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The Definitive Guide to Analysing ‘1984’ for English: Summary, Context, Themes & Characters

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Newspeak? Doublethink? What do all of these words mean? If you need help analysing 1984 by George Orwell, you’ve come to the right place — we’ve got all you need to know with a summary, list of key characters, themes and a 3-step essay analysis guide!

We’ve even got an analysis table and a sample paragraph that’s all free for you to download on 1984.

So, let’s throw back into 1984 (the fictional one of course)! 

1984 by George Orwell Summary & Key Messages Key Characters in 1984 Context Themes Explored in 1984 Essay Analysis of 1984

1984 by George Orwell Summary & Key Messages

The politics of oceania.

1984 belongs in the dystopian, science fiction genre as it explores the dangers of corrupted power under a totalitarian regime. Totalitarianism is a government system that dictates how its citizens think, behave and act by constantly keeping an eye on them and carrying out punishments for those who don’t obey. Sounds strict, hey? 

Sadly, this is the life of our protagonist, Winston Smith. Winston lives in a nation that resembles London in Oceania, which has been in a war with Eurasia and Eastasia since forever but no one really knows what the war is about. This is because the Party controls its people through rewriting history in the Ministry of Truth, where Winston edits historical records as part of his job.

The Party also invented a new language called “Newspeak” , which eliminates any words associated with rebellion to ensure full subservience of their nation. 

Eye watching over people - 1984 essay analysis

Wherever Winston goes, he is bombarded with posters of their omnipresent leader, Big Brother. There are also hidden cameras and microphones that are implanted everywhere by the thought police to monitor every move of its citizens.

It’s a scary place because if you do or say anything wrong, the thought police will capture you and force you into lifelong labour . In this world, people cannot have close friends, cannot date whoever they want and cannot have intimate relationships.

Instead, the people pent up these emotions and channel them into aggressive patriotism for their government which are expressed in two minute hate rallies. 

The Start of Winston’s Rebellion

Winston has had enough of the Party and its strict control. He purchases an illegal diary to commit crimethink, where he expresses his own thoughts and feelings about the Party through writing. He also writes about his interest in O’Brien, a member of the Inner Party who he believes could be part of the underground rebellion group called the Brotherhood. 

Access 1984 Downloadable Sample Paragraph and Examples of Analysis

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Winston’s and Julia’s Relationship

At work, Winston realises that his historical records were not aligning with his memories . He notices Julia, a young beautiful girl staring at him, and he is afraid that she will turn him into the “thought police”.

However, Julia passes him a note that says “I love you” and they start an affair. 

O’Brien’s Betrayal 

As their relationship grows more seriously, so does Winston’s hatred for the Party. He and Julia decided to reveal their rebellion to O’Brien, who also appeared to be on their side .

O’Brien welcomes them into the Brotherhood and passed Winston a copy of Emmanuel Goldstein’s book. As Winston starts reading the book, the thought police charge in, arrest Winston and Julia and bring them to the Ministry of Love. Turns out, O’Brien is a snake. 

The Party Tortures Winston

At the Ministry of Love, Winston is tortured mercilessly and this makes him confess everything he knows about Julia and the rebellion .

It is then revealed that the government carries out these acts to exercise total power and control over the people of Oceania, to the extent where people not only do things out of fear, but genuinely believe in what they are doing even if it doesn’t make sense.

Winston’s Loss of Individuality

In Room 101, Winston experiences a true Fear Factor episode. The thought police threaten Winston with his ultimate fear, rats that would eat his face off. This caused Winston to scream “Do it to Julia, not me!”, which represents his betrayal to the only person that held value to him.

After this, the thought police let both Winston and Julia go, but the two ex-lovers can no longer look at each other face to face as they are both broken inside. Winston becomes a changed man who does not want to think about rebelling and instead becomes highly supportive of the Party and Big Brother. 

