1984

[Charlotte]

there is basically no need for power, but in order to be able to comlpetely controll such a vast amount of citizens, Big Brother , created fear in the hearts of the citizens by the lack of news, the less he told the citizens the more controll he had over them, Big Brother, used the lack of information in order to controll the people, example being when they 'raised' the amount of chocolate rations, it was lowered but the people didnt care aboutthat fact, all they cared was that Big Brother told them its more, so it must be more. Pain is an esential tool for the contoroll of the people, Big Brothers so called power is actually the lack of information in oceania. i could go on ranting about this, but i have run out of time. DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER!

[mailedfoot]

God is Power.

[Kat]

I agree with what you stated. I beleive strongly that this book has more to than many of us think. Power is what keeps us -as individuals from doing what we want. It's what is holding us back from the job we want, or the school we want to attend or whatever the case may be, power is what is keeping us from doing anything. It's the fact that we are held back. And that is what Winston struggles with- power that is holding him. I am in no way saying that aurthority is anything to be broken, but it is what keeps us in check.

[Unregistered]

I think you have found a microcosm, and are partially correct in mistaking it fr the whole. Power of convention?

[Gabriel]

I have read the comments made by others, but I can't really get rid of the feeling that something is missing. Yes, the book is about loss and surrender, it is about the defeat of the individual, it has some roots in social reality, but this all are secondary issues. The main issue of the book is power. Everything revolves arround power.<br> Orwell presents a world where power is aquired conciously and willingly, logically and on scientific bases. And power aquired in this way can't be lost. That is the message of the book, I think. The indivdual is weak. He can't rebel against those who rule. That we already know from history, but Orwell goes one step further. He states that even the masses are weak and can't rebel against this kind of power over them. Winston Smith is an excuse for Orwell to analyse the methods used to gain and preserve this power, to analyse a society where these methods are applied, where the individual is not important only the Party is important, and only it can preserve the power it possesses and therefore live on. In this society one priciple rules. It sounds like this:"The power must be preserved and it only can be preserved by the Party." Everything else is secondary. Peace, abundance, science, art and in the end the advance of civilization are sacrificed for this end.<br> A simple question arrises: Why is it power so important? Orwell states that power is a purpose in itself. Power is aquired for the sake of power.