The Similarities Between The Book 1984 and The Soviet Union

In this essay I will be speaking of the similarities between the book 1984 and the Soviet Union through the theme of the individual vs. collective identity. The Soviet Union occurred in the early 19th century. It was a federal sovereign state in northern Eurasia. Many things are related to the Soviet Union. For example, the KGB is related to the Soviet Union because they were the main security. Many feared them people they were “heartless” people who took whatever they wanted and did whatever they wanted. A few words that many may use to describe the Soviet Union are horrible, ghastly, anarchy and terrifying.

The 1984 book is about a man named Winston, living in a possible future is we ever let the government or one person have too much power at their will. The government that Winston live by is called Big Brother. In Big Brother is the Party, which is the high class of the government. In the Party there are very important people who support the ways of the government by which are totalitarian. They control the news, education, marriages, where loyalty lies, portions, they even control what people believe. I know now in days we all like to say that we don’t let others force us to believe something we don’t, but if it means that you get to live would you still stand up to them or will you surrender? The citizens of this city weren’t allowed to speak their minds or live their own ways, everything was done in groups and under supervision.

Winston embarks a dangerous journey when he starts writing his thoughts against Big Brother. Winston has a vague memory of how London used to be before the Party terrorized the city with their Ministries controlling what they see, learn, how they speak, they even control where their loyalty lies (Orwell 6-7). This situation is very similar to the Soviet Union. During the elections the voters were never really given the chance of candidates, it was really only for those presented by the Communists Party of the Soviet Union (Conquest, et al.). Both relate because the citizens in both situations never had a choice on who would lead them. The Soviet Union forced citizens to vote for who they wanted through terrorizing them. I’m the 1984 book, Big Brother uses the Ministries, especially the Ministry of Love, to keep order and scare the citizens. People weren’t allowed to have a voice.

The book 1984 really speak about how Winston’s life changed once we started to write in his diary. This also causes not only Winston’s thoughts about Big Brother change but it also changes his character. Winston sits out of sight of the telescreen when he began to write what he believes to be the current date. Having a diary isn’t illegal but if anyone were to ever find out about Winston, his punishment can be death of 25 years of forced labor camp (Orwell, 8-10). The Soviet Union has similar rules to 1984. Right when the Germans and the Russian were going to call a truce, the government leaked information about Lenin’s dealing with the German and that got a lot of their people angry. Therefore he quickly ran away and search for refuge in Finland. Lenin is the leader of the Bolshevik (Conquest, et al.). These two events relate because Orwell was clearly showing Winston’s fear of being caught like Lenin was. This also shows that Winston wants solitude and individualism.

In his diary Winston write about a film he has seen before. The is about a group of refugees on a ship who were bombed. There is also a middle-aged women who is cover her son from bullets, in other words she is protecting him (Orwell, 11-12). This film also shows the fear of discovery and the understanding of the Party’s motives from the start. In the early 20th century, during the Soviet Union, the Socialist Revolutionary Party restored political terror by assassinating one thousand government officials. The Socialist and Revolutionary Party assassinated all those people to not only bring down the government but to also cause fear amongst the people (Conquest, et al.). Both the Party in 1984 and the Socialist Revolutionary Party use terror and fear to keep order not allowing their citizens speak their minds.

In the book 1984 Big Brother also makes the citizens to this Two Minute Hate that is towards Goldstein. Goldstein is an enemy and danger to Big Brother. Even if it’s forced Winston ends up feeling confused. During the Two Minute Hate, Winston is conflicted on who he hates most. He starts off hating Goldstein, then hates Big Brother, and to end it he hates Julia (Orwell, 15-20). In the Soviet Union, in order for Kerensky to win against the Russian, they didn’t prosecute the Bolshevik for ruining the truce and instead allied them to emerge with them (Conquest, et al.). It may be a long shot, but these events relate to each other because both are conflicted on who to hate. Winston can’t decide between Goldstein, Big Brother or Julia. Kerensky is against the Russians but had a slight incident with the Bolshevik. Either they can’t decide whether to hate the people they are forced to hate or the ones they actually hate.

