Examples Of Individualism In 1984 By George Orwell

Corruption. Poverty. Terrorism. These are things most people say will cause society to fall apart if they are not contained or suppressed by the government, but in George Orwell’s 1984, none of these problems are a concern of the overbearing government known as the Party; instead, there is only one characteristic--one fatal flaw with the power to tug on that first string and cause the entire Party to unravel: individuality. In the book the character Winston, who is not blinded by the government’s propaganda, purposefully refuses to conform as an act of rebellion. Likewise, the Party fights to hold onto its power by having extra surveillance to keep an eye out for people like Winston or any others who are acting differently because in 1984,

The Party’s first action to destroy individualism is by making all the Party members wear the same clothes: a set of overalls. The members of the outside Party, like Winston and others who work for the Party, have even more regulations at work including the two-minutes hate that everyone has to take part in and even their lunch is uniform. “Onto each was dumped swiftly the regulation lunch--a metal pannikin of pinkish-gray stew, a hunk of bread, a cube of cheese, a mug of milkless Victory Coffee, and one saccharine tablet” (49). These measures to keep everything the same in the workplace of Party members shows how much conformity means to the Party. The Party does not only take measures to prevent any type of individuality, they are also constantly on the lookout and are willing to take action if someone shows traits that make them stand out; Winston’s friend, Syme is an example of this. “One of these days, thought Winston… Syme will be vaporized. He is too intelligent. He sees too clearly and speaks to plainly. The Party does not like such people” (53). Later on, Syme is eventually vaporized, and although there is no clear words saying his is, Winston can see that the Party removed his name from things he was involved in like the chess club, and it is like he never even existed. Just like that the Party can get rid of the little pest in their society that is