Key Characters in 1984

Winston Smith  The main protagonist who works under the Ministry of Truth in London, Oceania. His appearance is frail, pensive and intelligent. He hates the Party and its totalitarian system with a desire to revolutionise his current political situation. He can be emotional and idealistic with his goals. 
Julia  A beautiful young girl who is Winston’s love interest. Julia is sex-positive with an optimistic attitude about the future of the Party. She represents parts of humanity that Winston lacks, such as passive survival, intimacy, intuition and pragmatism. 
O’Brien  A mysterious leader of the Inner Party who Winston trusts as Winston believes that O’Brien is a member of the legendary rebellion group, the Brotherhood. It is revealed later in the novel that O’Brien is a leader of The Party who has been keeping a close eye on Winston. His betrayal launches us into the inner mechanisms of The Party and its totalitarian rule. O’Brien’s character parallels that of famous dictators in modern history such as Stalin and Hitler, as he is determined to indoctrinate Winston in the name of “purity.” 
Big Brother  Have you watched the show Big Brother? His character in the show is almost the same as in 1984, except a lot more controlling. In 1984, Big Brother is the most dominating figure in Oceania as he is perceived to be the ruler, although Orwell does not specify whether he really exists or not. Big Brother’s face is plastered among posters, coins and telescreens with the slogan “BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU” so it’s impossible to avoid him anywhere. 
Emmanuel Goldstein As the leader of the legendary group of rebels called the Brotherhood, Emmanuel Goldstein is the opposing figure of Big Brother. Although he never appears in the novel, he has had a profound impact on Winston’s hope for the future. He is the most dangerous man in Oceania, according to the Party.  

Context in 1984

To understand 1984’s context, we must first understand the author’s personal background to craft a well thought-out essay analysis. This is because the author’s personal and historical experiences do shape the novel and its themes. So, let’s start with Orwell’s schooling days.

If you ever felt suppressed at school, Orwell can definitely relate with you on that. As a “lower-upper-middle class”, Orwell didn’t fit in with his peers and was upset with the restricted routine that schools impose on their students.

1984 Book Cover - 1984 analysis

He then went on to become a British Imperial Policeman in Burma where he hated his job as he had to execute strict laws under a political system he didn’t like. After this, he moved to England and became a full-time writer. 

Orwell experienced poverty for awhile, and even lived as a coal miner in northern England which caused him to shift from capitalist ideals to democratic socialism. Here are the simplified definitions of the political concepts that influenced Orwell’s beliefs and 1984’s themes: 

  • Capitalism: An economic system where property is owned and controlled by private actors, rather than by state. As such individuals can control how much they set their prices, instead of leaving it to the government to dictate. 
  • Democratic Socialism: Unlike capitalism, democratic socialism is an economic system whereby property and products are owned and controlled by the entire society, alongside governments. So, the main difference here is that governments have a say in trade whereas in capitalism, governments do not interfere with private owner’s business. 

Orwell was also concerned with the rise of Thatcherism. 

In the year 1936, Orwell fought as a socialist in the Spanish Civil War during World War II, where he became familiar with totalitarian systems that are under leaders such as Hitler and Stalin. Although Orwell was passionate about socialism at first, he soon became disillusioned and disappointed with its ideals as Stalin used communism as the foundation of his authoritarian system. 

Stalin of the Soviet Union was also an important influence in shaping 1984’s totalitarian regime of Oceania, as Stalin used secret police to force confessions out of enemies through torture alike how the Ministry of Love did with Winston . Like the Party, the Soviet Union also tampered with physical records of people as they imprison and/or eliminate millions of lives. 

24 hour surveillance

With the rise of the nuclear age and television in 1949, Orwell envisioned a future where everyone would always be monitored through screens in a post-atomic dictatorship . This became a fear that was highly possible when speculated thirty five years into the future. 

But as we all know, this did not become true. In the early 1990s, the Cold War ended with the triumph of democracy, as signified by the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Even so, Orwell’s 1984 still serves as a precautionary tale against the corruption and abuse of totalitarian regimes, along with a profound insight into the use of language and history to manipulate one’s individuality.  

Want more information on George Orwell? Take a look at this biography found via the Orwell Foundation page!

Themes Explored in 1984

To help you get started on your thesis or topic sentence , here are three key themes from 1984 that you can write about in your essay analysis !

