Themes in Nineteen Eighty-Four
Six of the more obvious themes to be found in Nineteen Eighty-Four are:
-the division of the world into socio-political power groups
-the mass media as agents of ‘prolerization’ (i.e. oppressing the masses)
-power hunger and totalitarianism
-betrayal of responsibility by intellectuals
-the degradation of language
-destruction of truth
This list of themes is by no means complete. A novelist as accomplished as Orwell may
be expected to include multiple themes in his writing.
Literary Devices in Nineteen Eighty-Four
A primary literary device in Nineteen Eighty-Four is satire which is “verse or prose
blending a critical attitude with humor and wit. The purpose of satire is to ridicule
frailties in human customs and institutions and, by causing laughter, to inspire their
reform. Other devices to be found in Nineteen Eighty-Four include:
Farce - ‘absurdly futile proceedings, usually involving pretence and mockery.’
Examples include: the sequence of emotional manipulation in the Two Minutes Hate, the
preparations for Hate Week, activities in the communities and in the Junior Anti-Sex
League.
Caricature - ‘grotesque representation of a person by exaggeration of
characteristic traits’ Examples include: the “duckspeaker”, the Parsons family, the “life”
of Comrade Ogilvy, the textbook descriptions of Capitalists and Socialists.
Parody - ‘humorously imitating an author’s characteristics or style”
Examples include: the children’s history book, the prole’s songs, Newspeak jargon on the
speakwrite, the speech of Mrs. Parsons, Orwell’s imitation of Trotsky’s rhetoric in “the
Book”.
Burlesque - ‘bombastic mock seriousness’ Examples include: Syme’s speech, the
chanting reaction at the end of the Two Minutes Hate, Julia and Winston’s oath to the
Brotherhood.
Lampoon - ‘bitter scorn against a person’ Examples include: Mr. Parsons as a
civil servant, Julia’s self-centeredness, the descriptions of Big Brother