Totalitarianism Through Newspeak and Doublethink: An Evaluation Through George Orwell's 1984

8 Pages Posted: 25 Feb 2014 Last revised: 13 May 2017

Date Written: July 10, 2010

Abstract

Dictatorship, loss of privacy and cognitive control can result solely from the usage and control of language. The Scandinavian Realists' recognize 'wordmagic', the inherent power of words to influence action. Doublethink goes further. It restricts expression, perception and thinking- it is propaganda.

This paper examines the society and underlying themes in George Orwell’s novel “Nineteen Eighty-Four,” comparing it with politics today.

The emphasis is on totalitarianism and control of the mind through linguistic and ideological control: Newspeak and Doublethink. It looks at how limiting the scope of language can lead to a dictatorship. Sources include the book itself and secondary sources.

Keywords: Newspeak, Doublethink, Orwell, 1984, Nineteen Eighty Four, George Orwell, Totalitarianism, semantics, censorship, literature, Thoughtcrime, Winston, Victory, War, Peace

Suggested Citation

Batra, Mukta, Totalitarianism Through Newspeak and Doublethink: An Evaluation Through George Orwell's 1984 (July 10, 2010). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2399831 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2399831

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
4,125
Abstract Views
11,912
Rank
4,670
PlumX Metrics