The Consequences of Totalitarianism

After experiencing the violence and corruption of totalitarian regimes in Spain and Russia, Orwell wrote 1984 as a warning about the dangers of an authoritarian regime where the government holds the most power. As such, the Party in 1984 administered extreme methods of physical and psychological manipulation to enforce total submission of its people. 

Physical control by the Party includes total surveillance of its people to the extent where even a twitch in the face can be enough to warrant an arrest. Morning exercises, called Physical Jerks, are also carried out before long hours at work to tire people out so they don’t have the energy to think beyond the Party’s propaganda. 

The Party also uses physical torture to “re-educate” and punish those who rebel against them. It is this physical pain that causes Winston to lose his own individuality and moral beliefs, allowing the Party to infiltrate his mind and dictate his sense of reality. 

Meanwhile, the Party also uses psychological tactics to saturate the individual’s mind with propaganda and disable its ability for independent thinking. On top of watching everyone everywhere, the telescreens are also used to indoctrinate (ie. brainwash) people into supporting the Party despite its flaws.

Black and white television - 1984 analysis

The telescreens also perpetuate slogans such as “BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU” , to remind people that their government is always watching their back so they better behave according to the Party’s standards. 

The Party also deems close friendships and conversations with others illegal. So, if you’re itching to spill the tea, your only method of venting your emotions out is through pep rallies, where the Party encourages you to show extreme expressions of hatred to its political enemies. Ultimately, this allows the Party to dictate how and where you should express your emotions, keeping you from expressing your individual feelings, thoughts and opinions. 

Here are some quotes that illustrate the perils of totalitarianism: 

QuoteLink to the Consequences of Totalitarianism
“Big Brother is Watching You” This slogan represents how the Party constantly monitors its people and instills psychological fear to enforce total control over its citizens. 
“We convert him, we capture his inner mind, we reshape him” This line from O’Brien reveals the Party’s motive of gaining total control over people’s minds by forcing them to forfeit their independent thought and truly believing in whatever the Party wants them to believe in. 
“You want it to happen to the other person. You don’t give a damn what they suffer. All you care about is yourself.”This line from Julia as she speaks to Winston about what happened in 101 reveals that the both of them have betrayed one another as a result of the torture they’ve experienced under the Party, which represents their loss of morality and individual values under cruel physical control of authoritarian regimes. 

The Power of Language to Liberate and Control 

In 1984, language has the dual capacity to both restrain and facilitate individual expression. This is another key message that Orwell imparts, as he highlights how language can either promote or limit ideas which influence our beliefs, behaviour and identity. 

The Party uses Newspeak as a way of controlling the language that its people speak, which in turn dictates the people’s thoughts, actions and personalities (or lack thereof).

By eliminating words that are associated with rebellious thoughts, the Party essentially removes the people’s ability to think of resistance because there are no words to conceive it. With continual edits with Newspeak, the Party inches a step closer to their ultimate goal of total coercion from their people.

Yet, in Winston’s case, he uses language as a vehicle of self-expression as he purchases a diary for himself and writes his everyday thoughts, opinions and feelings into it . By writing in his own words, he is able to build himself an identity with his own passions, goals and perspective.

Notebook without writing in it

Sadly, in a world where the government overrules individual expression, Winston’s use of language dwindles, though it is encouraging to see how language can still work to preserve independent thought.

Here are three quotes that can help you get started on this theme: 

QuoteLink to the Consequences of Totalitarianism
“WAR IS PEACE

FREEDOM IS SLAVERY

IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH”
This official slogan of the Party is an example of “doublethink” that is used to instil propaganda and fear, forcing its people to believe anything they say even when it is contradictory and illogical. (eg. Ministry of Truth is where history is rewritten, Ministry of Love is where people are tortured, Ministry of Peace is head of war). 
“Don’t you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought? In the end we shall make thoughtcrime literally impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it.." This represents the Party’s use of language to restrain any thought of rebellion against its political campaign and enforce subservience. 
“Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows”This line from Winston reinforces the power of language to reclaim his perspective of the world moves beyond the indoctrinations from the Party. 

The Importance of Preserving Our Identity and Individualism

What happens if we lose everything that defines us as us? 

1984 truly delves into this scary concept as the Party removes everyone’s personal details so they are not able to establish their own identity. For example, even Winston does not know his own age, who his real parents are nor can he trust his own childhood memories as there are no photographs or evidences to help him differentiate between reality and imagination. 

