power play 1984

Relationships at all levels involve complex power play

All human history, thought and action has what Nietzsche describes as ‘the will to power’ at its core. An individual’s desires are best explained within the context of power, as their realization more often than not necessitate the exclusion of other’s desires. This can be seen in George Orwell’s novel 1984, in which he uses a fictional totalitarian Government (modeled on the USSR, Nazi Germany and to a lesser extent the Medieval Catholic Church) to give an exaggerated account of how individuals and regimes use misinformation and fear to gain power over people’s words, thoughts, actions and labours. The manifestations of man’s quest for power are evident in all levels of relationships. People seek power in their communities, in their families, in their peer groups, relationships and institutions. From mass revolts to domestic violence, mankind is intoxicated with the idea of gaining personal power. Orwell, in 1984,...