Telescreens and the Syrian Civil War
Throughout 1984, there are several different settings that help the Inner Party use propaganda to impose their views and maintain control over the citizens of Oceania. For example, the prevalence of the telescreens in Winston’s everyday life allow the party to constantly remind him of the ideologies that Big Brother stands for. Specifically, Winston wakes up to “the telescreen...giving forth and ear-splitting whistle,” followed by the “Physical Jerks” that are supposed to keep the citizens in shape (Orwell 31). The “scrawny but muscular” woman leads the exercise session, barking that “[they] don’t all have the privilege of fighting in the front line, but at least [they] can all keep fit,” reminding them of “[their] boys on the Malabar front” and “the sailors in the Floating Fortresses” (Orwell 31, 37). The Inner Party succeeds in keeping a tight grip on Oceania by forcing them to conform to common practices like morning exercises, but is only able to do so because of the telescreens set up around every corner. Just as the Inner Party uses the setup of the telescreens to promote their views, “ISIS has taken full advantage of the bloody civil war [in Syria] that has been raging since early 201” (Islamic State). With Syria in a precarious state, ISIS easily went in and took full power over the citizens. Because ISIS acquired a new level of control, the group was then able to begin using propaganda, such as videos of beheadings, to expand its power even more. Overall, the situation in Syria made it possible for ISIS to reach a new tier of dominance, allowing the terrorist group to more effectively make propaganda videos to recruit new members and instill fear within the world.
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Fig. 1 A massive telescreen in 1984
Mai, Kevin. 1984 telescreen. Digital image. Rockmandash12.kinja.com. N.p., 17 Nov. 2014. Web. 20 Sept. 2015. Fig. 2 A free Syrian Army soldier walking among rubble in Aleppo during the Syrian civil war
Bobb, Scott. Free Syrian Army soldier walking among rubble in Aleppo during the Syrian civil war. Digital image. Wikimedia.org. N.p., 6 Oct. 2012. Web. 20 Sept. 2015. |
War Posters and Horrific Executions
In addition to the myriad of telescreens, the preparation of the highly anticipated Hate Week also provides a setting in 1984 that helps the Inner Party keep its citizens in a specific mold. In order to prepare for the massive loathing of the current enemy, “squads of volunteers…[prepare] the street…, stitching banners, painting posters, erecting flagstaffs on the roofs, and perilously slinging wires across the street for the reception of streamers (Orwell 148). A poster of a Eurasian soldier is hung everywhere, and “from whatever angle you [look] at the poster, the muzzle of the gun...[seems] to be pointed straight at you” (Orwell 149). The prevalence of all these convincing forms of advertisement makes it impossible for a member of the Outer Party to go anywhere outside their home without seeing something that conveys the message of “Big Brother rules over everyone, and all citizens will conform to the same beliefs and practices.” This powerful form of propaganda, one that draws attention from everyone, is similar to the type of advertisement that ISIS uses. Recently, ISIS “released harrowing footage appearing to show caged prisoners being lowered into a swimming pool to drown,” wrenchingly terrorizing anyone who watched as the victims took their last breaths (Shammas). Not only does the footage show the men nearing their death, but also, “minutes later, the cage is lifted, which shows the mean lying motionless on the cage floor” (Shammas). By using the setting of the execution to show how brutal and heartless they can be, the terrorists gained an enormous amount of recognition for themselves and their beliefs. Just as the posters, banners, and flagstaffs were seen by all of Oceania in 1984, ISIS’s execution videos are spread throughout the entire world for every corner of the globe to watch. Thus, the scope of the advertising throughout Hate Week in 1984 and of the death videos from ISIS form a similar type of propaganda that helps powerful leaders dominate citizens and form them into a unitary group.
Fig. 3 ISIS drowns prisoners in a cage
Tacopino, Joe. ISIS slowly drowns prisoners in a cage. Digital image. NYPost.com. New York Post, 24 June 2015. Web. 20 Sept. 2015. |
Fig. 4 A propaganda poster from 1984
Mademepickwickartblog.com. Join the Spies. Digital image. Pinterest.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2015. |
Reflection or Contradiction?
Overall, the settings throughout the dystopian novel 1984, by George Orwell, reflect those of the current terrorist group ISIS in regard to the use of propaganda. Although on a smaller scale, ISIS’s use of propaganda videos in a way that is continuous with 1984 is important because it shows that the principles of power have not changed throughout history. Whether it’s to maintain rule over an entire nation like Oceania or to spread the terroristic beliefs of ISIS, using propaganda as a form of control is fundamentally the same in all settings.