Aside from Winston, the rest of Oceania are also denied documents that could give them a sense of individuality and help them differentiate themselves from others . This causes their memories to grow fuzzy, thus making the people of Oceania vulnerable and dependent on the stories that the Party tells them.

In turn, by controlling the present, the Party can re-engineer the past. Simultaneously, by controlling the past, the Party can rationalise its shortcomings and project a perfect government that is far from the truth. 

With no recollection of the past, the people of Oceania can no longer stay in touch with their real identities and instead, become identical as they wear the same uniform, drink the same brand of alcohol and more. Yet, Winston builds his own sense of identity through recording his thoughts, experiences and emotions in his diary. This act along with his relationship with Julia symbolises Winston’s declaration of his own independence and identity as a rebel who disagrees with the Party’s system. 

Despite this, Winston’s own sense of individuality and identity dissolves after his torturous experience at the Ministry of Love, which transforms him into another member of the Outer Party who blends into the crowd. By asserting a dark vision of humanity’s individualism, Orwell urges audiences in the present to truly value their freedom to express and preserve their identity. 

Here are some quotes that are related to this idea which you may find helpful:

QuoteLink to the Consequences of Totalitarianism
“Who controls the past, controls the future: who controls the present controls the past”This slogan from the Party reveals that by rewriting history, the Party can justify their actions and systems in the present. Alternatively, by controlling the present, they can choose to manipulate history however they like. 
“What appealed to [Winston] about [the coral paperweight] was not so much its beauty as the air it seemed to possess of belonging to an age quite different to the present one”This quote from Winston represents his act of rebellion which helps him to assert his own independence in determining what he likes or does not like that are outside of the Party’s influence. 
“And when memory failed and written records were falsified… the claim of the Party to have improved the conditions of human life had go to be accepted, because there did not exist, and never again could exist.” This quote represents Winston’s realisation that the Party purposefully erodes people’s memories of the past to disable their sense of identity and gain full control of their sense of self. 

Of course, 1984 also includes other themes that you may be thinking about writing analysis for, such as: 

  • Rebellion and Patriotism 
  • Active versus Passive Survival 
  • The Corrupt Use of Technology
Check out our recommended related text for 1984 .

Essay Analysis: How to Analyse 1984 in 3 Steps

Analysing your text is always the first step to writing an amazing essay! Lots of students make the mistake of jumping right into writing without really understanding what the text is about.

This leads to arguments that only skim the surface of the complex ideas, techniques and elements of the text. So, let’s build a comprehensive thesis through an in-depth analysis of the 1984. 

Here are three easy steps that you can use to analyse 1984 and really impress your English teachers!

Step 1: Select your example(s)

1984 is a world of its own with its totalitarian systems, use of foreign words and more. So, we totally understand if you’re feeling lost and don’t know where to begin. 

Our piece of advice is to look for examples that come with a technique. Techniques offer you a chance to delve into the text’s underlying meaning, which would help you deepen your analysis and enrich your essay writing. 

Find our extensive list of quotes from 1984 by George Orwell!

Here are two quotes that relate to consequences of totalitarian power, which we have picked to help you visualise which examples can provide a deeper meaning: 

“Big Brother is Watching You.”  “WAR IS PEACE FREEDOM IS SLAVERY IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH” 

Step 2: Identify your technique(s)

Getting a good grade in English is more than listing out every technique that you can find in the text. Instead, it’s about finding techniques that allow you to dive deeper into the themes you’re focussing on, while also supporting your argument. 

Try to look for techniques that allow you to explain its effects and link to your argument such as symbols, metaphors, connotations, similes and historical allegories . In Orwell’s case, he uses a lot of language techniques such as neologism, where he makes up his own words such as “Doublethink” or “Newspeak”. 

For the two quotes above, its three techniques include historical allusion, rhetoric and oxymoron. 

If possible, you can look out for a quote that encompasses a few techniques to really pack a punch in your analysis. 

