George Orwell's Dehumanisation Of 1984

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Nineteen Eighty-Four, commonly referred to as 1984, is British author George Orwell’s almost prophetic 1949 novel. Often grouped with books like older sibling Animal Farm and Huxley’s Brave New World, 1984’s bleak projections are the apex of mid-20th century dystopian literature. Orwell’s political inclinations towards anarcho-socialism clashed irreconcilably with the iron-handed approach that the Soviet Union and other governments adopted during the rage of World War II. These conflicts birthed the tragedy of 1984, a clairvoyant’s plea for vigilance. 1984 opens with Winston Smith’s incoherent anger with the Party’s relentless totalitarianism. However, he’s barely aware of why he feels so angry towards them, and only begins to realize as he…show more content…
At the novel’s opening, Winston vents about his visceral opposition to the Party’s suppression of all individuality. Perhaps the most prominent thread is the Party’s streak of dehumanization, as its effects seep into every corner of Winston’s plight. Orwell also discusses the omnipresence of media and language, their propagandic nature discussed time and time again. However, most disturbing of these is the Party’s purported ability to effectively restructure time, suggesting a certain feebleness to the human…show more content…
Authority encourages marriage and sex as a child-bearing measure, but the normally heartwarming ideal of family is sabotaged; children are raised to denounce their own parents to the Thought Police, with Parsons’ incarceration reflecting this. Julia’s character, her sensuality and rebellion, are a direct opponent to the Party’s internalized doctrine. The Party’s dehumanizing conversion of its subjects essentially transforms them into mindless robots -- evidenced when Parsons is actually proud of his children for denouncing him. Culture is often mentioned in tight conjunction with language and emotion, and the Party’s removal of both reflects the loss of culture and
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