1984 by George Orwell and Big Brother - Research Paper Example

Kellner writes, “The novel opens with evocations, frequently repeated that "BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU." Then it quickly plunges the reader into an oppressive environment where omnipresent television sets not only incessantly broadcast government propaganda but actually serve as instruments of surveillance.” The subtle aspect of Communism as perceived by George Orwell is doublespeak. The Michal Buchowski at el. writes, “Communist language was forcefully brought home to the West by George Orwell in Nineteen Eighty-Four, especially in his notion of “doublethink.”(p.555) What is the working style of Big Brother and his associates and superiors?

Their implication is—‘we don’t say whatever we say or do is correct. But whatever correct is there in the world belongs to us! How George Orwell highlights the serious shortcomings of the hardcore communist regimes with his satirical style by taking potshots at their methods of suppression of freewill of the people, through the character of Big Brother in 1984? The name of the watchtower through which Big Brother and his associates function is ‘totalitarianism.’ Buchowski at el writes, “The very term totalitarianism suggests a political problem: a form of rule so total as to leave no aspect of life untouched: a form of rule that is not merely dictatorial, but holds people in its grip so thoroughly that they become its puppets.”(p.557).

But the style of functioning as portrayed by George Orwell in his book 1984 seems to have been adopted in communist countries and partially in the West. This is the issue of control of history (including the censorship on print and electronic media), surveillance and corruption of language. Those who are assigned duties in these areas seem to salute the Big Brother every day, before the commencing their duties and carry out his instructions implicitly, as for tapping phones, intercept mails, enter residences unauthorisedly etc.

Language corruption is being used as an important political propaganda weapon and with full knowledge of their double meaning. The words like socialist, war criminal, racist, democratic are used, as if Satan quotes the Bible. The hero of the book, Winston Smith, employed in the Ministry of truth is engrossed in rewriting and falsifying history, as per the demands of the present regime. Big Brother has a tremendous responsibility, to control the State of Oceania. His “thought police” have to see that friends and enemies are kept under control.

Oceania is at constant war with artificially created factions. Alliances are created and discredited; what is important for the Big Brother is the perennial hysteria, and to maintain the situation of confusion and to tell the people that something dangerous is being planned against the Nation by the opposition with vested interests. George Orwell, through Big Brother, gives lots of importance to past history—for the process to undo it and suppress the facts that are inconvenient to the present (Communist) regime.

The supreme objective of the party is to retain and maintain power at all times and at all costs. It uses a variety of methods to keep the population under control. “War is peace” is one