“1984 is merely an essay on the menaces of totalitarianism.” – Discuss.

George Orwell’s 1984 is a political satire written with the purpose of warning its audience of the dangers of a totalitarian government. In Oceania, there is a modern dictatorial government in which the state involves itself in all areas of society, including the daily life of its citizens. A totalitarian government wants to control not only all it’s economic and political matters but the attitudes, values, and beliefs of its population, erasing the differences between state and society. The citizen’s duty to the state becomes the primary concern of the community, and the goal of the state is the replacement of existing society with a ‘perfect’ society. Orwell expresses his concerns about these kinds of controlled, conformist societies through his themes of authority and the abuse of power, freedom and bondage, the importance of relationships and class and social justice. His other warnings about totalitarianism are expressed strongly throughout the book, such as the manipula...