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1984, Orwell Essay

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1984, Orwell Essay
Powerplay involves the interplay of different types of power relationships between the powerful and the opressed, and the extent to which power resides in individuals. There are an abundance of themes and issues explored in Nineteen Eighty-Four (hereafter “1984”) that relate to the object of power and its representation through the political state of “the party”, rebellion and language. Similarly, these themes of the use, abuse, and manipulation of power are used in the Peter Nicholson Cartoon in the Daily Telegraph (1/03/03), and the film Enemy of the State directed by Tony Scott. Orwell begins 1984 with an introduction to the responder of a bleak world where individual freedom and personal civil liberties are non-existent; a world where absolute obedience to totalitarian rule is demanded. Contextually, at the time of Orwell’s writing, Hitler and Stalin’s division of humanity was at its peak, encompassing Orwell’s fear of the ultimate suppression of humanity. In writing 1984, Orwell attempts to discuss fraud, dishonesty, and immoral behaviour within politics, and in conveying these ideas, uses a variety of literary features to convey to the responder the extent of the abuse of power. Setting and placement plays an integral role in 1984, as it has been exaggerated to reveal to the responder that the dystopian world of 1984 is definitely not ‘right.’ for example the responder learns that in this world the “clock strikes thirteen.” Orwell continues to describe the setting through clever irony, especially in relation to the ministries of Oceania. The ministry of truth concerns itself with the manipulation of history, and the ministry of love “was the really frightening one.” These paradoxical concepts are a satirical comment upon the manipulative power that humans possess with the underlying discourse of power in 1984 being that power is an omnipresent force that corrupts all things associated with it. Orwell successfully overwhelms the responder with the description of
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