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1984: A warning

In “1984” written by George Orwell, there’s a huge problem presented, many people

want to have the right of self-expression. Big brother and the party wouldn’t let society to self-

express themselves as a way to control and repress. Orwell shows to readers that this reality is

evident. The use of the slogan “War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, and ignorance is Strength”

shows what Big Brother expects from his government and wants everyone to respect that. The

book also tells us about the existence of certain tools to control behavior. George Orwell wrote

about a ritual session imposed by the party, and it’s the daily two-minute hate sessions, where

members of the party would gather to watch a clip of their enemies and Emmanuel Goldstein.

Even when “allowed” self-expression, it was manipulated. This government has a cruel and strict

control over people, they do not even have the freedom to express natural emotions since they

were always monitored by the telescreen. The party had invaded people’s privacy, and just like

that, society lost all hope of voicing their opinions and freedom, because even the minimum

facial movement would be dangerous.

They conducted hate sessions for two minutes every day, "In the Two Minutes Hate he

could not help sharing in the general delirium, but this subhuman chanting of 'B-B!...B-B!'

always filled him with horror"(17), reason being to limit the number of revolts and protest away

from them, the government. Even though this could be seen as a concession, it was still

manipulation. The real reason for the session was not reveled and it did not come from genuine
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place of wanting to see the citizens better. Exercising could not be a beneficial occurrence for

Winston anymore. He was constantly being watched and even when in pain as a result of his

varicose ulcer in his knee, he had to continue and not show pain. Doing so will be considered

laziness and the instructor will give a compliant. The telescreen put their emotions in check, as

the slightest sign of sadness or any inadequate emotion could lead a person into serious trouble.

Sometimes turning your back was the only way, but because of the conditioning they had

received, that did not still feel safe enough "Winston kept his back turned to the telescreen. It

was safer; though, as he well knew, even a back can be revealing" (3).

Everyone had uniforms, no one was considered fine, pretty or looking good because even

if they had natural beauty, in the uniform they would still be made ugly. To be one one’s self

through dressing was not possible, everyone had to be in the forced attire. Oceania also did not

allow freedom in verbalizing or writing down one’s thoughts, eliminating the word bad for

“ungood”, excellent for words like “plusgood”, “doubleplusgood”. Eventually the only words

one could use to describe or express themselves were cut down to 6. “good”, “ungood”,

“plusungood”, “plusgood”, “doubleplusungood”, “doubleplusungood” and idea from Big

Brother. No words existed gin to truly define crime or joy even. Community center was also a

mandatory activity, missing it too many times could lead to problems with the government. It

was as serious as personal time or time not spent working was only to be spent in the community

center. The government had control over that as well.

Even when wanted to be alone with their lover or family, they could not. Winston and

Julia found a room they thought to be safe, free of the telescreen and prying eyes. They enjoyed

themselves their being in lope and hoping for the future, but were sorely surprised when Big

Brother and his troops swooped in and crashed their utopia.

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Life had become so dreary that color was fascinating to Winston, as was the coral in the

paperweight. "What appealed to him about was not so much its beauty as the air it seemed to

possess of belonging to an age quite different from the present one" (95). Winston was learning

to uses color to express himself and those feelings he could not quite describe with only the word

recommended by Big Brother. Since journaling was his getaway, he used them. He began to

grow tired of how things were and push little by little in ways seen in how he and Julia will have

secret meet ups to learn more about themselves but when they were married things became

stringent once more increasing the man’s wish for freedom.

Even ordinary criminals who had defaulted could yell, ask questions, smuggle things into

their cells, because the government didn’t consider them but part prisoners could not. The proles

were believed by the party to pose no threat; hence they were not bothered by their freedom of

expression. As soon as Winston started to question the laws, ideas, views of big brother his mind

was opened. Every other citizen had been dumbed down by the steady but sure conditioning Big

Brother gave, that one way was the only way, his way. He took away the possibility of thinking

for one’s self, expressing one’s self and at the end of the day had peoples as robotic drones,

doing all they were asked, with no exception.

A poem editor for the Party, Winston had strict guidelines on how poems were to be, be

written and corrected. Their control over how he expresses himself, and others that write poems

as well. He is arrested because he allowed “God” to remain in a poem he is to correct. During his

interrogation Winston shows that he is completely free from the brainwashing done by Big

Brother and his party. “Although Winston is eventually broken down by the torture methods of

the Ministry of Love, it is during his sessions with O'Brien that Winston finally verbally reveals
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his true thoughts and questions about the Party and Big Brother.” (Freedom to Self-Expression in

1984).

Orwell was so desperate to find freedom and to take down the Party and Big Brother,

even though it seems he’s the only man that wants to use his independence. In his article “The

Message for Today in Orwell’s 1984” claims that Orwells most meaningful message was to

make society understand that “1984 could happen if a man did not become aware of the assaults

on his personal freedom and did not defend his most precious right, the right to have his own

thoughts.” ( Edmond van Den Bossche, The Message for Today in Orwell’s 1984 ). He also asks

that we as citizens should consider in our time and age how much of Big Brother’s practices

were being followed, even subtly.

Orwell defines what the party was capable to do only to have power and control over

citizens. However, Winston was described as someone that always had a little hope that people

would not be ignorant anymore. He was always concerned about people’s capacity of critical

thought. Orwell wanted to warn readers about the dangers of autocracy, and also to make them

realize how important freedom is. In the wrong management, telescreen or other sources were

used as a weapon for control and repression. Even though people were tired to fight or would not

even try to fight back, there is always hope that they would find their awakening.
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Works Cited

Prezi. “Freedom to Self-Expression in 1984.” Prezi.com, 21 November 2021,

prezi.com/bkvvos5egwms/freedom-to-self-expression-in-1984/?

frame=c6ab81306f7f8ca39cc44ec97948c8f60bb65d2a

Bossche, Edmond van Den. “The Message for Today in Orwell's '1984'.” The New York Times,

The New York Times, 1 Jan. 1984, https://www.nytimes.com/1984/01/01/nyregion/the-

message-for-today-in-orwell-s-1984.html.