1984, by George Orwell An Analysis of a Totalitarian Society

Totalitarianism: Of, relating to, being, or imposing a form of government in which the political authority exercises absolute and centralized control over all aspects of life, the individual is subordinated to the state, and opposing political and cultural expression is suppressed, (dictionary.com). Essentially, totalitarianism is a type of government in which the person or people in power seek to maintain absolute control over every person under their authority, with virtually all importance eliminated from the concept of an individual. The term was characterized by Hannah Arendt, the German-American political theorist who wrote The Origins of Totalitarianism, inspired by Hitler and Stalin of the just-finished World War II and†¦show more content†¦Doublethink is a method of reality control; the Party s ultimate goal in all their actions. As Orwell describes it, Doublethink means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one s mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them, (176). It is the principle on which Ingsoc (the society of 1984) is founded. Ingsoc s basic tenets are as follows: War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, and Ignorance is Strength. It is possible to deliberately speak a lie while firmly believing in what one says- through doublethink. One s memory can be rearranged and memory altered- through doublethink. Though to our unenlightened minds these terms may seem to be contradictory, the process of doublethink eliminates all confusion. Clearly, these statements are far from oxymorons; rather, they are absolute truth. Doublethink allows for all of the society s actions that would otherwise seem to be ridiculous; once again, the Party s ultimate power is revealed. The Party s absolute control is maintained through various methods, one such being the infliction of threats and pain. 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