Step 3: Write the analysis

Once you’re done collecting your examples and techniques, the next part is writing. You must remember to explain what the effect of the technique is and how it supports your argument. Otherwise, it’s not going to be a cohesive essay if you’re just listing out techniques. 

An example of listing out techniques looks like this: 

“The rhetoric “Big Brother is Watching You” is also a historical allusion while “War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery and Ignorance is Strength” is oxymoronic.”

Instead, you must elaborate on how each of these techniques link to your argument. 

“Big Brother is Watching You” is a rhetoric imposed by the Party to instil psychological fear and submission of the people of Oceania, whereby Orwell uses to warn the dangers of totalitarianism. “Big Brother” is also a historical allusion to Hitler to remind the audience that 1984 is not entirely fictional but a possible future of our reality, urging us to take action against totalitarian regimes with the autonomy we have now. 

Meanwhile, the slogan ““WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH” represents the oxymoronic mentalities that have been indoctrinated into the people of Oceania, highlighting how totalitarian regimes would force its people to think whatever they want their people to think, no matter how illogical it is. 

Together, your analysis should look something like: 

The Party perpetuates the rhetoric, “Big Brother is Watching You” to instil psychological fear and coercion of the the people of Oceania, which forewarns a lack of individual freedom and private reflection within authoritarian regimes. As “Big Brother” is a historical allusion to Hitler, Orwell reminds the audience that 1984 and its extremist politics is a reality, urging us to defend our independence before it’s forbidden. Furthermore, the slogan “War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength” embodies the oxymoronic mentalities that the Party indoctrinates into its people, revealing the extreme extent of psychological control an authoritarian regime strives to ensure their power is never questioned, no matter how irrational it is.

Need some help with your essay analysis of other texts aside from 1984?

Check out other texts we’ve created guides for below:

  • Romeo and Juliet
  • Run Lola Run
  • The Meursault Investigation
  • In Cold Blood
  • To Kill a Mockingbird
  • The Book Thief
  • The Tempest
  • Blade Runner
  • Things Fall Apart
  • Mrs Dalloway

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Introduction of 1984

Summary of 1984, major themes in 1984, major characters in 1984, writing style 1984‎, analysis of literary devices in 1984, related posts:, post navigation.

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"1984" George Orwell: Quote Analysis

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1984 paradox essay

1984 Practice Essay on Individual & Collective Human Experience

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Resource Description

Explore the ways in which your prescribed text represents the individual and collective human experience.

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Intro: Texts provide insights into the human experiences through anomalies, paradoxes and inconsistencies in human behaviour and motivations. This can translate into collective and individual human experiences which is evident throughout 1984 through Orwell’s analysis on society and individuals. Throughout the novel Orwell utilises the juxtaposition of control and rebellion, the adaptation of love and imposition of fear to represent collective and individual experiences. The juxtaposition of control and rebellion creates psychological human experiences of conformity versus individualism by adapting individual character’s actions as well as societies. The adaptation of love highlights the importance to psychological and physical human experiences among individual and those shared with each other. Furthermore, the imposition of fear throughout Oceania propagates a collective conformity that can be seen within individuals throughout 1984. Therefore, through the analysis of Oceania and individual characters Orwell dictates individual and collective human experiences throughout 1984.

The juxtaposition of control and rebellion throughout 1984 imposes a collective human experience and its evolution creates an individual human experience. Throughout Oceania Winston observes the ‘fear, hatred and pain’ and no ‘dignity of emotion, no deep or complex sorrows’. The use of cumulative listing showcases the control that The Party has imposed upon Oceania creating a collective social human experience. Furthermore, the use of emotive language creates an emotional human experience by displaying the lack there of. Moreover, the control of the party ‘trying to kill the sex instinct or… distort it and dirty it’ creates a collective psychological human experience by warping the societal understanding of sex. The plosive ‘d’ alliteration within the quote also displays the individual physical human experiences by causing the absence of it.

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The Junkification of American Life

A white marble statue of a winged woman who is draped in a toga and sitting with an iPhone in her lap.

By David Brooks

Opinion Columnist

Back in February, the music historian Ted Gioia wrote an essay on the state of American culture. He argued that many creative people want to create art (work that puts demands on people), but all the commercial pressures push them to create entertainment (which gives audiences what they want). As a result, for the past many years, entertainment (superhero movies) has been swallowing up art (literary novels and serious dramas).

