Government Control In 1984 By George Orwell

Complete government control and government spying is a fear that has been among people ever since technology has begun to advance. Totalitarian governments started to take shape in the 1930’s when there were obvious parallels between Hitler and Stalin (Gleason 150). In the 1940 's, George Orwell was one of those people in fear of rising totalitarian police states. Orwell wrote 1984 with the purpose of hoping to warn people of the dangers of the totalitarian form of government. Orwell tells the story through the life of Winston Smith and the daily oppression he goes through living in this form of government. Gorman Beauchamp describes the tone of 1984 perfectly. He says, “In 1984 Orwell provides, of course, the apotheosis of bully worship, a

Sex is unquestionably the key political issue in 1984 (Baruch 345).” The totalitarian government is all about complete control and total power over their people. Orwell shows the daily struggle of Winston and his sexual thoughts that he has to try to refrain from. Whenever he sees that attractive dark haired girl, he cannot contain himself and almost bursts with pleasure. The sexual oppression has built up inside him over the years and he is willing to go to great lengths to get it out. It slowly destroys Winston’s mind and starts to drive him mad and this is exactly what Orwell wants the audience to understand. That a totalitarian government will completely oppress their people in a way that is not healthy for their mental state. Like Baruch said, wearing makeup and having sex is unquestionably an act of defiance and freedom in the totalitarian society. This should not even be an issue though because wearing makeup and having sex with whom you choose are basic rights that everyone should

The people cannot resist forever and will eventually give in and accept the oppression that they live with. Winston Smith spends the entire novel trying to fight this totalitarian government. He does everything in his power to resist the government and to try to escape to freedom, but in the end the Party wins and Winston accept his role as another mindless person in their society. Journalist Philip Goldstein says, “Winston eventually accepts newspeak, repudiates sexual, gendered love and worships Big Brother and the Party not only because in totalitarianism fashion O’Brien intimidates and tortures Winston but also because, in the paperweight, the photo, Goldstein 's book, the prols, popular culture, and even Julia, Winston can find no opposition better than the metaphysical” (Goldstein 131). Goldstein is arguing that Winston eventually succumbs to this power because he has nothing else to turn to anymore. Everything in Winston’s he has been restricted from or it has been taken away from him so he has no choice but to give in to the