Democracy is Health While Totalitarianism is a Disease: A Study of George Orwell’s 1984

Eric Arthur Blair who used his pen name George Orwell, was an English Novelist, Essayist, Generalist and Critic. He was born on June 25, 1903 in Motihari, Bengal Presidency, (present day-Bihar) British India. In 2008 The Times ranked him second on a list of the greatest British writers since 1945. He served in Indian Imperial police in Burma from 1922 to 1927. From where he experienced a lot of things and wrote his first novel, Burmese Days (1934). Orwell wrote many novels, essays and journals. He earned his name and fame in the history of English literature after writing the two immortal novels, ‗1984‘ (1949) is a great dystopian novel, and second one is Animal Farm (1945) shows the hypocrisy of the politicians in the world. He became ill in winter season of 1948-49 and passed away in London in 1950. ―In 1953, Carl Friedrich characterised totalitarian systems in terms of five points: an official ideology, control of weapons and of media, use of terror, and a single mass party, 'usually under a single leader.' There was of course an assumption that the leader was critical to the workings of totalitarianism: at the apex of a monolithic, centralised, and hierarchical system, it was he who issued the orders which were fulfilled unquestioningly by his subordinates.‖ (Davies & Harris, 3-4) A form of government that forces peoples to abide by its cruel instructions without any rules and regulations over the individual freedom, it can be understood through this renowned quotation by Mussolini, ―Everything within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state.‖ (Propaganda and Dictatorship, 48) Totalitarianism is a form of government that does not allow any individual freedom to anyone. Italian dictator Benito Mussolini coined the term totalitarian in the early 1920s to characterize the new fascist state of Italy. By the end of Second World War, totalitarianism had become synonymous with absolute and oppressive single party government. John saturate mills first used the term dystopia in 1868. Totalitarian countries are also known as dictatorship countries where a single dictator or a group which is not elected by people ruled over the people without considering their individual freedom. Can you imagine how much dangerous it is? Democracy as observed by great men, it's a health for any state. Democracy can be defined literally as a rule by people. The term is derived from the Greece. It was coined from the Greek words demos which means people and kratos (cult) in the middle of the 5th century BC to denote the political system that existing in some Greece city states, Notably Athens. (Encyclopidia by Robert A Dahl) Democracy is health because in this system of government where everybody is free from any kind of dominance by man over man. There is a smell of freedom among the people and the equal opportunities to all beyond caste, creed, racial difference, region and religion. And nobody can be forced to do anything against his own wish. Because a patient with a dangerous disease, as a patient cannot be allowed to eat anything and do anything according to his own desire, because that disease makes him a slave. Democracy is a form of government where people have the authority to choose and elect their governing legislation and their leaders according to their own wish and freedom, ―Democracy is Government of the people by the people, and for the people.‖ (Lincoln) Karl Marx in his speech calls democracy ―the road to socialism.‖ Democracies fall into two basic categories, direct and representative. There was the world's first democracy in ancient Athens, to practice direct democracy with an assembly that many have numbered as many as 5000 to 6000 person-perhaps the maximum number that can physically gather in one place and practice direct democracy. Today, the mass common form of democracy, whether for a town of 50000 or nations of 50 million is representative democracy in which citizens elect officials to make political decision, formulate laws, and administer programs for the public good. On the other hand if we talk about the Totalitarianism which denotes the terror, horror and dominance of man over man. As Orwell described it through his great novel 1984 which shows the most frightful conditions of human being because nobody can even think against the party, it is considered as the thought crime, if the thinking of anybody is found against the party, one will be punished to death. This novel warns the people to aware against totalitarian government and unbearable political ideologies. Orwell wrote this novel at the time of crisis when the rise of totalitarian states had reached at the top of during the world war II, As Adolf Hitler in Germany from 1930 to 1945; Benito Mussolini in Italy from 1922 to 1943; Joseph Stalin in Russia from 1924 to 1953; Maozedong in china from 1949 to 1976; Mohammed Omer in Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001); The Kim Dynasty in Korea from 1948 to present. Can you imagine how the people of these countries lived under these cruel dictators of the world? The people had no individual freedom which is the priceless thing in the world. All these dictators had insatiable lust for power only. There are so many incidents in this novel 1984 of totalitarianism. Orwell tried to show the real sufferings of the people in any totalitarian state. There is a doing exercise, it is known as two minutes hate for spreading hatred, vengeful desire for killing, tormented, to smash faces with a sledge hammer among the peoples. It was so much frightful for anyone that he can be removed and annihilated from the register and would be forgotten. And nobody can oppose it because Big Brother is the father to all and if you try to do anything dictator who can be seen on the screens and everywhere with his black hairs, black mustachioed, tramps way and mysterious calm. She describes totalitarianism, ―The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction (i.e., the reality of experience) and the distinction between true and false (i.e., the standards of thought) no longer exist.