Marxism: 1984 by George Orwell
Marxism In the Novel 1984 Throughout time, rulers and controlling governments have used the ideas of Marxism to take and maintain control over the working class. Even today ideas such as classism and commodification are used in countries such as North Korea and Syria to help governments rule over their citizens. In George Orwell’s 1984 the ideas of Marxism are used to oppress proletariats. The Party tricks the citizens of Oceania into thinking that their propaganda benefits the working class, classism is used as a means of allowing the Party and its associates more power and control than the average citizen, and people under the Party’s rule are commoditized physically and psychologically so as to not questions their totalitarian government. Through the use of propaganda, the Party has tricked its citizens into believing that their controlling ways benefit proletariats, when in fact they only allow this oppressive government even more power. The Party uses the Ministry of Truth to reconstruct the media as well as literature past and present so that all information available to the public provides a positive image of the government. 1 “And the Ministry had not only to supply the multifarious needs of the Party, but also to repeat the whole operation [of reconstructing media and literature] at a lower level for the benefit of the proletariat.” (Orwell, 45). The Ministry of Truth reconstructs the media and literature as a means of meeting and exceeding the Party’s needs as well as to sneakily trick proletariats into oppression. In addition, Junior Spies is sold to the adults of Oceania as a program to better raise their children when it is in fact the Party’s way to condition future generations to not turn against them as well as to monitor and report anybody who shows disloyalty to the government. 2 “Nearly all children nowadays were horrible. What was worst of all was that by means of such organizations as the Spies they were systematically turned into
Cited: 1 Orwell, George. “Operation of Reconstructing Literature” 1984. Penguin Books. London, England: 1949. 45. 2 Orwell, George. “Children Turned Into Savages” 1984. Penguin Books. London, England: 1949. 26. 3 Orwell, George. “Very Few Clothes for Members of Outer Party” 1984. Penguin Books. London, England: 1949. 33. 4 Orwell, George. “Rewriting Newspaper Article to Benefit Big Brother” 1984. Penguin Books. London, England: 1949. 41. 5 Orwell, George. “Impossible to Avoid Joining Two Minutes Hate” 1984. Penguin Books. London, England: 1949. 16. 6 Orwell, George. “People Only Care About Themselves” 1984. Penguin Books. London, England: 1949. 305.