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  • Essay / Analysis of Big Brother as a Prominent Figure in Orwell's 1984

    George Orwell's 1984 is a semi-dystopian story about the Oceania country's totalitarian government and its ability to dehumanize its citizens to prevent them from thinking by themselves. . The novel follows a man named Winston Smith, a member of the Outer Party, or middle class in his society's ranking system, his struggle with the Party as a whole and the leader of his country, Big Brother. 1984, while having many permanent symbols, uses Big Brother to symbolize the Party, the Thought Police, the eternal war in Oceania, and the vagueness of its leadership. However, George Orwell makes it clear how powerful Big Brother really is and that “BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU”. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay From the beginning of 1984, Big Brother was a prominent figure in Winston's life. He begins the story with a distaste for Big Brother and its surrounding ambiguity. He knows that Big Brother can never die, but doesn't know if he's alive or even real. By exposing these key factors to us early on in the story, George Orwell suggests that the ruler of Oceania is truly unknown to the world. For this reason, those who are free enough to commit thoughtcrime, the only crime in Oceania, question Big Brother and his decisions. In Winston's case, he wonders why the Party is so keen on always being right and erasing the past if they are wrong. For Oceanic citizens, Big Brother is not just a leader; he is their fear. It is the fear of thinking outside the box. He is the fear of the Thought Police and the Party. It is the fear of thinking. It is this fear that allows Oceania to maintain control over its citizens. Following the introduction of Big Brother, we see Winston realize that he has committed thoughtcrime. Because of this, he slowly becomes more reckless in the decisions he makes and eventually begins an affair with a girl named Orwell shows us how Julia makes Winston think more and make more and more bad decisions. One of these moves aims to continue a so-called rebellion against Big Brother known as Brotherhood. Winston is eventually confronted by a member of the Inner Party, O'Brien. He invites Winston home with the implications he knows of his thoughtcrimes and that the Brotherhood was closer than he thought. Bringing Julia with him, O'Brien tells Winston that he is part of the Brotherhood and interrogates them with a series of questions to be sure of their betrayal of the Party and Big Brother. After deeming them worthy, O'Brien gives Winston a briefcase containing a book for the entire Brotherhood to read, written by their founder, Emmanuel Goldstein. George Orwell tells us that at this point, Winston and Julia have rebelled enough to the point where they truly hate Big Brother. He tells us how they are aware that one day they will be arrested and erased from history for their thought crimes, so they make it their goal to break the rules under Big Brother's nose to the best of their ability. Unfortunately for Winston, the entire Brotherhood turned out to be a set-up by O'Brien and Mr. Charrington, a man who gained Winston's trust by selling decades-old antiquities that the Party erased from the story. However, Mr. Charrington turned out to be a member of the Thought Police and had Julia and Winston kidnapped due to their affair and their belief that something like the Brotherhood could exist and succeed. Big Brother had watched them through Mr. Charrington, through O'Brien and through the telescreen hidden in Mr..