'1984' Essay

'1984' Essay

1. ‘It is Winston’s vulnerability that defeats him, not the strength of his enemies.’ Discuss.

   • Winston's vulnerability was what defeated him, however it was only his vulnerability towards the happenings of the inner party that defeated him.
     • What defines vulnerability?
   • Key ideas
     • Winston knew that the party was up to no good, and wanted to rebel
     • However, Winston was oblivious to what was actually going on in the inner party and in Room 101
     • Winston's blind and undying loyalty towards O'Brien proved destructive towards the conclusion of the novel (also mention Stockholm Syndorome)
     • Big Brother and the party are weak, it is the blindness and the deceived citizens of Oceania that give it power.
   • Key quotes
     • “I understand HOW: I do not understand WHY.”
     • "it did not matter whether O'Brien was a friend or an enemy"
     • "they can't get inside you" - the did though

2. “WAR IS PEACE; FREEDOM IS SLAVERY…” ‘In the world of Nineteen Eighty-Four, it is impossible for the characters to experience true freedom.’ To what extent do you agree?

   • True freedom is different from one person to another, but a commonality is complete escape from Big Brother and the Party AND THE ABILITY TO STAY HUMAN
   • Some characters in the novel experienced freedom to some extent, but no one experienced true freedom
   • Key ideas
     • The characters did not experience true freedom due to the supreme power of the Party
       • The Party DEPENDS on power
     • The ease of changing people's minds through decepetion
     • THE HUMAN CONDITION
       • Lack of education, societal views and values, equality, no democracy
     • The party has different 'instruments' of control which include telescreens, newspeak, thought police, etc.
   • Key quotes
     • "they can't get inside you"
     • use the quote in the question as means of how the party has deceived people

3. “I understand HOW: I do not understand WHY.” ‘It is Winston’s responsibility to undermine the oppressive government in Nineteen Eighty-Four.’ To what extent do you agree?

   • It was ultimately Winston's responsibility as a character to undermine the true strength of the oppressive government
   • Key Ideas
     • Winston knew that the party was manipulating the people of Oceania
     • Winston was oblivious to the internal happenings of the inner party and the Ministries
     • Winston knew that Room 101 entailed his "greatest fear," but did not know the true emotional severity that is caused until he actually experienced it
   • Key Quotes
     • "if there is hope, it lies in the proles"
     • "confession is not betrayal"
     • use the quote in the question to further explain how Winston was unaware of what happened in the Ministry of Love

4. ‘The ending of Nineteen Eighty-Four is appropriate for Orwell’s authorial purpose.’ Discuss.

   • It was evident that the ending was suited to Orwell's authorial purpose
   • Orwell's primary purpose was to beware readers of the dangers of totalitarianism and the repercussions that can follow with it through the manipulation of truth.
   • Key Ideas
     • The novel protrayed the death of Winston's spirit
       • The breaking of people's spirits, as well as deceiving them is destructive in the sense that it can drive people to do very bad things
     • The type of society portrayed in '1984' is impossible to escape, as the party is just too powerful
     • The novel also portrayed O'Brien's betrayal towards Winston, and how despite it, Winston was still loyal towards him
   • Key Quotes
     • "He loved Big Brother"- last words of novel
     • "under the spreading chestnut tree, I sold you and you sold me"
       • Symbolism