'Determinism is perfectly compatible with the idea that we are essentially free'. To what extent does Orwell present individual actions as preordained by social factors in '1984'? Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Determinism is the belief that “all events are ultimately determined by causes considered external to the will.” In Orwell's "1984", the protagonist's actions are clearly influenced by social factors such as Winston's membership in the Outer Party, his emotions, state propaganda and Newspeak. As Marx, the philosopher who created Marxism, proposed in “The Poverty of Philosophy” (1847), “Men are not free to choose their own productive forces,” these forces are “acquired.” The opinions and actions of the protagonist, Winston Smith, towards other social classes are essentially determined by his social position as a member of the Outer Party. In chapter 1.7, Winston uses negative vocabulary when talking about "proles" in a positive way. He believes that the proles are the only "force capable of destroying the party"; a positive reflection on the power of the proletariat and its unconscious ability to bring about changes within the repressive society of Oceania. However, in the same vein of thought, Winston calls them “swarming…masses” and compares the proles to a “horse that swats flies.” The animalistic image conveyed by such language betrays Winston's belief that he is free in his mind to rebel and oppose the party. He describes the proles through dehumanizing metaphors, which intimate to the reader that Smith despises his fellow men, underscoring the extent to which his views on the lower social class are determined as a result of his social background as a member of the Outsider. Party. Marx often refers to a “class struggle” between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie, represented by Inner Party members such as Winston. Winston unwittingly perpetuates determinism while being subject to it while reinforcing class divisions that subjugate and alienate the proles; continues the Party's policy of regarding the proles as "natural inferiors" who must be left to "work and raise" like animals. In "1984", an individual's emotions act as a deterministic force that controls and influences one's actions. The protagonist is influenced by his love for Julia, since before falling in love he committed small and insignificant acts of rebellion. In chapter 1.1, Winston committed a "psychocrime" by writing in a diary, while as he began his relationship with Julia, his subversive acts of rebellion become increasingly dangerous. Love is used as a deterministic tool that encourages Winston to choose to participate in acts of rebellion. Orwell states in chapter 2.1 that, after receiving the message from Julia, the "desire to stay alive had grown within" Winston. This 'desire to stay alive' results purely as a consequence of emotion, in the sense that while Winston may have freely chosen to rebel, love influenced his free will and therefore predetermined his rebellious action. In addition to this, Winston professes his hatred for the state in front of O'Brien in chapter 2.8 despite not really knowing him and not being part of the Brotherhood; «We are enemies of the party. We do not believe in the principles of Ingsoc. We are mental criminals." This confession only accentuates the extent of the effect that Winston's love for Julia has had on his character. His speech places emphasis on the pronoun “we,” which conveys the fact that Winston and Julia are rebellingcollectively, their will to rebel is interdependent on each other. As soon as they are divided and tortured, they no longer choose to participate in the rebellion against the oppressive state and accept Big Brother and the Party. In chapter 3.5, when threatened with torture using mice, Winston begs O'Brien to "do it to Julia!" I don't care what you do to her. It could be argued that, if anything, this shows that, to some extent, Winston has some control over his life as he chooses to betray Julia to protect himself. However, it could be argued that Winston betrays Julia as a result of her torture which converts his emotions of love into love for Big Brother. As O'Brien informs Winston in chapter 3.4, "it is not enough to obey Big Brother: you must love him." Love inspires naive and subversive behavior in Winston, demonstrating that he is not truly in control of his own actions. Winston's actions are also predetermined by the influence of the state through propaganda. The totalitarian figure at the head of the Party, "Big Brother", is used as a propaganda tool to control and instill obedience in the citizens of Oceania, influencing their actions and determining their decisions. Big Brother is used as a tool to ensure obedience and loyalty to the state from the masses, the most notable example of this being the maxim "Big Brother is watching you". In chapter 1.1, "Big Brother's dark eyes looked deeply into Winston's." This personification acts to reinforce the fact that, while it appears to the reader that "Big Brother" is simply a metaphorical figure, from the protagonist's point of view, Big Brother is as human as he is. Even time is manipulated and restructured by Festa. Early in the novel, Winston engages in a thought crime in chapter 1.3, refuting the party's claim that "they had invented airplanes", as he "remembered airplanes from his early childhood". However, towards the end of the novel, his rebellious and subversive nature is repressed by O'Brien, as his memories conflict with the Oceania government's "official" interpretation of history. According to Marxism, literary forms "are determined by political circumstances" and are an ideological reflection of the real world. They examine and give an account of what it meant to live in the context of a specific ideology. Marxist philosopher Althusser postulates that literature “has a particular relationship with ideology,” but in “1984” Orwell appears to criticize the totalitarian communist state of the USSR of the late 1940s, especially considering that Big Brother is “ modeled on Stalin'. During the totalitarian rule of the USSR, Stalin also altered the narrative of past events to align with the interpretation of history that benefited his image, in the same way that the party alters time and history in Chapter 1. For example, Leon Trotsky, a leading member of the left opposition, was removed from all photographs with Lenin and Stalin after criticizing Stalin's leadership. Some may criticize Orwell for not writing a more nuanced critique of the communist state, including from a Marxist perspective since, according to Engels, “the more the author's views remain hidden, the better the work of art.” However, Orwell's portrayal of the communist state only serves to emphasize the deterministic nature of society in 1984, as propaganda influences and alters individual beliefs. The authoritarian state in 1984 created the language, known as "Newspeak", to "make all other ways of thinking impossible". Therefore, the Party controls the free will of the people by repressing rebellion and opposition created by freedom of thought,.