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Utilitarianism In George Orwell's '1984'

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There is no set definition of reality and because of its flexibility, reality can be warped. Reality itself is defined by O’Brien in the book as something that “exists within the human mind, and nowhere else” and “is not external” (Orwell 205). O'Brien believes that reality does not exist until the mind perceives it, and the mind should not perceive it without the Party’s permission. O'Brien attempts to convince Winston that he sees five fingers, when his senses, aware of a reality independent of Big Brother, actually sees four. Seeing five fingers instead of four is only possible if the person's reality allows for the possibility and existence of such things. Winston is able to see the five fingers instead of four after going through immense pain and as a result his outside reality is warped by the pain and drugs. Briefly, he shares the reality of the Party and felt a “luminous certainty” before “everything was normal again” (Orwell 213). After these disciplining sessions, Winston stops believing in …show more content…
Big Brother himself is a simulacrum, the idea and image of a leader instead of a living person, given to the people as a symbol of the Party. Winston asks if Big Brother truly exists and O'Brien answers “of course he exists” (Orwell 214). He exists “within the human mind” of the Party's reality and as a result he exists. His actual corporeal existence does not matter because Big Brother is important only as an idea. Instead of a real human leader, Big Brother incorporates all of the merits of the Party and receives the admiration and trust of the people. He plays the part of a leader who is able to either pacify or arouse the emotions of the citizens and control the people of Oceania. The citizens believe in Big Brother because they want to. They want a leader to lead them and the Party gave them Big Brother. They rather have him as a leader then go back into a chaotic time where there was no

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