Revisiting 1984: Satire and Retrofuturism

Abstract

1984 is a dystopian novel by George Orwell, published in 1949. It dives into a world ruled by a totalitarian government. The grim future of the tale is dystopian, full of surveillance, and with no resemblance to humanity. The dictators in the novel are known as The Party. The Party is supposedly led by Big Brother, who is omnipresent and watches everyone. Winston Smith, the protagonist, lives in a fictionalized London ruled by the Party. He works in the Ministry of Truth Records Department, and his job is to rewrite history according to The Party's guidance. Sometime in the novel, Winston falls in love with a woman named Julia. Their tragic romance sets the story in motion. Orwell utilizes satire to critique propaganda, language manipulation, and the cult of personality. He also demonstrates his ability to use technology to complement the satire. To exemplify this, London is filled with telescreens, a television-like device constantly preaches Big Brother's propaganda. The concept of surveillance was not new, but his implementation is so thought-provoking that it feels like a cautionary tale.Big Brother broadcasting propaganda everywhere through telescreens is an example of retrofuturism, a concept that explores the future through the eyes of an older generation. Such broadcasting surveillance technology did not exist in 1949, and Orwell predicted how state- wide surveillance would work in the future. The satirical element of this literary work stems from political agendas. Mostly Orwell has depicted his satirical perception of the totalitarian reigns of Fascism and Nazism. Although The Party is not written as a parody of either group, The Party follows the ideals of INGSOC, which is short for the Newspeak term of English Socialism. INGSOC practices authoritarianism and preaches it as socialism. In reality, dictatorship is against socialist beliefs. The satire here utilizes actual life events happening at the time of its writing, but it is not directly based on them. The total control of The Party imposed on everyone is how Stalinism worked. Stalinism is the political policy initiated by Joseph Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union from the mid-1920s to 1953. His reign was characterized by total control of the economy, authority, and cult of personality. INGSOC and Big Brother are very likely based on Stalin's Stalinism. Orwell has witnessed many wars, such as the First World War I, the Spanish Civil War, the Second World War, and the Cold War. War experiences shaped his writings as one of his famous works, Animal Farm, is a political allegory. The book is based on Fascism and its adverse effects and is inspired by the events of the Spanish Civil War in which he volunteered. 1984 is also his final work before his death. This thesis analyzes Orwell's use of satire and how he shaped the dystopian world of 1984 with retrofuturism.