Totlitarianism Vs Orwell's 1984

The definition of totalitarianism is "The absolute control by the state or a governing branch of a highly centralized institution" (Totalitarianism). Nicolae Ceausescu's totalitarianism can be compared in depth to the secret police, technology, and the purpose of sex in George Orwell's, 1984. Nicolae Ceausescu came into power in 1965. He went on to develop the Securitate, the secret police force of Romania. The Securitate was the police force that spied on people and punished them. Ceausescu and the Securitate also used technology to spy on people. Ceausescu banned all forms of birth control so that families would have more children to bring into the Party. In 1984, Big Brother, the master of the Party also had a secret police force known as the Thought Police of Oceania. Big Brother's party also used technology to spy on other people and pick up on conversations. They also only allowed the sex act to happen for sole purpose of bearing children.

The similarities between the Securitate in Romania and the Thought Police in 1984, can be easily compared. The Securitate only consisted of members of the Communist Party so that the force would be loyal. The Securitate searched for people who opposed Romania's government. They urged people to spy on friends and relatives. "As many as one in three people were Securitate or informers of the Securitate, so you couldn't even trust close friends or family members" (Ceausescu's). In 1984, Winston sees firsthand about family members and friends turning each other into the thought police. Mr. Charington, whom Winston thought was his friend, actually turned out to be a member of the thought police and turned him into the party. "It occurred to Winston that for the first time in his life he was looking, without knowledge, at a member of the Thought Police" (Orwell 224). In 1984, families were also strongly encouraged to bring up their children to spy on others. Parson's daughter turned him into the Thought Police after he talked in his sleep about hating the party.

"Who denounced you?" Said Winston. "It was my little daughter," said Parsons with a sort of doleful pride. "She listened at the keyhole. Heard what I was saying, and nipped off to the patrols the very next day. Pretty smart for a nipper of seven, eh? I don't bear her any grudge for it. In fact I'm proud of her. It shows that I brought her up in the right spirit, anyway" (Orwell 253).

Romania's Securitate had many subdivisions that controlled the different aspects of the country. The main subdivision was The General Directorate for Technical Operations. "It monitored all voice and electronic communications in and out of Romania. They bugged telephones and intercepted all telegraphs and telex messages, as well as placing microphones in both public and private buildings. Nearly all conversations conducted in communist Romania would be listened to by this department" (Wikipedia). They also had the Directorate for Penitentiaries which operated the prisons. The prisoners were treated very badly so that they would come forward with any information they had about others speaking out against the government. "Prisoners were routinely beaten, denied medical attention, had their mail taken away from them, and sometimes even administered lethal doses of poison in" (Nicolae). That can be compared with 1984, in the part where Winston was first being interrogated. "With that first blow on the elbow the nightmare had started. Later he was to realize that all that had happened was merely preliminary, a routine interrogation to which nearly all prisoners were subjected" (Orwell 240). There was also the Directorate for Counterespionage, which surveyed all foreigners in Romania and the Directorate of Internal Security which were members of the Securitate who actually monitored other members of the Securitate, who they thought might be disloyal

In both Parties, they used different forms of technology to get information and spy on people. Orwell illustrated the forms they used in 1984. "By means of telescreens and hidden microphones across the city, the Party is able to monitor its members almost all of the time" (Phillips). When Winston and Julia were in their hiding spot up above Mr. Charington's store, they heard a voice repeat them and realized that someone was listening to them. "There was a snap as though a catch had been turned back, and a crash of a breaking glass. The picture had fallen to the floor, uncovering the telescreen behind it" (Orwell 221). There were also microphones hidden

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