Propaganda In 1984 George Orwell

In the novel 1984, there are many different elements of dystopian fiction used in order to criticize not just a single societal trend that had been occurring during the creation of the novel, but many different trends that had been occurring at the time as well. The writer, George Orwell, is able to make multiple statements by using each element of his fiction as not just a part of his entire message, but also a means to give a single criticisms individually. This is made apparent within the first page of the book with the immediately noticeable dystopian fiction element of the presence of a figurehead. The figurehead made present is Big Brother, who is introduced with the prominent phrase, “BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU” (Orwell 7). Big Brother
In “Chapter 4” the novel tells the readers about a department in the Ministry of Truth that “fixes” anything that disagrees with what the party is meant to believe (Orwell 56). This is directly related to the next element of dystopian fiction used in the novel, which is the use of propaganda. The use of propaganda in the novel is seen in many slogans such as “WAR IS PEACE / FREEDOM IS SLAVERY / IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH” which can be spotted on posters, buildings around the city, or communicated through broadcasts (Orwell 37). Orwell uses the propaganda here to likely criticize the use of media to spread hate for foreign countries and “traitors” of the nation in order to create tension among the people, just as it was being used during World War 2 (“Soviet Says”). This cliticization also falls under the element of dystopian novels that is the use of fear to control the population. The comes across most clearly in the introduction of the Two Minutes Hate, where the people go into a frenzy of hate and fear of the enemy as they are broadcasted to the people (Orwell
The first element, the use of surveillance, is frequently referenced throughout the first 6 chapters but is first brought to light with Telescreens. Telescreens are able to monitor both sound and audio of the homes they are in at all times of the day in order for the Thought Police to watch over the people (Orwell 9). This then directly ties into the element of restrictions of freedoms, in that if a person is not careful and does something that goes “against” standard conventions then they may be disposed of, or Vaporized (27). Both of these elements come together to form a warning that at the price of accepting a leader because they are on their “side”, or are considered the lesser of two evils, the cost may be privacy and individual rights such as the people of the USSR under Stalin (“George Orwell’s