Does Big Brother exist?

[Jouzou]

This is the question O'Brien specifically refused to answer. What do you think? Personally, I'd say "No". There are two main reasons for this:

1. As it was said in the book, it's easier to love a single person than an entity such as the Party.

2. The whole society of 1984 is overflown with vicious lies and propaganda. There's very little reason to believe anything the Party says.

When you combine these facts, you come to the conclusion that it's more likely that the Party "invented" him. Just like Winston "invented" Ogilvy.

[motherhubbard]

I think that big brother was just the political machine that kept their thumb on the people. I don’t think there was a person that was big brother.

There is a history of governments taking something awful and naming it something that sounds like the opposite of what it really is and therefore it sounds wonderful. Like a superior race, or no child left behind. I hope those two examples are not politically charged, I am in no way trying to be offensive.

[aarrgg]

I agree that Orwell probably meant that BB is the controlling force. After all, it's very impractical to have a dictator, at least one who have absolute power.
However, my personal belief is that it is YOU who are BB. That it's everone in the society who by themselves eventually will make the society become what he predicted. That we "want" to be controlled. This is just my expanded version of his theory, Orwell probably never meant so.

[The Atheist]

This is the question O'Brien specifically refused to answer.

He did actually answer the question - twice in fact:


W: "Does BB exist?

O: "Of course he exists. The Party exists. BB is the embodiment of the Party"

W: "Does he exist in the same way I exist?"

O: "You do not exist."

....

W "Will BB ever die?

O: "Of course not. How could he die?"

It's quite clear from that that BB only exists as an element of the Party, not as a real person.


What do you think? Personally, I'd say "No". There are two main reasons for this:

1. As it was said in the book, it's easier to love a single person than an entity such as the Party.

That, plus it gives security of leadership to Outer Party members, BB will always be "boss".


2. The whole society of 1984 is overflown with vicious lies and propaganda. There's very little reason to believe anything the Party says.

Eh? Lies? Propaganda? Methinks your doublethink is letting you down.

Room 101!


When you combine these facts, you come to the conclusion that it's more likely that the Party "invented" him. Just like Winston "invented" Ogilvy.

Exactly that - BB is an invention to suit a purpose, no more.

[Extrocomp]

Actually O'Brien gave a clear answer to this question. Big Brother exists as the embodiment of the Party but does not exist as a living person. O'Brien says Big Brother will never die so he can't be alive.

[bazarov]

Big Brother doesn't exist, it's just a way of telling people that there is something above them, which controls them. It's easier to them to imagine some guy with nice hair and shining mustache
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Stalin3.jpg
then thinking about complicated way of Party and their way of ruling and controlling proles.

[JAMMERXT]

Is that adolf hitler? Thats what i imagined when BB was discribed in the 5 min hate or whatever min hate

[bazarov]

Is that adolf hitler? Thats what i imagined when BB was discribed in the 5 min hate or whatever min hate
Mein Liber Gott, nein! Das ist nicht Führer!
это Ио́сиф Виссарио́нович Джугашви́ли.
Why would it be Hitler?

[David40]

This is the question O'Brien specifically refused to answer. What do you think? Personally, I'd say "No". There are two main reasons for this:

1. As it was said in the book, it's easier to love a single person than an entity such as the Party.

2. The whole society of 1984 is overflown with vicious lies and propaganda. There's very little reason to believe anything the Party says.

When you combine these facts, you come to the conclusion that it's more likely that the Party "invented" him. Just like Winston "invented" Ogilvy.

I personally think BB is a real, flesh-and-blood, man. But he is an aging dictator who is no longer up to running Oceania on a day-to-day basis. This is something that we've seen in totalitarian regimes more than once--when the nominal dictator is well past his prime, the faceless bureaucrats who run the country on a de facto basis often find that the image of the dictator is nevertheless a potent force in controlling the populace. The ubiquitous images of BB are no doubt images of BB when he was in his prime, not as he is now. Now he is still alive but kept out of public view because his aged appearance does not fit the image of BB the Party wants to project. But he is still alive--when he actually dies economic reality will force some form of change, much as O'Brien might wish to deny it.

In the novel's timeline, it would make perfect sense for BB to have been a strong, active revolutionary and dictator in the 1950's and 1960's and still be alive, but elderly and inactive, in 1984. The general climate of Oceania reminds me of totalitarian regimes where the "old guard" is still alive but increasingly enfeebled by old age.

In fact, I am reminded of present-day Cuba and Fidel Castro. The thought of Cuba makes me wonder--is the entire world in Orwell's 1984 truly as totalitarian as the Party in "Airstrip One" would have their citizens believe? Or is the world mostly democratic with "Airstrip One" an isolated pocket of totalitarianism? Perhaps Britain in Orwell's timeline evolved along similar lines to real-life Cuba: it became a US satellite, perhaps with an important US air base there (hence the name "Airstrip One"), then had a revolution there which drew US anger, and "Airstrip One" has been increasingly isolated from the rest of the world ever since?

Is there any real evidence in the novel to suggest that the entire world is as totalitarian as "Airstrip One"? We have only the Party's word to go on in this regard.

[Mortis Anarchy]

Is that adolf hitler? Thats what i imagined when BB was discribed in the 5 min hate or whatever min hate

Seriously? Thats Stalin...

[TheFoxxx]

I think Saddam Hussein must of been a fan of the book:lol: