socialism, bolstered by his time working with the revolutionary Marxist POUM
(Partido Obrero de Unificacion Marxista, or Worker's Party of Marxist Unification),
the dissident faction of the Spanish Communist party. However, when the Stalin-
backed Communists turned on their far-left anarchist allies and labeled POUM pro-
fascist, Orwell fled to avoid prison, or worse, death. This experience taught Orwell
the danger of abandoning true Socialist revolutionary ideals, and he developed both
a fixation on totalitarianism and an abhorrence for Stalinist Communism, both of
which are clearly expressed in 1984. World War II's introduction of totalitarianism
through fascist and communist regimes solidified Orwell's hatred of the ideology.
During the war, Orwell was equally unimpressed by his experience in Britain. From
1940-1943, Orwell was employed by the BBC, under the control of the British
Ministry of Information, which served as inspiration for Winston's position at the
Ministry of Truth, and perhaps for Newspeak. In this capacity, Orwell witnessed the
propagation of stories glorifying Britain's triumphs while the British Empire was
simultaneously steadily declining. This type of disconnect between reality and the
information disseminated to the public clearly makes its way into the novel.
It is unclear to what extent Orwell believed 1984 to be an accurate prediction of the
future, but many critics agree that he wrote the book as a warning to modern
society of the damage that can come from embracing totalitarian regimes. The
novel mourns the loss of personal identity while demonstrating how to effectively
rid a person of their independence, particularly through extensive sexual repression
and the prohibition of individual thought. Many of the concepts and themes
presented in 1984 have steadily made their way into the common vernacular. For
instance, the phrase "Big Brother" is often used to refer to the advancement and
expansion of technology used to observe and record behavior, such as video
cameras placed on city streets and government monitoring of phone and Internet
communication. The adjective "Orwellian" is also commonly used to describe such
real-world developments reminiscent of 1984.
Orwell wrote 1984 while seriously ill with tuberculosis, and afterward commented
that had he not been so ill, the book might not have been so bleak. To his
consternation, after its publication, 1984 was used as propaganda itself, especially
by Western forces in post-World War II Germany. Much later, there were many
attempts to censor the novel, particularly on the grounds that it contains pro-
Communist material and sexual references. The book has also been adapted to
both television shows and movies, and has served as inspiration for a variety of
other artistic endeavors, such as David Bowie's Diamond Dogs album, which
includes a song titled 1984.