OPPapers.com

1981

Insane in the Membrane

“No one is free, even the birds are chained to the sky.” This quote is not from 1984 but it may as well could be. Bob Dylan said this probably not knowing the connection it has with George Orwell’s 1984. 1984 depicts a dystopian world in which the civilians are watched and brainwashed constantly. There is no conventional freedom, there is no real individual in this world, there is a sense of coldness in 1984.   The main character Winston is trying to figure out his past and what is real and what is propaganda in this world. In the novel the “Big Brother” changes people and the human race to fit what they want. George Orwell through his novel, 1984 addresses the idea if human nature can be changed in such a way we will forget the longing for freedom, dignity, integrity, and for love.
The longing for freedom, through different techniques from Big Brother, has been subsided in Winston. One big slogan of the Party is “FREEDOM IS SLAVERY” (pg. 4). This is one of the official slogans of the Party; this alone shows the dystopia of the Party. Winston tells us, “Nobody heard what Big Brother was saying. It was merely a few words of encouragement, the sort of words that are uttered in the din of battle, not distinguishable individually but restoring confidence by the fact of being spoken” (pg. 16).   Winston and the citizens don’t even realize that all aspect of life they are getting brainwashed, their very human essence and natural right of freedom is being snatched away from them. According to the party, the man with freedom is doomed. They are comforting their people by saying there is no freedom by brainwashing them to think freedom is a bad thing, and that they will not be able to survive without Big Brother or the Party. “‘Who controls the past,’ ran the Party slogan, ‘controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.’” (pg. 35). This is another party slogan. You are trapped in whatever world the Party decides to make for...