The Power of Language and Censorship as Mind Control in George Orwell’s Dystopian Novel, 1984

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5 May 2008

The Power of Language and Censorship as Mind Control in

George Orwell 's Dystopian Novel , 1984

The last and arguably most powerful book to be written by renowned novelist George Orwell (pseudonym of Eric Arthur Blair , 1984 is the chronicle of mankind 's gradual decay under aggressive and blind ideology . The influence of the novel is such that some terms such as Big Brother , doublethink ' and newspeak ' have somehow found their way into the modern lexicon . Orwell visualized a world

br under constant war , with entire societies threatened by an omniscient government that wields control even over an individual 's very thoughts Half a century after the book 's publication , academics and casual readers alike continue to find disturbing similarities between Orwell 's 1984 and today 's increasingly intrusive institutions

With censorship , political rhetoric and propaganda becoming more and more like the slogans of Orwell 's dystopian society each day it is unsurprising that the novels remain quite a favorite among academics and literary experts alike . Orwell 's startling depiction of a state peddling lies and deceit to its willing masses remains relevant and - to some extent - frighteningly prophetic of the present generation . Decades after it first saw print , 1984 still achieves significant readership - a literary warning that enemies of propaganda and censorship revisit time and again as a standard through which the growing excesses in government control and power could be measured . It is the world 's worst case scenario , and its enduring social relevance is a testament to both Orwell 's literary style and deep understanding of the human psyche

This posits that George Orwell 's 1984 is a dystopian novel that deftly tackles the power of language and censorship in controlling both society and the individual hence its enduring relevance to academic studies on the political and social status quo . This study shall begin with a brief summary of the novel in to provide a narrative background . The following discussion involves three parts : first , what is the style or form of the novel , and how does it add to the novel 's appeal and narrative ? Second , what are the main themes of the novel Lastly , how do these themes - combined with the novel - remain relevant to the present times , hence its popularity with academics in the sociopolitical and literary fields ? These are the questions that this study must answer in to prove its thesis

Summary

1984 is the story of Winston Smith , a member of the Outer Party residing in what used to be London . Smith is a citizen of Oceania , one of the three superstates in the world of 1984 . The protagonist lives a life of controlled existence he works in the Ministry of Truth rewriting news stories and editing photographs in to make history adhere ' to the Party 's current slogan . People who went against the Party disappeared and made unpersons - there entire existence is erased by workers like Winston Smith . History...