M – Other

G. M
Ms. Queen
English
24 March 2026

1984 by George Orwell

What if your thoughts were always being watched and controlled? In 1984, a dystopian novel by George Orwell, the story follows Winston Smith, who lives in Oceania under the rule of the Party. In this society, the government controls everything, including people’s memories, information, and even their thoughts. Winston lives in fear and confusion because he cannot fully trust what is real. In 1984, the central ideas of control of truth and fear work together to show how a totalitarian government can take away people’s freedom and control their understanding of reality.

One major central idea in the novel is control of truth. The Party changes the past to make itself always look correct. For example, Winston remembers that Oceania was once allied with Eurasia, but the Party claims this never happened.

“The Party said that Oceania had never been in alliance with Eurasia… if all records told the same tale—then the lie passed into history and became truth.” (Chapter 3)

I think this shows that the government is rewriting history and forcing people to believe lies. In Chapter 4, Winston works at the Ministry of Truth, where he changes old records and destroys the originals.

“The original copy destroyed, and the corrected copy placed on the files in its stead.” (Chapter 4)

To me, this reveals that the government controls all information and removes real evidence. Because of this, people cannot prove what really happened and must believe the Party.

Another important central idea is fear and control over people. Winston feels afraid and unsure of others around him.

“black terror”

I think this shows that people are constantly afraid and feel watched all the time. Because of this fear, people do not question the Party or speak out. This idea connects to control of truth because fear stops people from challenging lies. When people are too afraid, the government can control what they believe.

Ultimately, Orwell’s portrayal of control and fear reveals that a totalitarian government can take away truth and freedom. From my point of view, through Winston’s experiences, the novel shows how dangerous it is when people lose the ability to think for themselves. This is a warning that if a government has too much power, it can control reality and people’s lives. Orwell is showing readers to be careful and not let this happen in society.