Abstract: Nineteen Eighty-Four is a political allegory novel. With the writing technique of irony, George Orwell fabricated a country that was ruled under totalitarianism where public life and personal privacy were strictly controlled and supervised by the government. The author wrote the novel to put people on guard against any type of dictatorship. With an analysis of the major features of totalitarian Oceania state, the paper explores how the Oceania state strengthen its totalitarian goal through manipulation of collective memories by creating a new language system, manipulating archives and history as well as imposing Objective Truths on its people.
Key words: totalitarianism; collective memory; manipulation; politics
Contents
Abstract
摘要
1.Introduction1
1.1About George Orwell and Nineteen Eighty-Four1
1.2Theme of the Paper3
2.Review of Relevant Studies.4
2.1Studies on Orwell and His Novels .4
2.2Studies on Totalitarianism in the Novel5
3. Prevailing Means of Totalitarianism in the Novel.7
3.1 Mass Surveillance7
3.2 All-encompassing Propaganda Campaign10
3.3 Restrains on Family Relationship.11
3.4 Fabrication of Enemy of the Party.12
4. Manipulation of Collective Memories.14
4.1 Manipulation through a New Language System.15
4.2 Manipulation through Archives and History.17
4.3 Manipulation through Objective Truths20
5. Conclusion 22
References
