George Orwell’s (Eric Arthur Blair) “1984” can be interpreted as a very cynical story and fervent criticism of totalitarianism. Yet it at it's heart lies a deeply philosophical theme, one of existentialism and solipsism.
In the year 1984, the world is divided in three totalitarian superpowers who wage constant war on each other for fictitious reasons. These three superpowers are Oceania (America, Australia, most of Africa and England), Eurasia (Europe, Russia and most of South Asia) and East-Asia (Japan, China, Mongolia, most of south-east Asia) are all oligarchies with an omnipotent and ubiquitous “Party” in power.
The story of 1984 is set in Oceania which is under the control of “Ingsoc”, the english socialist regime, whose governing body is known as “The Party”. The will of the Party is personified as “Big Brother”, a supposedly inspirational leader whom every member of the Party must revere and love unconditionally with a certain degree of fanaticism.
Big Brother is one, he is ever watchful, he is powerful, wise and uncompromising. He plays God in the microcosm of Oceania for he defines people’s reality, modifying the past as he please by altering records and destroying evidence. People must see, think and remember what he wants them to. Although the regime cannot directly control people’s minds through telepathy nor read people’s thoughts without observing telltale facial expressions, they manage to confine their thinking and reasoning as to deter the slightest impulse, the slightest thought of rebellion against the oligarchy. And furthermore, they instill an incessant feeling of gratitude towards the Big Brother regime fuelled by hate for the enemies (Eurasia or Eastasia alternatively) of the regime. The means by which this is achieved are purely psychological: constant surveillance, mindless propaganda due to the eternal state of war, the Spies, the Thoughtpolice, Crimethink…
Paranoia is no more an illusion. Any “unorthodox” behaviour is swiftly suppressed and the “culprit” is erased. One’s existence is not only futile, it is irrelevant. Since not only one's existence is denied, all trace of its is destroyed: it is as if he never existed.
As all newly born members of the Party are taken in hand and swiftly brainwashed by Big Brother, the ideas of rebellion against the regime or freedom of will are not even conceivable by newer members of the Party. For them, the Party, Big Brother are eternal and define reality.
The mere concept of overthrowing the Party of destroying Big Brother can only come from the minds of those who know otherwise, who trust their own judgment over Big Brother’s deceit. They are incapable to believe in what they do not see as true. The Party adheres to the solipsistic view that there is no objective truth: reality is an illusion which exists in one’s mind and nowhere else. Therefore, before man, before the regime , there is nothing, and after man, they will be nothing. The Party chooses to regard as truth what one convinces himself of being true and nothing more. Reality is therefore defined by the Party, and all must “double-think” their way into seeing reality as Big Brother their way into seeing reality as Big Brother choses. Their opinion must be subdued to that of Big Brother.
The mere concept of overthrowing the Party of destroying Big Brother can only come from the minds of those who know otherwise, who trust their own judgment over Big Brother’s deceit. They are incapable to believe in what they do not see as true. The Party adheres to the solipsistic view that there is no objective truth: reality is an illusion which exists in one’s mind and nowhere else. Therefore, before man, before the regime , there is nothing, and after man, they will be nothing. The Party chooses to regard as truth what one convinces himself of being true and nothing more. Reality is therefore defined by the Party, and all must “double-think” their way into seeing reality as Big Brother their way into seeing reality as Big Brother choses. Their opinion must be subdued to that of Big Brother.
However this process is very difficult for those who are older than the regime. Winston Smith, for instance, the “hero" of the story is not able to and unwilling of tricking himself into double-thinking. He, unlike most, is not stranded in the world of Oceania and Big Brother but has a link with the outside. Winston Smith, has a precious link with the past for he possesses persistent memories and which are in some mysterious way more real than the present.
Winston knows that reality might be perceived by one’s mind but is actuality exterior to it and exists in itself. Man might consciously chose what he wants to see, he might chose to live in a world of illusions, but reality will eventually catch up with him and the truth will be uncovered in such a way that will not be able to convince himself otherwise.
When that time comes he can either embrace the truth and repent or he can disregard it because it is against his interests. Whatever his choice, it is from this moment impossible for him to completely ignore reality.
Winston Smith is one of these people, who chose not to double-think, not to believe that they can be two realities co-existing and that the Party’s is the right one, the true one. He believes that two plus two make four and will always make four whatever the Party says. That he is dangerous for the Party, because has higher faith in his judgement, his reason, than that of the Party.
Eventually Winston Smith is betrayed by the man to whom he had confided, a supposedly rebel like himself who has ensnared him in a web of deceit and false hope. He is tracked down by the Thought Police and the so-called “Ministry of Love”, a giant prison, where he suffers intense torture. The only objective of the torture is to make him love Big Brother more than anyone by forcing him to betray everything and everyone he loves. Winston resists as much as he can but his demise is the dreaded “Room 101” where he faces he is greatest fear.
And so the individual is nothing against the regime: he is crushed, brainwashed, and finally dies without the slight remainder of his past life, the smallest proof of his existence. For in nineteen eighty four, the regime defines not only reality but existence...