‖ (TOT, 421) ―Totalitarian movements depend on the sheer force of numbers to such an extent that totalitarian regimes seem impossible, even under otherwise favorable circumstances, in countries with relatively small populations.... Even Mussolini, who was so fond of the term ‗totalitarian state‘ did not attempt to establish a full-fledged totalitarian regime and contented himself with dictatorship and one-party rule.‖ (The Origins of Totalitarianism, 308-309) You will have to like whatever Big Brother is speaking incomprehensive way. Winston smith is a protagonist who has been trying to write something against the cruelty of big Brother. After a long he gathered courage and wrote with the feelings of hatred and revenge Down with Big Brother Down with Big Brother Down with Big Brother. Winston saw his frightful face on the poster and this horrifying face always follows you wherever you go, with the title ‗Big Brother is watching.‘ It means that you are being observed everywhere by Big Brother. Now Winston saw the three slogans of the party, ―War is peace, Freedom is Slavery, and Ignorance is Strength.‖ (NEF, 04) Big Brother chooses to reveal his will through the law of contradiction. There is another horrifying condition that nobody can write against the party because this is not only illegal but also punishable to death if it is detected. ―It was almost normal for people over thirty to be frightened of their own children.‖(NEF, 24) How the party indoctrinates children and the effect that indoctrination has on the general population. Can you imagine that condition where you are being spied in your own family by your own children who are working as spies for Big Brother, they are being trained as spies against their own parents. At the Age of reading and playing, they have to cry slogans, carry the banners; involved in processions and the most dangerous thing is that the worship of Big Brother above their parents. There is fearful condition where parents are afraid of their own children. People got ill from a disease that is Totalitarianism. There is nothing real because the past incidents are being changed according to the party, if party says that it invented Airplane in its history book, it becomes true while it is not true.

The eyes which are following you everywhere you can see these eyes on the coins, on the stamps, on the covers of books, on banners, on posters and even on the wrapping of a cigarette packet. And a noise can be heard to your ears everywhere, it doesn't matter you are sleeping or eating, working, thinking, playing, indoors or outdoors even in bathroom or in bed, and you cannot escape from this voice of Big Brother who is always trying to make you afraid and paralyzed, so that you cannot go against his expectations. Even you cannot think against the cruelty of the party it's a condition like death in life and life in death as T.S. Eliot described in his poem The Waste Land. Now Winston thinks about those days when he was a child, there were love, emotions, feelings, relations but now only fear, horror, frightful things, revenges etc. Big Brother diverts the mind of the people from reality to false ideologies. Who is suffering from any disease, he is aware of this disease but the disease which is being dissolved in the mind of the people through false information and fake documentations. People are not aware of this disease which will destroy them sooner or later. ―Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.‖ (NEF, 45) Here we can see the game of manipulation of language. That there is no person with a name of Ogilvy but Big Brother created it and presented him before the people as the real person. He was an imaginary character to manipulate the people and he is presented before the people as a great model for all. He was a man who never smoked, drank even took an oath not to marry because it can waste his time and he would not give his time to the party and more than it he has no ambition and aim of life except to serve the party without thinking and objection against the party. This type of manipulation can be seen in present time, as some political parties are dissolving the poison in the minds of the innocent people in the name of Caste, Creed, Region and Religion for their own benefits beyond the welfare of the Nation and people. Actually the main problem of Totalitarian government is that it alters everything according to its own philosophy and ideology over the individual freedom. As the member of the party change the reality of Newspapers, books, periodicals, pamphlets, posters, films, soundtracks car, photography and more than it every kind of literature on even documentation from the history, Every second, minute and day that is being brought up to date according to the party. And this work of alternation is done by skilled editors who works in this way that nobody can prove these records are false while they are only false documents, now they becomes the original documents before the people of state. Now you should follow and dedicate your life to for the party only. according to the dictator's point of view. If he says that the people of his country should work in night and rest in day, all the people have to accept it. If anyone thinks that it is not logical one would be forced to think like the dictator who ordered not to use your reasoning and critical thinking against him. If you do so, definitely you will be punished to death. We can understand through this famous quote, ―I am the state and my words are laws.‖ (Louis XIV) There are only paroles and animals that are free from this cruelty because they cannot think and oppose the party. It is a great satire on those people of any country who follow the ideology of the party blindly, which is dangerous. Nobody can dare to disobey his Orders because they will be thrown into the prison or dismissed from their jobs, that is the death of if individual freedom. This can be seen in any totalitarian government. The most horrifying and unbearable thing is that if party says two and two makes five, everyone has to accept it without any objection even people have to say The sun to the moon if party says like that. Big Brother says, don't use your sense, and only follow him because whatever he says, it is always right. It is a commonplace can be heard by the people that Boss is always right. It may be that they would claim to invent the steam engine while aeroplane had been invented before the party, such type of false history is being implemented on the people and they have to accept it without any objections, if they do so, they be will be declared as traitors. Winston is ready to sign anywhere but going to Room No. 101, because it‘s a room for cruel and unbearable punishment for those people who are against the ideology of the party, as it‘s a room like a hell where people are fried in boiled oil and makes you walk on the burnt coal. That's why Winston requests them that they can kill him or throw him into prison for 25 years, and there are five members in my family and you can cut their throat before me I don't care but send me in room 101. Actually it‘s a room from where nobody can escape without confession by hook or crook, original or imaginary. Party treats all human beings with cruelty than animals for the sake of the party's dominance over the minds of the people. He is beaten like animals and thrown on the floor like a sack and a lifeless thing, it happens again and again till confession before the party. That is the reality of Totalitarian government. When O'Brien starts making the questions, first he asks Winston how many fingers which I have seen you after holding the four fingers, Winston replied four, But party says these are five and you will have to accept as five. O'Brien said that the people have to accept the ideology of the party without any kind of objection, even with happiness from the bottom of the heart. Further O'Brian told according to our own ideology, now it is your transformation. There will be no place in your head for love, friendship, joy and bravery but love for Big Brother. We change and control the mind that is superior part of the body we are working for controlling over the mind. 1984 is still remaining one of the most haunting and terrifying description of the future of mankind under the totalitarian government. As we can see in many countries, some political parties are dissolving the poison in the minds of the people in the name of caste, creed, religion, region and language. And people are being trapped in their tricks, actually some people among youth who don't know the fatal results of this poison, they are not thinking about their future, their jobs and prosperity but ready to destroy their future for the sake of the party only. Even they are ready to fight for unnecessary things without using their reasoning under the guidance of the political parties beyond their country and their career. Actually there is no problem to follow the ideology of political party but we should not sale our virtues and avoid our consciousness for the sake of a seat in politics. We must be a saviour of humanity in place of being a destroyer. Because people are responsible for their conditions as you choose you will be always.

1. Orwell, George. Nineteen Eighty-Four.1949.Thomson Press India, Bombay, 2014. 2. Ardent, Hannah. Origins of Totalitarianism. 1951. Penguin Random House United States, New York. 3. Davis, Sarah & Harris, James. ―Joseph Stalin: Power and Ideas.” Stalin: A New History, Cambridge University Press, USA. 4. Marx, Fritz Morstein. “Propaganda and Dictatorship: A Collection of Papers” Read Books, 2007. 5. Webster, Merriam. “Democracy” An Encyclopaedia Britannica Compamy, United States. 6. Lincoln, Abraham. Speech of U.S. President, Gettysburg Address, U.S.A, 19 November, 1863. 7. Marx, Karl. Democracy in Marxism, Bril Academic. Publishers , Leiden, Netherlands, 1952. Research Scholar, K.K. Jain PG College, Khatauli, Muzaffarnagar