George Orwell and the Fragility of Democracy

Traditionally, Nineteen-Eighty Four viewed as an anti-Stalinist attack and is distributed amongst western school children as homage to the cruelties and dystopia of a totalitarian world. Fundamentally as a work of literally fiction Nineteen-Eighty Four offers a very bleak outlook on the potential use of many of the new technologies and ideas present in Orwell’s life. Orwell’s personal experiences in Britain during the second World draws many parallels in his novel. Perhaps, one should examine this literary work not as a critic of Totalitarians in the early twentieth century, but as a critic of the Totalitarian tendencies of Liberal democracies. The methods of manipulations and control in Oceania, the ironic Newspeak and the use of new technologies all have their roots in British and American society. Orwell is not writing what he believes would eventually happen, but is writing about what may be possible in a perfect totalitarian society. This society is consisted of two classes the Proles or workers and the party members. Winston, the protagonist, is a lower ranking party member. Winston slowly realizes the cruelty and manipulative nature of the State through his love affaire with Julia.His eventual capitulation to the party line is the main theme of the text.

Cover of Nineteen Eighty-Four

Robert Paul Resch’s work entitled Utopia, Dystopia, and the Middle Class in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four argues that Oceania’s salvation lies in a middle class hero who would be both innately superior to the working class and morally superior to the ruling class. Resch continues that this is a demand that is impossible to fulfill and therefore the party as the natural evolution of these circumstances defeats Winston. Resch states that the middle class forged by capitalism is the route by which totalitarianism is facilitated. [1] Winston was tortured to the point where he begged for Julia to be tortured instead. This capitulation of his love signified the overwhelming psychological power of the Party. Also this illuminates another of Orwell veiled themes. That physical pain can overwhelm any moral or emotional tie, no matter how seemingly important.

David Lowenthal’s work on Orwell’s political pessimism states that Orwell was mostly pessimistic about the future of liberal democracy. In Lowenthal’s view Orwell is depicting a possible reality and is written as a warning. Orwell’s work is a possibility based on the fragility of constitutionalism and liberal democracy. The roots of Oceania’s totalitarianism lie with the violent collapse of constitutional systems following a devastating global atomic war. Oceania is then formed out of the ashes of a crippled world and is one of three mega states that develop. Oceana in particular encompasses Britain and the New World. Lowenthal interprets Oceania’s history as developing a ruling system formed by the power hungry intellect overpowering the freethinking intellect within society. [2]

Orwell pessimism is deep rooted in methods of control and manipulation undertaken by the party to subject its members. Nineteen Eight Four postulates that a government that unilaterally controls history, information, technology and language combined with psychological manipulation has the potential to derail liberal thought and destroy the values of the middle class. Psychological manipulation is accomplished in several forms. The most visible forms are the signs and propaganda surrounding the daily life of party members. Propaganda states that “Big Brother is watching you” [3] creating the impression that the population is constantly being surveyed. Psychological manipulation begins at childhood in Oceania when the young are introduced to institutionalized brainwashing. This serves to illuminate independent thought as an early age and create an ideologically unanimous class.

Party institutions solely control history and information in Oceania. The party manages all newspapers and histories, rewriting them when needed to comply with the party line. The past is used as a mechanism to control the member’s present interpretation of reality. “Who controls the past controls the present, who controls the present controls the past” [4] . Therefore, with the ability to recreate the past in its own image the party is capable of consolidating its power. All these methods are enhanced and facilitated by the parties use of new technologies. ‘‹Å”Telescreens’ and hidden microphones are used to constantly monitor and communicate with party member. Advanced machinery is also described as a method of intricately controlling economic output and production.

Image via Wikipedia

Orwell’s hope lies in the rebellious and freethinking nature of Winston Smith, the novels protagonist. Winston is a low ranking party member who is frustrated by the oppression of the party. He is lured by the seductive nature of Julia and begins a covert affair that is against the policy of the party. The affair with Julia begins to parallel Winston’s growing disaffection with the party. Finally Winston and Julia are discovered by the party and are sent to the ‘‹Å”Ministry of Love’ where Winston is tortured by his worst fears, Winston finally capitulates when he begs for the torture to be committed to Julia in his stead. With this final capitulation Winston is released having fully given himself to the party. The betrayal of his love for Julia to the party signified his betrayal of all external attachments including the lure of Julia. The party’s power over the individual is so great that Winston claims, ” 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. Not merely the validity of experience, but the very existence of external reality was tacitly denied by their philosophy.” [5]

The defeat of Winston is arguably symbolizing the eventual defeat of the intelligentsia in such a system of totalitarian control. Orwell’s pessimism is derived from the incapability of Winston’s character to withstand the party’s manipulation. Winston and modern liberal thought focus on the protection of the individual, Nineteen-Eighty Four pessimistically demonstrates that if forced into a position of helplessness, individuals will submit to unimaginable circumstances of control. Resch concludes “what is conventionally reduced to a narrative of the destruction of a middle class individual by totalitarianism is, in fact, an impossible representation of totalitarianism as the historical destiny of middle class individualism” [6] . Furthermore, Orwell emphasizes the fragile nature of constitutionalism and liberal democracy and how easily society could slip to authoritarianism. Orwell dramatically depicts what possible shape such a society would take.

Bibliography

1. George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four 1st World Libraries, Fairfield, 2004.

2. Robert Paul Resch. “ Utopia, Dystopia, and the Middle Class in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four .” Vol. 24, No. 1(Spring, 1997): 137-176.

3. David Lowenthal. “Orwell’s Political Pessimism in 1984.”Vol. 2, No. 2 (Winter, 1969): 160-175.

[1] Robert Paul Resch, ” Utopia, Dystopia, and the Middle Class in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four ,” Vol. 24, No. 1(Spring, 1997): 139.

[2] David Lowenthal, “Orwell’s Political Pessimism in 1984″ , Vol. 2, No. 2 (Winter, 1969): 163.

[3] George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four (1st World Library, 2004), 7.

[4] Ibid 46.

[5] George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four (1st World Library, 2004),101.

[6] Robert Paul Resch, “ Utopia, Dystopia, and the Middle Class in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four ,” Vol. 24, No. 1(Spring, 1997): 139.