1984 and HMT comparisons:
Surveillance – telescreens, thought police, child spies and neighbours (1984), the eyes,
each other such as Offred’s suspicion of Nick when he winks at her ‘what if I were to
report him’ ‘perhaps he is an eye’, the aunts in the red centre and the Guardian Angels
(HMT). Surveillance is inescapable in both societies, undermining trust and relationships,
isolating everyone and creating a system of self-policing. These clearly breech article 8
of the UDHR – right to a private life, confirming that this is inhumane treatment.
Stratification of the lower classes – Proles, outer party, inner party, big brother (1984),
women stratified in order to turn them against each other such as the Martha’s talking
behind Offred’s back ‘I heard Rita say to Cora that she wouldn’t debase herself like that’
Cora responds they’re ‘doing it for all of us’ (HMT)
Sexual repression – men utilising prostitutes is illegal but somewhat expected, Winston
sees a prostitute, sex reduced to a reproductive function to create more followers for BB,
the artsem movement who want to eliminate sex completely, such repression creates a
rage which is channelled into the two minutes hate, hangings and other forms of violence
(1984). Sex is also reduced to its reproductive function, the ceremonies, allegedly a
response to a declining population but this seems not to be the case as there is no IVF,
and fertilisation is left to old commanders, it is blasphemy to suggest a man is infertile, it
is solely the fault of the woman (HMT). Sex is a natural desire and its repression/control
is dehumanising.
Death of the individual – citizens denied independent thought, wear uniforms, no
personal relationships, free time should be devoted to the Party (1984), uniforms to
denote social function, handmaids wear wings to hide their faces, interactions use
prescribed speech, ’womb on legs’ people and things are reduced to their utilitarian
function ‘waste not want not’ commodification of women, aunts encourage handmaids to
feel fulfilled and useful (HMT)
Indoctrination – Syme, child spies, 2+2=5, room 101 (1984), Offred judging the Japanese
tourists, significant religious indoctrination to justify the current state of affairs, reframing
of the time before e/g sunbathing, chanting ‘her fault’ at Janine in the red centre when
she describes her gang rape (HMT)
Propaganda – ubiquitous image of BB, recreation of history, claiming that previous
production targets and rationing limits have been exceeded and expanded when they
have in fact done the opposite, creating the sense that Oceania is prosperous (1984(.
Gilead controls all communication of news on TV, only commanders can read the Bible,
which is itself seen as an incendiary device, videos of Unwomen in the colonies in the
red centre.
Repression of language – newspeak, Sapir Whorf hypothesis/linguistic determinism, no
books or diaries (1984). Conversation prescribed e/g ‘Blessed be the fruit’ ‘may the lord
open’ (both linked to fertility), replacement of words with symbols, no books allowed,
Offred wonders if she will get in trouble for reading the ‘faith’ cushion put in her room
(HMT). Language is seen as a threat to absolute power.
Culture of fear – miniluv, room 101, public hangings, perpetual war and threat of
invasion, starvation, poverty (evident from opening paragraphs) (1984). Hanging wall
‘these bodies hanging on the wall are time travellers, anachronisms. They’ve come here
from the past’, salvagings, prayvaganzas, particicutions, exile, invasion/war (HMT)
Reconstruction of the family – simply a way of producing followers for BB, children
encouraged to betray their parents, marriage strictly controlled (1984). Commanders,
wife and handmaid to emulate Jacob, Rachel and Bilah (HMT). This eliminates
community and loyalty to any body other than the regime.
