A Marxist Analysis Of Nineteen Eighty-Four

A Marxist Analysis of Nineteen Eighty-Four

When reading George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four from a Marxist perspective, one can see various classic Marxist themes in the narrative. It describes a society called Oceania which lacks equality among its citizens, who are oppressed by their dictator leader known as Big Brother and are stuck in very defined social classes. The main character, Winston shows potential for resistance against this injustice, yet he never manages to spark a revolution.

When interpreting Nineteen Eighty-Four with Marxist theory, one can immediately recognize the existence of a class structure in the society of Oceania. Oceania is a totalitarian state, which is under the dictatorship of a ruler known as Big Brother. Big Brother is assisted by a very exclusive group of individuals known as the Inner Party; this personality cult makes up only about two percent of the country's population. Members of the Inner Party are quite separated from members of inferior social classes, and are also much more wealthy than those of lower classes. When he visits an Inner Party member named O'Brien, Winston is overwhelmed by the lavish lifestyle he lives. O'Brien lives in a spacious flat, tended by servants, which smells of good food and good tobacco, rather than the unpalatable Ð''victory coffee' and Ð''victory cigarettes' Winston is accustomed to. The middle class citizens of Oceania are known as Outer Party members. Although not as exclusive as the Inner Party, the Outer Party makes up only about thirteen percent of Oceania's population. Outer Party members do the majority of work in the Party, and are to never question the tasks assigned to them. The lowest social class in Oceania, making up about eighty-five percent of the population, is known as the Proles. They have even fewer rights. According to the Party, Proles are not human beings, and pose no threat to the government, despite their vast quantities.

Marxism believes that in any oppressive society, the working class will eventually become conscious of the exploitation they are facing. Nineteen Eighty-Four presents an exceedingly pessimistic view of a totalitarian government oppressing its people; positive change seems unfathomable. While reading Nineteen Eighty-Four, Marxists would have a much more optimistic point of view. They believe that over time, change is inevitable in oppressive societies as the working class becomes conscious of their situation, and unites for the purpose of self-emancipation. To avoid such resistance, Big Brother takes advantage of the population's subservience to the state and constantly assigns jobs to the working class to keep them busy. As long as the working class feels productive, they will stay content, and loving Big Brother. However, if an individual doubts Big Brother this is enough to completely obliterate the ideology on which Oceania is founded. Therefore the Inner Party must detect and eliminate those who have the capacity to even question the governmental system. Although Winston is captured and brainwashed before a revolution can be triggered, a spark of hope is presented in accordance with Marxist theory. Winston at one point writes in his diary, "If there is hope, it lies in the Proles." This encapsulates the essence of Marxist theory, and shows Winston to be one (possibly of many) of those conscious of the class struggle and oppression taking place in Oceania. It is people like Winston, according to Marxist theory, who inevitably will question authority, unite with fellow working class members, and eventually revolt against their oppressors.

Another example of a classic Marxist theme that can be seen in Nineteen Eighty-Four is the amount of oppression forced upon people of subordinate social classes, along with an unequal distribution of wealth. Marxists believe that social issues are grounded in economics. Citizens of Oceania have absolutely no privacy from the Inner Party and the Thought Police. Inner Party members not only want to control the populations' speech and actions, but their thoughts too. Thought police use psychological means to detect what that they refer to as Ð''thoughtcrime,' which is when citizens think something they were forbidden to. Even in the comfort of their own homes, Outer Party members must keep a monitoring device called a Ð''telescreen' in each room. Telescreens are used by the Thought Police to track activity of Party members, and to ensure they are cooperating. Telescreens are not only used to spy on the population, but are also used to transmit propaganda. Telescreens always remain on for those belonging to the Outer Party, whereas Inner Party members can turn off their telescreens for short periods of time.

The Party supervises all marriages in Nineteen Eighty-Four and there is a dedicated committee to ensure couples who are married, or engaged, show no attraction to each other, and are being wed only for the purpose of