Revealing the Mind of the Evil Dictator: Connecting Cult Figures to 1984
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Revealing the Mind of the Evil Dictator: Connecting Cult Figures to 1984
In George Orwell's 1984, Big Brother is the fictional figure head of the entire society. He controls every aspect of the people he rules. Surprisingly, Orwell's description of this fictional cult figure in his novel was hauntingly similar to two historical figures who established actual cults in recent history. Both Jim Jones and Adolf Hitler resemble the figure of Big Brother. The teachings of Big Brother, Adolf Hitler and Jim Jones are almost identical to each other. In 1984, the cult figure of Big Brother is very similar to both Jim Jones and Adolf Hitler, whose totalitarian ways parallel those of Big Brother in regards to the control of minds and physical actions of society's members.
The term cult...can be applied to any manipulative group which exploits its members, causing psychological, financial and physical harm (Johnston 1). The "cults" of 1984, Jim Jones and Adolf Hitler all have resemblances to this description. Dr. Norman Costigan stated that, "They [cults] are all about power and control" (Johnston 1). In 1984, Big Brother and the Inner Party only want control for themselves and do so by manipulating the people in this society with mind tricks, such as doublethink. Towards the end of the novel, when Winston Smith has been arrested and is in the Ministry of Love, O'Brien asks him why he thinks that the Inner Party controls every aspect of people's lives. Winston believes that the answer is that the Inner Party knows what is best for the people better than they themselves do, when in fact O'Brien informs him that all they want is complete and utter control of all people. In Jonestown, Jim Jones manipulates his members into believing that the United States government is attempting to harm or kill the members of People's Temple (Jim Jones' organization) so that they are under the delusion that Jones is saving them. When Adolf Hitler took control in Nazi Germany, he tricked and...
In George Orwell's 1984, Big Brother is the fictional figure head of the entire society. He controls every aspect of the people he rules. Surprisingly, Orwell's description of this fictional cult figure in his novel was hauntingly similar to two historical figures who established actual cults in recent history. Both Jim Jones and Adolf Hitler resemble the figure of Big Brother. The teachings of Big Brother, Adolf Hitler and Jim Jones are almost identical to each other. In 1984, the cult figure of Big Brother is very similar to both Jim Jones and Adolf Hitler, whose totalitarian ways parallel those of Big Brother in regards to the control of minds and physical actions of society's members.
The term cult...can be applied to any manipulative group which exploits its members, causing psychological, financial and physical harm (Johnston 1). The "cults" of 1984, Jim Jones and Adolf Hitler all have resemblances to this description. Dr. Norman Costigan stated that, "They [cults] are all about power and control" (Johnston 1). In 1984, Big Brother and the Inner Party only want control for themselves and do so by manipulating the people in this society with mind tricks, such as doublethink. Towards the end of the novel, when Winston Smith has been arrested and is in the Ministry of Love, O'Brien asks him why he thinks that the Inner Party controls every aspect of people's lives. Winston believes that the answer is that the Inner Party knows what is best for the people better than they themselves do, when in fact O'Brien informs him that all they want is complete and utter control of all people. In Jonestown, Jim Jones manipulates his members into believing that the United States government is attempting to harm or kill the members of People's Temple (Jim Jones' organization) so that they are under the delusion that Jones is saving them. When Adolf Hitler took control in Nazi Germany, he tricked and...