Similarities Between 1984 And Fahrenheit 451

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1984 and Fahrenheit 451: Under Totalitarian Regimes Imagine a world where the government controls every aspect of life. In George Orwell's novel 1984, Winston goes head to head with governing forces in Oceania. The government, called the Party, constantly monitors people's behavior and thoughts through telescreens. Winston realizes he has solidified his fate when he starts a journal where he shares his contempt for the Party. In Fahrenheit 451, Montag's journey begins as a fireman who burns books to a rebel who reads them. He lives in a repressive society that strives to make people happy without complications, eradicating all causes of complexity and contradiction. In the novels; 1984 and Fahrenheit 451, themes of paradox, propaganda, and …show more content…

The Party exhibits an unrivaled strength in every aspect of citizens' lives. Their slogan "Who controls the past, … controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.” (Orwell 34) underlines the principle that influencing history is essential to keeping power. The Party uses that power to enforce a single view of history upon the people and change it whenever they see fit. Their “Control is maintained by … the Ministry of Truth (involved in falsification), the Ministry of Peace (concerned with war), the Ministry of Love (maintaining law and order), and the Ministry of Plenty (responsible for chronic shortages)” (Burt Nineteen). Together, these ministries function as a system of governance over the people of Oceania. They are a crucial part of the Party’s objective to hold total control over society. Another way the party exercises their control over the citizens is through Newspeak. “The immediate goal of Newspeak is to reduce the English language to only a few hundred words with functional and extremely narrow meanings; its larger goal is to eliminate dissent by eliminating the ability to express dissent” (Bloom Nineteen). In essence, reducing the vocabulary of a language is a powerful tool that has the power to control the way people think and communicate. Overall, 1984 exhibits the struggle against propaganda, the manipulation of history and language, and the Party's ultimate aim of complete control over

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