1984 Final Theme Project

Kendall Epperson, Shoshana Lawrence, Brooke Cardinale, Haley

Lockwood
Visual Element
For our visual element, we created a journal. This journal represents Winston’s
journal and has entries that “he” made. At the end of the journal we also
included our quotes and analysis.
Novel Summary
In the novel 1984 by George Orwell, Winston lives in a dystopian society where he is
always watched by “Big Brother” who is the face of “the party”. He does not agree with
the parties’ totalitarian way of ruling and feels that they strip the people of their basic
rights and freedoms. Winston expresses his thoughts on the Party and his intimate
relationship with a woman named Julia, who shares similar ideals, in his journal. A
rebellious organization who goes by the name “The Brotherhood” takes Winston and
Julia under their wing and makes them vow complete loyalty to their cause. Winston's
prediction of being found out by the party eventually happened, so they took him
away. When Winston is locked up, he is tortured and brainwashed until he loves Big
Brother and accepts the Party entirely, so he can fit in with the rest of society.
Transition to Thematic Topic
Both “the Party” and “Big Brother” take complete control of the citizens of Oceania. All
the people of Oceania are watched 24/7 and monitored at all times, which simply strips
them of their freedom causing them to live in constant fear that if they make one small
mistake they will be punished because “Big Brother is always watching”. Governments
that have complete control over their people force a lifestyle that suits the governments
needs, without aiding the peoples thoughts, emotions, and opinions.
Quotation #1
“Don't you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the
range of the thought? In the end we shall make thoughtcrime
impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it.
Every concept that can ever be needed will be expressed by
exactly one word…” ( page 52)
Analysis #1
This quote is saying how the party wants to get rid of the people of all
words except the simple necessities. If they do not have a full
vocabulary, how could they use words against the party. This shows
not only how they are stripping people from their freedom of speech,
but also ending people's thoughts and expressions. Having a lack of
words limits speech and thoughts because you cannot have thoughts
with words you don't know. This quote supports our claim because it
shows how much control the party has and is forming the people into
almost robots who are not capable of much.
Quotation #2
“It was though some huge force were pressing down upon you--
something that penetrated inside your skull, battering against
your brain, frightening you out of your beliefs, persuading you,
almost, to deny the evidence of your senses. In the end the party
would announce that two and two made five, and you would
have to believe it. It was inevitable that they should make that
claim sooner or later; the logic of their position demanded it.”
(page 80)
Analysis #2
This quote is explaining how whatever the party says, goes. Even if every part
of you is saying no and disagreeing with their logic, you have to go with it
anyways. Even something as outrageous as 2+2=5 was made a law because the
people have to accept and follow whatever the government says. They are
trying to reinforce that the citizens cannot question anything that the party
says, staying ignorant and oblivious to anything they may say that does not
seem logical. Winston sees Big Brother as a form of mind control used by the
party. This quote supports our claim because it is showing how people should
stay out of the party’s mouth because they are supposedly always correct and
in the right, so why question them.
Quotation #3
“The two aims of the Party are to conquer the whole surface of
the earth and to extinguish once and for all the possibility of
independent thought. There are therefore two great problems
which the Party is concerned to solve. One is how to discover his
will, what another human being is thinking, and the other is how
to kill several hundred million people in a few seconds without
giving warning beforehand.” (page 139)
Analysis #3
This quote is describing how the party doesn’t just want to control their region, they
control the entire world. They want the entire world to be under their control to
expand their ideas over everyone they can. They also want to end all independent
thought, more than they already have. They do not want people to think of things on
their own, only what the party tells them. The next step for the party is to find out
what people are thinking and basically extinguish whoever is not blindingly following
them. This helps to prove our claim because it shows how the party wants to continue
their complete control ways and establish dominance over every single person. They
also want to strip people of any freedom and thoughts so that they may only have
followers and never be questioned. They want to rid the world of people like Winston
(pre mind control) So that only ignorant followers are left behind.
Theme Statement

The Evils of Totalitarian Government:

Totalitarian governments strip their people of
their freedoms to impose complete control.