George Orwells Chastity and Political Orthodoxy - Essay Example

George Orwell’s Chastity and Political Orthodoxy Eric Arthur Blair, popularly known by his pen name George Orwell was a very prolific English author. Among his most famous works are ‘1984’ and ‘Animal farm’. He was known for his works which shed light on social injustices across the world. His concerns about totalitarian regimes were expressed by him in his language which combined wit and sarcasm with the knowledge he had on human society which he gained by living in various parts of the world. This essay is an analysis about George Orwell’s book 1984. 1984, a book that was initially published in the year 1949 essentially paints a bleak picture of the future that is 1984. It belongs to a genre that could be classified as social science fiction. It is written in newspeak which includes self explanatory words that are openly cynical in nature for example, the dictator of Oceania is ‘big brother’, the ‘ministry of love’ is the most feared ministry in the government. ’ 1984 warns the reader of the unprecedented power that science and technology offer to those who lust for domination and the role technology can play in allowing totalitarian regimes to exercise control over the thought of citizens ‘ (Power) It is the story of Winston smith who lives in London which is part of the super state of Oceania. He hates the way the country is ruled by the party and starts writing a diary in which he rebels against the party by committing thought crime. He meets a girl and they secretly develop a love affair in a state that prohibits love affairs between members of the party. With help from Mr. Charrington and O’Brien they further develop their relationship. Obrien inducts them into the brother hood that is dedicated to opposing all ideas of big brother and gives him the book that contains all truths about big brother. As Winston and Julia are reading their book the thought police break in and arrest them. They are then tortured and brainwashed by Obrien who turns out to be an official of the government like Charrington. Eventually his love for Julia disappears and he turns into just another broken man who loves big brother. (bookrags) The first thing that could strike a reader after reading the book is the exaggerated notion that is propagated in the book as to how a government can influence the life of its citizens. Family life is depicted as an unwanted necessity. Parents were allowed to bring up their children in the ‘old fashioned way’ ‘the children on the other hand were systematically turned against their parents and taught to spy on them and report their deviations. The family had become in effect an extension of the Thought police. it was a device by means of which everyone could be surrounded night and day by informers who knew him intimately’ (Orwell). Parents who already live in a corrupted atmosphere like the children are unlikely to trust and love their children and love them in the ‘old fashioned way’. Similarly love is looked down upon by the Party ‘when you make love you’re using up energy; and afterwards you feel happy and don’t give a damn for anything. They can’t bear you to feel like that. They want you to be bursting with energy all the time. All this marching up and down and waving flags is simply sex gone sour.’ (Orwell) ‘There was a direct intimate connection between chastity and political orthodoxy. For how could the fear, hatred and lunatic credulity which the party needed in its members be kept at the right pitch except by bottling down some powerful instinct and using it as a driving force?’ (Orwell) Even though the citizens of Oceania are under severe scrutiny and even though their every movement outside the law is severely reprimanded they are expected to be patriotic to the country. Patriotism is often described as a love that a person feels for his country. The question that must be asked is ‘why should a person love his country?’ human beings do not have the option of choosing which country to be born into. So, to expect that a man has to love his country, in spite of all its imperfections and injustice doled out to him is anything but fair. The primary instinct in every living being to survive is followed by the instinct to mate. Love is an emotion that causes attraction and facilitates this process. It is further reinforced by the physiological and psychological makeup of a human being. It is not possible to redirect these instincts into an artificially contrived emotion like patriotism. However if a country is viewed as an individual then patriotism plays a main role. Hence patriotism has to come from within a person out of his love for is country. It cannot come from suppressing a man’s primal instincts. Terrorism and threats to national security were probably not as important in 1949 as they are now. After September 11, the US gave a knee jerk reaction fueled by paranoia. Technologies were developed to do surveillance upon citizens. The government suddenly had the right to do anything in the name of national security. Orwell’s book is strangely prophetic in this matter because even though technology has not developed so much as described in his hook. The effect is almost the same. There may not be television screens that see everything but there are close circuit cameras placed in strategic positions everywhere including super markets and offices. A citizen can be traced in many ways through his cell phone, credit card use, and internet. However the most alarming part is the fact that attacks still happen in spite of all these safe guards. The only difference between the book and real life is that in 1984 the surveillance was for monitoring any conflicts against the totalitarian government of the country from within. In real life the monitoring is done to check whether there is any danger to democracy from inside as well as outside the country. Referenes Bookrags. 9 May 2010 . Orwell, George. 1984. New York: Penguin Group, 1949. Power, Margaret. Sage E-Reference. 2005. 9 May 2010 . Read More