During the Two Minute Hate everyone gathers to hate, and I mean everyone. Here is where I believe Winston’s life really started to change. After an eye moment between Winston and O’Brien, a member of the Party. Winston starts to believe that O’Brien is a member of the Brotherhood, who like Goldstein are people against Big Brother (Orwell, 22-25). The Social Democrati, who were the second Russian Party during the Soviet Union, never really believed or agreed with the technique of terror (Conquest, et al.). The quote relates to the theme because it shows that there is another who also think differently towards Big Brother. The Social Democrats are also people who stand out for not approving terror.

We have made is clear that Big Brother is a totalitarian government and any slightest difference for what the party wants is wrong. Therefore as Winston kept repeatedly writing “DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER”, he realizes that is thoughtcrime and he can get vaporized, killed (Orwell, 23-25). As always during the Soviet Union in the 19th century it was against the law to question the tsar, and emperor of Russia (Conquest, et al.). They relate because the tsar control people to terror and doesn’t allow them to speak their minds. Winston’s writing may be ineffectual but is a very meaningful gesture of individuality.

It is safe to say that in the book 1984, the Party is a disease that has infested London and controls everyone. Well Winston really hate the Party because it has persuaded people to believe that their feelings and impulses are unimportant. He believes that the proles, lowest class, are the only really human left because their loyalty doesn’t lie on Big Brother. They have holder on to their natural instincts (Orwell, 208-210). In 1949 the U.S., Canada and European allies formed a treaty that was against the USSR and its allies (Conquest, et al.). This relates because the people who live in the Northern Treaty aren’t living through hell like the people who live in Russia. Winston envíes the proles for being able to keep their natural instincts. Winston’s desires to be a better individual.

Because 1984 is a great book based on real life events, it must give us a plot twist. O’Brien was lying this entire time. O’Brien tells Winston that he was one of the authors of the Goldstein. Therefore making it is a fake from the Party (Orwell, 330-332). For the Soviet Union, after the conflict between Kerensky and Kornilov, the prime minister informed Kornilov that the Bolshevik were planning to overthrow petrograd in September. This was fake news and got

Kornilov accused of treason (Conquest, et al.). In the 1984 book, O’Brien destroys any and all hope that Winston had if the Party being overthrown by telling him that the Goldstein Book was fake. This relates to when the minister lied to Kornilov and got him accused of treason, his mutiny was later crushed. In both scenarios, their chance of being and individual person, who saves the day, was snatched away from them.

The book 1984 it’s about power over people and power over yourself. O’Brien and Winston have a discussion about power. O’Brien explain that the Party wants absolute power over every single individual so that they have no other choice but to merge with the Party. Winston replied by saying that they can’t control everything like the stars. O’Brien’s response was that the Party controls theirs minds which is enough to control reality (Orwell, 332-337).

Going back to the Soviet Union, the Bolsheviks believed that Russia was ready for socialism and their leader was Vladimir Ilinch Lenin. He led a small highly disciplined and determined Party wanting to seize power (Conquest, et al.). This relates because O’Brien and the rest of the Party only want power. O’Brien admits to the Party controlling one’s thoughts and feelings in order to control reality. The Soviet Union are men are bent on seizing power. They don’t want people to be free they just want control.

Our individuality is what makes us unique from everyone else, otherwise we are machines. Winston tell O’Brien that mankind with defeat the Party, but O’Brien disagrees and orders him to undress himself so that he can see himself in the mirror. Winston is horrified by what he sees, O’Brien just mocks him making Winston weep (Orwell, 339-343). Also in the early 20th century the Social Democrats think that terror is pointless and prefer a different approach. They believe that by the development of capitalism, it would create workers who will in time introduce socialism (Conquest, et al.). This relates because Winston continues to believe that mankind will get tired of all the abuse, causing them to revoit like the workers. The workers of the Social Democrats will one day revolutionize Russia. One day everyone will be individuals again, they won’t be forced in terror, they will be free.

To conclude the book of 1984 is, in my opinion, a wake up call to rebel and be free individuals because we never know when it will be taken away from us. We can only hope to learn from our past mistakes that are also history. Winston fought for what he believed and did all of the Northern treaty. We should be thankful for living in a state of freedom.