1984 and Nazism
Nobody can disagree with the fact that George Orwell’s vision, in his book 1984, didn’t come true. Though many people worried that the world might actually come to what Orwell thought, the year 1984 came and went and the world that Orwell created was something people did not have to worry about anymore. Many people have wondered what was happening in Orwell’s life and in his time that would inspire him to create this politically motivated book. A totalitarian world where one person rules and declares what is a crime and what is not, is something many people would have been scared of a lot. The totalitarianism in 1984 is very similar to the Nazism that was occurring in Germany with Hitler. This could have been the key thing that motivated George Orwell to write 1984. Nazi Germany used propaganda and censorship to control what people saw, heard, and read. Hitler appointed Joseph Goebbels as the Minister of Enlightenment and Propaganda. Goebbels "would destroy anything which he felt disagreed with Nazi views” (Bradley 1). This is much like The Ministry of Truth, which is where Winston, the protagonist of 1984, works. In the book, The Ministry of Truth controls all of the news, entertainment, education, and the fine arts. Winston's job is to rewrite history, to make it seem like the party is always true, and to get rid of ‘unpersons’ from all papers in the past. Hitler's Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda produced books, newspapers, and posters of all sizes to control the public opinion, which is much like all the posters of Big Brother. Winston described him as a "black-mustachio'd face [gazing] down from every commanding corner" (Orwell 6). The poster has a caption at the bottom saying BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU. With The Ministry of Truth producing the books and rewriting history and newspapers, they are basically controlling what people see, hear, and read, just like in Nazi Germany, which makes a concrete example of one of the reasons that made
Cited: Conley, Patti. “Pulled into evil: The history of the Hitler Youth.” The Beaver County Times. 9 Nov 2009, 1. EBSCO Publishing. CD-ROM. 10 Nov 2009 Halleck, Elaine. Eugene Kogon. “Living in a Concentration Camp.” Living in Nazi Germany. Farmington Hills. Greenhaven Press. 2004 Halleck, Elaine. Cynthia Crane. “The Impact of Nuremberg Laws.” Living in Nazi Germany. Farmington Hills. Greenhaven Press. 2004 “Life in Nazi Germany.” 10 Nov 2009. Online. http://socyberty.com/history/life-in-nazi-germany/ Orwell, George. 1984. New York: Penguin Group, 1949.