Assignment Paper 107
This blog task is part of assignment of Paper 107 : The Twentieth century Literature from world war 2 to the end of the century.
⇛ Personal Information :
→ Name : Shatakshi Sarvaiya
→ Batch : M.A. Semester 2 (2024-26)
→ Enrollment number : 5108240030
→ E-mail Address : shatakshisaravaiya9@gmail. com
→ Roll number : 26
⇛Assignment Details :
Topic : Big Brother and the Panopticon: Surveillance and Control in 1984
Submitted to : SMT. Department of English , Bhavanagar
Date of submission : 17, April, 2025
⇛ Table of Contents :
1. Abstract
2. Keywords
3. Introduction
* "Big Brother" & Faculty: in Power of Surveillance in George Orwell's 1984
4. Objectives
5. Theoretical Background
6. Data & Methodology
7. Discussion
8. 1984 & Panopticon : Utopia & Dystopia
9. Conclusion
10. Reference
Abstract
Explores the themes of surveillance and control in George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, focusing on the symbolic presence of Big Brother and its parallels with Jeremy Bentham’s concept of the Panopticon. Orwell’s dystopian vision illustrates a society in which citizens are under constant observation, leading to internalized control and the erosion of individuality. The figure of Big Brother functions both as a propaganda tool and a psychological weapon, embodying the omnipresence of the totalitarian state. Drawing from Michel Foucault’s interpretation of the Panopticon, the study analyzes how surveillance in 1984 serves not only to monitor but also to discipline and shape behavior through fear and uncertainty. Ultimately, the paper argues that Orwell's depiction of total surveillance is a powerful critique of authoritarian control mechanisms, and remains strikingly relevant in the age of digital monitoring and mass data collection.
Introduction
In George Orwell’s dystopian masterpiece Nineteen Eighty-Four, the figure of Big Brother looms large an omnipresent symbol of state power and psychological control. The phrase “Big Brother is watching you” captures the essence of a society stripped of privacy, where every action, word, and even thought is subject to scrutiny. Orwell’s vision of totalitarianism presents a chilling world in which surveillance is not merely a method of law enforcement, but a fundamental tool for shaping thought and suppressing dissent. Central to this system of control is a structure that closely resembles Jeremy Bentham’s concept of the Panopticon: a circular prison design in which inmates are constantly visible to an unseen observer. Later expanded upon by philosopher Michel Faculty, the Panopticon represents a model of power that induces self-regulation through the illusion of constant observation. This essay examines the parallels between Big Brother’s regime and the Panopticon, arguing that 1984 offers a profound critique of surveillance as a means of control one that remains urgently relevant in our contemporary world of mass data collection, CCTV, and algorithmic monitoring.
Keywords
Big Brother , Survillance , Protection , George Orwell , Psychological manipulation , Self-regulation , Power and discipline , Dystopia , Mass observation , Loss of privacy , Control through fear, , 1984 , Social control mechanisms ,
"Big Brother" & Faculty: in Power of Surveillance in George Orwell's 1984
1. Objectives
Since the publication of Michel Foucault’s Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison in 1975, numerous studies have employed his theories to examine power structures, control mechanisms, and especially surveillance strategies functioning within modern societies. Foucault’s concept of panopticism has become a foundational framework for analyzing surveillance methods in dystopian literature. In this context, George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) has inspired extensive scholarly attention. Central to Orwell’s narrative is the figure of “Big Brother,” which has often been cited as an archetype for illustrating Foucault’s theory of panopticism. However, while Foucault’s theories are frequently applied to Orwell’s work, it is important to note that 1984 predates Discipline and Punish by nearly two decades a connection that is frequently overlooked. This study aims, on one hand, to explore how surveillance operates in 1984 and, on the other hand, to argue that Orwell’s vision anticipates Foucault’s views on the mechanisms of power and control within despotic and authoritarian social structures.
2. Theoretical Background
The concept of discipline as a core mechanism of political power is central to Michel Foucault’s Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison (1975), where he examines the ways in which discipline functions to regulate society. Faculty argues that discipline is used to control both the human body and mind through an omnipresent gaze designed to monitor individuals constantly. This surveillance gaze is rooted in the idea of the "Panopticon," a prison model introduced in the 18th century by Jeremy Bentham. The Panopticon is described as a circular structure with a central watchtower surrounded by an outer ring of cells, allowing a single observer to watch inmates without them knowing whether they are being observed. This concept gave rise to Foucault’s theory of panopticism a system of control where visibility becomes a trap, leading individuals to regulate their own behavior due to the uncertainty of being watched.
Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four envisions a society where socialism has gone awry, creating a dystopian world in which citizens live under constant surveillance, akin to life in a virtual prison. At the center of this system is the figure of Big Brother, who functions as the omnipresent watchtower of the Party’s panoptic regime. In his article Orwell: History and Nightmare, American scholar Irving Howe (1956) remarks, “...the world of 1984 is more real than our own. The book appalls us because its terror, far from being inherent in the human condition, is particular to our century… Orwell has seized upon those elements of our public life that, given courage and intelligence, were avoidable” . The novel portrays the control of the mind through disciplinary surveillance, most notably in the creation of the "Thought Police" , a force that punishes even unspoken dissent.
explains that discipline is “a type of power, a modality for its exercise, comprising a whole set of instruments, techniques, procedures, levels of application, targets; it is a ‘physics’ or an ‘anatomy’ of power, a technology” . He notes that this form of power can be adopted by institutions or authorities to reinforce their internal mechanisms of control. In 1984, the Party exercises such discipline by dictating every aspect of its members' lives from their routines and diets to the language they speak and the thoughts they are permitted to have.
The method of control used by the Party aligns closely with Foucault’s model of surveillance as discipline. The Party's use of telescreens, microphones, and informants mirrors the logic of Bentham’s Panopticon: a system in which power is maintained through the mere possibility of observation. Bentham (1995) describes the panopticon as “a circular building. The apartments of the prisoners occupy the circumference. These cells are divided from one another by partitions. The apartment of the inspector occupies the center” . Within this structure, individuals internalize surveillance and begin to police their own behavior, uncertain of when or if they are being watched. Faculty regarded this self-regulating response as the ultimate form of disciplinary power, a notion hauntingly realized in Orwell’s depiction of Big Brother’s regime.
3. Data & Methodology
The primary data for this study is George Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, first published in 1949. Set in Airstrip One (formerly known as Great Britain), a province of the superstate Oceania, the novel depicts a world plagued by perpetual war, omnipresent government surveillance, and systematic public manipulation. The theoretical framework supporting this analysis is Michel Foucault’s Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison, with particular emphasis on his concept of panopticism. The study focuses on how panopticism functions as a mechanism of power within society, and it explores the ways in which Orwell's dystopian vision in 1984 mirrors and even anticipates the principles outlined by Faculty. By examining these parallels, the study seeks to illuminate how disciplinary surveillance, as described by Faculty, is vividly embodied in the authoritarian regime of Big Brother.
4. Discussion
George Orwell’s 1984, published in 1949, is a dystopian novel born out of Orwell’s fear of totalitarianism, particularly influenced by Stalinism, the rise of fascism in Europe, and Yevgeny Zamyatin’s We (1924). The novel portrays a brutal regime where individuality is suppressed through propaganda, manipulation, and constant surveillance. Michel Foucault’s Discipline and Punish (1975) offers a theoretical framework for understanding the mechanisms of power in 1984, especially through his concept of panopticism, inspired by Jeremy Bentham’s panopticon. Faculty describes surveillance as a form of discipline that creates “docile bodies” and internalized control, making individuals self-regulate under the belief they are always being watched. Orwell illustrates this vividly through the omnipresent telescreens, the Thought Police, and the psychological control exerted by Big Brother’s regime. Both Faculty and Orwell highlight how surveillance is used to dominate not just the body but also the mind, fostering fear, paranoia, and conformity. Despite being written decades apart, their works echo the same warning: unchecked authority and surveillance lead to dehumanization and loss of freedom. 1984 serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of absolute power, much like Foucault’s analysis of disciplinary societies.
5. 1984 & Panopticon : Utopia & Dystopia
In 1984, George Orwell presents a dystopian vision of a society under absolute surveillance, where the illusion of utopia is maintained through fear, control, and propaganda. This imagined world resonates closely with Michel Foucault’s concept of the panopticon, derived from Jeremy Bentham’s prison design, where power is exercised through constant visibility and the internalization of surveillance. The panoptic structure, as discussed in Discipline and Punish, ensures discipline not by force but by creating a sense of being constantly watched, leading individuals to self-regulate. Orwell’s depiction of telescreens, the Thought Police, and the omnipresent gaze of Big Brother mirrors this theory, showing how dystopia is achieved by transforming society into a prison without walls. While the panopticon was intended as a rational tool for reform, in 1984 it becomes a symbol of oppressive power—demonstrating how the same mechanism can serve both utopian ideals and dystopian realities, depending on who holds the power.
Conclusion :
In conclusion, George Orwell’s 1984 and Michel Foucault’s theory of panopticism both explore the terrifying potential of surveillance as a tool of absolute power. While Orwell imagines a dystopian future shaped by fear and control, Faculty analyzes how systems of discipline operate silently but effectively through constant observation. The panopticon, originally a model for reform, becomes in Orwell’s world a mechanism of totalitarian domination. Together, their works serve as a powerful warning: when surveillance becomes internalized, freedom is replaced by fear, and utopia turns into dystopia. Through these insights, both thinkers highlight the fragile boundary between order and oppression in modern societies.
Reference :
PDF) "Big Brother" and Fault: Power of Surveillance in George Orwell's 1984
In 1984 Orwell presents this dreadful ... where people · have lost their individuality. The ruling ideology of the Big Brother is fortified by · means of propaganda, manipulations of the past and various forms of surveillance. Among many theorists on surveillance, few have been ...
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