But now, Gioia observed, even the entertainment business is in crisis. Hollywood studios are laying off employees. The number of new scripted TV series is down. That’s because entertainment is being swallowed up by distraction (TikTok, Instagram). People stay on their phones because it’s easier. Each object of distraction lasts only a few seconds and doesn’t require any cognitive work; the audience just keeps scrolling.

Our dopamine-driven brains drive us to choose cheap distraction over entertainment and art. A 15-second video causes a dopamine release in the brain, which creates a desire for more stimulus, which leads to the habit of more scrolling on your phone, which leads to an addiction to more stimulus. If distraction is swallowing entertainment in our culture, addiction is also swallowing distraction.

Gioia wrote: “The tech platforms aren’t like the Medici in Florence, or those other rich patrons of the arts. They don’t want to find the next Michelangelo or Mozart. They want to create a world of junkies — because they will be the dealers.”

The phenomenon Gioia describes isn’t happening just to culture; it recurs across American life. We have access to wonderful things. But they require effort, so we settle for the junky things that provide the quick dopamine hits. We could all be eating a Mediterranean diet, but instead it’s potato chips and cherry Coke. We could enjoy the richness of full awareness, but booze, weed and other drugs provide that quick reward. Think of all the things in American life that seem to offer that burst of stimulation but threaten to be addictive — gambling, porn, video games, checking email.

Even journalism has found ways to trigger dopamine for profit. We journalists go into this business to inform and provoke, but many outlets have found they can generate clicks by telling partisan viewers how right they are about everything. Minute after minute they’re rubbing their audience’s pleasure centers, which feels like a somewhat older profession.

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    The final paradox that Orwell introduces in 1984 is the slogan "Freedom is Slavery." This paradox underscores the Party's distortion of language and logic to control the minds of the citizens and maintain their subjugation. ... "Fahrenheit 451" and "1984" Essay. Dystopian literature has long been a staple of science fiction and dystopian novels ...

  2. Paradoxes in George Orwell's 1984: [Essay Example], 551 words

    Body. One of the most striking paradoxes in 1984 is the juxtaposition of freedom and oppression. The Party, led by Big Brother, claims to champion the principles of freedom and liberty for the people. However, their definition of freedom is distorted, as it entails complete submission to the Party's will and the eradication of individuality.

  3. 1984 Literary Devices

    In this passage, the narrator—by way of Winston's thoughts—describes the meaninglessness that arises when figures of authority violently control reality. Winston grapples with this throughout the novel, until O'Brien removes his capacity for critical thinking. Unlock explanations and citations for this and every literary device in 1984.

  4. 1984 Study Guide

    The best study guide to 1984 on the planet, from the creators of SparkNotes. ... Literary Devices Alliteration Allusions Fallacy Flashbacks Foreshadowing Genre Imagery Irony Logos Metaphors Mood Motifs Paradox Pathos Personification Setting ... Prior to writing Nineteen Eighty-Four, Orwell wrote and published essays on Aldous Huxley's Brave New ...

  5. Theme Of Paradox In George Orwell's 1984

    George Orwell's 1984 portrays a Utopian society in which the people of Oceania are blind to the world outside the controlling party. Reality control and surveillance of the citizens plays an important role in 1984 by George Orwell because of the negative Utopia that is illustrated by the use of paradox, symbolism, and imagery.

  6. 1984

    We can help you master your essay analysis of 1984 by taking you through the summary, context, key characters and themes. We'll also help you ace your upcoming English assessments with personalised lessons conducted one-on-one in your home or online! We've supported over 8,000 students over the last 11 years, and on average our students ...

  7. The Individual vs. Collective Identity Theme in 1984

    Below you will find the important quotes in 1984 related to the theme of The Individual vs. Collective Identity. Book 1, Chapter 1 Quotes. There was of course no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any given moment. How often, or on what system, the Thought Police plugged in on any given individual wire was guesswork.

  8. Orwell's "1984" from Theoretical Views (An Essay)

    June 28, 2015. Understanding Orwell's 1984 Through Marxist and Deconstruction Theories. In the study of literature, there are various theories that allow works to be evaluated and better ...

