Changing into a Totalitarian Society

Sonnet Xu

1984 is a well-known book, for its ideas and parallels, but also for its extreme depiction of totalitarian control’s effect on society. Throughout this book we see that the characters are never quite safe, and they live in constant fear of the government, and afraid to do what they want to do. Although we know that the government can, and does, use military forces, it is often easy to wonder how they got there, and how the people eventually lost all of their freedom. Orwell, however, never mentions how this government comes about, and gives us no insight into the beginnings of this society, which leaves much room for thought.

For me at least, the natural thing to do is look at the past, which guides us to a natural parallel, Nazi Germany. During that time of history, Germany was suffering in an economic depression, and overall country morale was low. To help with the transition to fascism and military control, Hitler employed several tactics quite similar to the steps that Big Brother took.

Comparing the two governments shows us that a key part of this transition is making the people feel weak and lost as an individual, but united in the hatred of another entity or group. 1984 employs the two minutes of hate, and the Nazis put out anti-semitic propaganda. These tactics serve as well-regarded methods of diversion, that divert attention from the present. Portraying the hated party as someone disgusting helps the government to slip into people’s minds and implement ideas or thoughts that rationally, would not be thought. Looking into the modern day, a lot of country rivalry and country-to-country blaming for issues in some sense, is similar to this idea. Although we may feel that it is not as severe, it’s still something to watch out for and a feeling to not disregard. Especially in today's growing international society, it's always good to keep your mind open and be willing to listen to others, because if we made that transition, who knows where we'd be?