Rhetorical Devices Used In 1984

In George Orwell's dystopian novel 1984, we follow Winston Smith through the challenges of society controlled by the Party; he echoes a warning not to lose your freedom to a higher power. Orwell accomplishes this with many rhetorical devices found in both the book and the current presidential election.
Reality control is used to maintain authority over society. In 1984, while Winston is imprisoned in the Ministry of Love, the party slogan,”Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past” (Orwell 39; book III ch. II) comes up when he talks to O’Brien. The Party changes the past to destroy it’s people’s psychological independence, leading to ultimate control and security of its future power. The past appears

In Trump’s RNC speech, he uses a young woman's death to support his idea that immigration in the United States should be stopped: “One such border-crosser was released and made his way to Nebraska. There, he ended the life of an innocent young girl named Sarah Root. She was 21 years-old, and was killed the day after graduating from college with a 4.0 Grade Point Average, number one in her class” (Trump). This tragic story shows that open borders are extremely harmful. Reason? Sympathy? Clinton’s parents have extremely influenced her throughout her life. She explains how her mother has help guide her moral compass: “No one gets through life alone. We have to look out for each other and lift each other up. She made sure I learned the words of our Methodist faith: ‘Do all the good you can, for all the people you can, in all the ways you can, as long as ever you can.’” (Clinton). Clinton’s mother taught her that nothing gets accomplished alone, directly contradicting Trump’s statement that he alone can fix the system. This could lead to repudiation toward one party or another. Clinton grew up in a middle class household with her parents and two brothers. Her parents : ”When the war was over he started his own small business, printing fabric for draperies. I remember watching him stand for hours over silk screens. He wanted to give my brothers and me opportunities he never had”(Clinton). Her

In 1984 the idea that,”Big Brother is always watching you”(Orwell 3; book I ch. I), instills fear into each citizen. This fear driven by Big Brother, telescreens and the thought police is taken advantage of to control society. Trump exploits the fears of Americans to make it seem like he can protect them. He wants Americans to fear immigrants, and his solution to build a wall will keep those dangerous people out:“We are going to build a great border wall to stop illegal immigration, to stop the gangs and the violence, and to stop the drugs from pouring into our communities”(Trump). People do not want the gangs, violence, and drugs Trump mentions in the United states and this statement will now associate that fear with immigrants. Clinton directly quoted past president Franklin Delano Roosevelt to stand up to the fear created by Trump “Well, a great Democratic President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, came up with the perfect rebuke to Trump more than eighty years ago, during a much more perilous time.‘The only thing we have to fear is fear