  9. What are some examples of paradox usage by the Party in 1984

    Share Cite. In 1984, the Party relies heavily on paradoxes (a set of contradictory ideas) to maintain its power and control over the people of Oceania. This is shown by the name of its government ...

  10. The paradoxical nature and meaning of the three Party slogans in 1984

    Summary: The three Party slogans in 1984—"War is Peace," "Freedom is Slavery," and "Ignorance is Strength"—are paradoxical as they contradict common sense.These slogans are used to manipulate ...

  11. 1984 Analysis

    1984's famous first line, "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen," establishes the foreboding tone of the novel. Orwell goes on to paint a stark, unflinching ...

  12. PDF GEORGE ORWELL'S 1984

    INTRODUCTION. George Orwell's 1984 offers a thought-provoking learning experience for high schools students. It provides challenging reading, stimulating themes of dehumanization, isolation, repression, loneliness, social class disparity, and abuse of power, and a basis upon which students can form their own opinions about today's society ...

  13. George Orwell's 1984 as a Historical Allegory

    One aspect of 1984 that is consistently dominant, is the theme of manipulation, and how even the most overt and simplistic forms of manipulation manages... read full [Essay Sample] for free ... This paradox causes Winston to believe that "If there is hope…it lies in the proles". The proletariat in Orwell's fictional world are the ...

  14. Paradox : Measure For Measure, 1984 And Punishment

    Open Document. Paradox in Measure for Measure, 1984 and Punishment Paradox in Orwell's 1984 novel emphasizes the contradictions of the legal institutions more than in Shakespeare's Measure for Measure. The usage of irony to show the cruelty behind the words of the Party slogan, "WAR IS PEACE FREEDOM IS SLAVERY IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH ...

  15. 1984

    The novel, 1984, was published back in 1949 in June, is a dystopian fiction by George Orwell. It spellbound generations and it continues to do so since its first appearance. The novel was a myth breaker, but it also proved prophetic in giving out the truth and the predictions and forebodings of futuristic political instability, especially mass ...

  16. 1984 Book 1, Chapter 8 Summary & Analysis

    The inability of the old prole to satisfy Winston's curiosity about the past is an indicator that the Party has succeeded in its program of mind control. Winston's hope that the proles will rebel seems increasingly futile. Active Themes. Next, Winston finds himself outside the junk shop where he had bought the diary.

  17. Contradictions In George Orwell's 1984

    A summary on 1984 says "The reason for the war is to keep their economies productive without adding to the wealth of their citizens" (Celona). This evidence shows how the party believes war keeps their country away from rebellion. Lastly, the statement "Freedom is Slavery" is a paradox shown throughout the novel.

  18. The Meaning of War Is Peace, Freedom Is Slavery, and Ignorance Is

    1984: The Beginning. At the beginning of 1984, these words are presented as the official motto of the nation of Oceania:. War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength — George Orwell, 1984

  19. Examples Of Paradoxes In 1984

    Many may argue that the most central paradox is Big Brother himself, however, it is actually The Ministry of Truth, ... A Rhetorical Analysis Essay On 1984 By George Orwell. In 1984, George Orwell presents a dystopia, the complete opposite of the perfect world. The setting is a post-war situation, based on reality after the world wars.

  20. "1984" George Orwell: Quote Analysis: [Essay Example], 620 words

    Published: Mar 20, 2024. George Orwell's 1984 is a dystopian novel that has become a classic in literature and a timeless warning against totalitarianism. One of the most famous quotes from the novel is, "War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.". This quote captures the essence of the Party's manipulation of language ...

  21. 1984 Practice Essay on Individual & Collective Human Experience

    The juxtaposition of control and rebellion throughout 1984 imposes a collective human experience and its evolution creates an individual human experience. Throughout Oceania Winston observes the 'fear, hatred and pain' and no 'dignity of emotion, no deep or complex sorrows'. The use of cumulative listing showcases the control that The ...

  22. Opinion

    Back in February, the music historian Ted Gioia wrote an essay on the state of American culture. He argued that many creative people want to create art (work that puts demands on people), but all ...