1984 and Existentialism

[tdodas]

Hello everybody, I am a newbie to the forum but love some of the things I have been reading. I am a college student who could use some extra input on an assignment if possible. My main goal is to examine the George Orwell classic "1984" and connect the ideas of existentialism to it. My problem is that existentialism is in blatant general terms all about freedom and 1984 is about a totalitarian government eliminating freedom. I was hoping if anybody could help me make relations of the two subjects, even if its showing how 1984 disagrees with the ideals of existentialism. Or comparing such as saying Winston is Dostoevsky's Underground Man, or comparing by disanalogy in Camus' ideas of living life as completely free as possible and accepting all hat comes to you. Please give me any kind of input, I would greatly appreciate it.



Thank you

[The Atheist]

Hello everybody, I am a newbie to the forum but love some of the things I have been reading. I am a college student who could use some extra input on an assignment if possible. My main goal is to examine the George Orwell classic "1984" and connect the ideas of existentialism to it.

You should've come to the George Orwell section! Thread may be moved there, so I hope you find it.


My problem is that existentialism is in blatant general terms all about freedom and 1984 is about a totalitarian government eliminating freedom.

My guess is that they are referring to the core of existentialism rather than the promise it holds, so starting at existentialism being:


the individual is solely responsible for giving their own life meaning and living that life passionately and sincerely

That being the case, an someone like Parsons could be said to be living existentially by suborning his own meaning of life to the Party's, while Winston acts in the opposite way by looking for some concept of "freedom" from the reality of the Party.

Inner Party members are living purely existential lives becasue they define the meaning then adapt the world to it. Their freedom built on everyone else's slavery.

[Paulclem]

Are there links to the "keyhole analogy" with the "Big Brother is watching you" theme?