In this essay I will discuss the similarities between the book 1984 and the Soviet Union through the theme of individual versus collective identity. The Soviet Union occurred at the beginning of the 19th century. It was a federal sovereign state in northern Eurasia. Many things are related to the Soviet Union. For example, the KGB is linked to the Soviet Union because it was the main security. Many feared them because they were “heartless” people who took what they wanted and did what they wanted. Some words that many might use to describe the Soviet Union are horrible, scary, anarchic, and terrifying. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay The 1984 book is about a man named Winston, who lives in a future that is possible if we ever let the government or one person have too much power over their will. The government in which Winston lives is called Big Brother. In Big Brother there is the Party, which represents the upper class of the government. In the Party there are very important people who support the ways of the government which are totalitarian. They control the news, education, marriages, where loyalty lies, portions, they even control what people believe. I know these days we all like to say that we don't let others force us to believe something we don't believe, but if it meant you got to live, would you still stand up to them or give up? The citizens of this city were not allowed to express their opinion or live their own way, everything was done in groups and under supervision. Winston embarks on a dangerous journey when he begins to write down his thoughts against Big Brother. Winston has a vague memory of what London was like before the Party terrorized the city with their ministries controlling what they see, learning, how they speak, even controlling where their loyalties lie (Orwell 6-7). This situation is very similar to that of the Soviet Union. During the elections voters were never actually given the opportunity to present candidates, but only those presented by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (Conquest, etc.). Both relate because the citizens in both situations never had a choice about who would lead them. The Soviet Union forced citizens to vote for whoever they wanted by terrorizing them. They are the 1984 book, Big Brother uses the Ministries, especially the Ministry of Love, to maintain order and scare the citizens. People were not allowed to have a voice. The book 1984 is really about how Winston's life changed once we started writing in his diary. This not only causes Winston's thoughts on Big Brother to change, but also changes his character. Winston sits out of sight of the telescreen as he begins to write what he believes to be the current date. Having a diary is not illegal, but if anyone ever finds out about Winston, his punishment could be death and 25 years in a forced labor camp (Orwell, 8-10). The Soviet Union has similar rules to those in 1984. Just when the Germans and Russians were about to sign a truce, the government leaked information about Lenin's dealings with the Germans and this angered many citizens. He therefore quickly escaped and sought refuge in Finland. Lenin is the leader of the Bolsheviks (Conquest, et al.). These two events connect because Orwell clearly showed Winston's fear of being captured like Lenin was. This also shows that Winston wants solitude and individualism. In his diary Winston writes about a film he saw before. It's about a group of refugees on a ship that was bombed.There is also a middle-aged woman who protects her son from bullets, in other words she protects him (Orwell, 11-12). This film also shows the fear of being discovered and the understanding of the Party's motivations from the beginning. In the early 20th century, during the Soviet Union, the Revolutionary Socialist Party reinstated political terror by assassinating a thousand government officials. The Socialist and Revolutionary Party murdered all those people not only to bring down the government but also to cause fear among the people (Conquest, et al.). Both the Party in 1984 and the Revolutionary Socialist Party use terror and fear to maintain order by not allowing their citizens to express their opinion. In the 1984 book Big Brother also makes the citizens these two minutes of hatred towards Goldstein. Goldstein is an enemy and a danger to Big Brother. Even when forced, Winston ends up feeling confused. During the Two Minutes of Hate, Winston is conflicted about who he hates more. He starts by hating Goldstein, then he hates Big Brother and finally he hates Julia (Orwell, 15-20). In the Soviet Union, in order for Kerensky to win against the Russians, they did not prosecute the Bolsheviks for ruining the truce and instead allied them to emerge with them (Conquest, et al.). It might be a long shot, but these events are connected to each other because they are both in conflict about who to hate. Winston can't decide between Goldstein, Big Brother or Julia. Kerensky is against the Russians but had a small incident with the Bolsheviks. Or they can't decide whether to hate the people they are forced to hate or the people they really hate. During Two Minutes of Hate everyone comes together to hate, and I mean everyone. This is where I believe Winston's life really began to change. After a moment of eye contact between Winston and O'Brien, a Party member. Winston begins to believe that O'Brien is a member of the Brotherhood, who like Goldstein are people against Big Brother (Orwell, 22-25). The Social Democrats, who were the second largest Russian party during the Soviet Union, never truly believed or agreed with the technique of terror (Conquest, et al.). The quote refers to the theme because it shows that there is also someone else who thinks differently about Big Brother. Social Democrats are also people who stand out for not approving of terrorism. We have made it clear that Big Brother is a totalitarian government and any slight difference from what the party wants is wrong. Therefore, as Winston continues to write “Down with Big Brother”, he realizes that it is a thought crime and can be vaporized, killed (Orwell, 23-25). As always during the Soviet Union in the 19th century, it was against the law to question the Tsar and Emperor of Russia (Conquest, et al.). They relate because the Tsar controls people by terrorizing them and does not allow them to express what they think. Winston's writing may be ineffective but it is a very significant gesture of individuality. It is safe to say that in the book 1984 the Party is a disease that has infested London and controls everyone. Well, Winston really hates the Party because it has convinced people to believe that their feelings and impulses are unimportant. He believes that the proles, the lowest class, are the only truly human ones left because their loyalties do not lie with Big Brother. They cling to their natural instincts (Orwell, 208-210). In 1949 the United States, Canada and the European allies entered into a treaty against the USSR and its allies (Conquest, et al.). This is due to the fact that people living in the Northern Treaty do not experience hell like people living in Russia. Winston envies the proles because they manage to maintain their natural instincts. Winston's wishes.
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