Totalitarianism

1984 portrays an absolutely totalitarian government. Censorship is also one of the major themes of the novel. Notably, the Party’s attempts at censorship are rather extreme and perversely imaginative in their cruelty. For instance, censorship is typically applied only to speech and other forms of expression, but the Party seeks to censor and eliminate even dissenting thoughts. Totalitarian regimes often rewrite history, and they employ propaganda to that end: in 1984, we see what the world looks like when this measure is taken to its logical extreme. The Party’s agenda is not only to rewrite history but to completely destroy it. The Party rewrites history even when it doesn’t have to. It seeks to transform history into a fluid, unknowable, and irrelevant entity. Totalitarian regimes justify their means to power in the name of a higher end. In 1984, the goal of power is, simply, power itself.

Language

The reader comes across many instances that shed light on the Party’s efforts to control language. We are introduced to “Newspeak” and “doublethink” at the very beginning. The reader realizes the importance of the Party’s dubious declarations: “Freedom is Slavery,” “Ignorance is Strength,” and “War is Peace.” These are not mere words, but anthems that drive the Party’s ideology. They are also examples of doublespeak. These phrases may appear contradictory, but as per the Party these are higher truths.

In the context of language, the Party’s central aim is to narrow and corrupt it. The Party believes that doing so would make it impossible for people to have corrupt thoughts. The objective of Newspeak, accordingly, is to “cut language to the bone.” In an earlier essay, Orwell had pointed out that “if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.” In 1984, this theme is explored in greater detail.

Sexual Repression

The Party seeks to establish control over the human body, too. In much the same way as it aims to not just control expression of thought but also the possibility of thought itself, the Party is not satisfied with merely governing sexual relations. It bans promiscuity and it makes it compulsory for all marriages to be approved by the Party. Winston’s wife Katharine is a perfect example of a woman who is completely cut off from her own sexuality. Sexual urges can only be sublimated for the common good; it is acceptable only if it is channeled in the form of fervor toward the Party.

Gaining control over the human body is an integral part of the Party’s effort to also control the family and, by extension, individual privacy. By endangering prospects of strong, intimate relationships between people, the Party aims to weaken familial bonds. By policing against such bonds, the Party aims to completely destroy individual privacy.