1984 & THT

1984: Totalitarian Control

‘____________ breeds conformity’

‘Surveillance breeds conformity’ → The ‘telescreens’, ‘Thoughtpolice’ and posters of ‘Big Brother’ lead to the widespread belief that one is constantly being watched and scrutinised, resulting in fear and obedience, much like the Panopticon prison design and strict surveillance in East Berlin as people were not allowed to cross the Berlin Wall.

1984: Totalitarian Control

‘The novel is really a metaphorical ___________________________’

‘The novel is really a metaphorical satire of modern class structure’ → The ‘proles’ are far below the Inner and Outer Party members and so are ‘free’ like animals. This is due to the Party’s belief that they do not have the intelligence, resources or community to overthrow it, demonstrating the presumptions typically made about lower classes by those socially above, thus mirroring the historical totalitarian regimes, such as the Nazi Party and the Soviet Union.

1984: Resistance & Rebellion

‘1984 is […] the story of the ________________________’

‘1984 is […] the story of the rebellion of the individual’ → Winston rebels by writing in the diary he bought from Mr Charrington’s shop, repeatedly scribbling anti-Party phrases like ‘DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER’. He later makes a second purchase, buying a paperweight with ‘pink coral’ inside it as he views this as a tangible symbol of the past that the Party is constantly trying to erase. Individual rebellion is emphasised further when Winston begs for his punishment to go to Julia in ‘Room 101’, mirroring Orwell’s belief that physical pain will dictate one’s behaviour.

THT: Totalitarian Control

‘_________________ of Biblical familial practices’

‘Grotesque parallel of Biblical values’ → Gilead is an example of a theocracy and the name itself references the ancient land of Gilead that is known for its fertility in the Old Testament. Countless other Biblical allusions cement this novel as a speculation as to what would occur if religion and politics overlapped too heavily, for example, it manipulates Bible stories and takes them out of context, like that of Rachel and Leah, and enforces prayer via ‘Soul Scrolls’.

THT: Totalitarian Control

‘A recollection of _________________ of the American experience’

‘A recollection of specific atrocities of the American experience’ → Atwood terms this novel 'speculative fiction’ as every event included has happened at some point in history. For example, Gilead’s regime thrives on the New Right and Moral Majority which both reinforced traditional gender roles, explaining why women in the novel are oppressed into being used simply for their reproductive purposes.

THT: Value of Language

‘Offred’s _____ is in language’

‘Offred’s power is in language’ → Although almost all of Offred’s freedoms have been stripped from her, she still records her story that is revealed in the Historical Notes to have outlasted Gilead’s reign. Likewise, the majority of her rebellious acts revolve around language, such as reading the ‘FAITH’ pillow, playing Scrabble with the Commander and talking to Ofglen.