Themes

Totalitarianism

One of the main themes of Nineteen Eighty-Four is totalitarianism, as many sections of the book are focused on describing ‘the perfect totalitarian state’. Historically, most totalitarian states have eventually been destroyed by war, revolution or - less violently – by political reforms. However, the totalitarian state described in the novel is specifically designed to be immune to all of these threats (pp. 215-226), and it is implied that it may be able to endure forever, because it is more aware of the potential threats to its powers than previous totalitarian states such as Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany.

The Party's only goal is preserving power for its own sake, and this desire to remain in power makes it flexible enough to keep following its own ideals and crush any opposition.  

Surveillance

Nineteen Eighty-Four is heavily focused on the theme of government surveillance, as it takes place in a society where citizens are watched constantly.

In the novel, this is particularly seen through the government’s use of the...