To exist in a totalitarian society whose government manages to control it, you must face strong persuasion and propaganda on a daily basis. These totalitarian societies exert an iron grip on the population, leaving citizens without any hope or possibility of escape. George Orwell's 1984 blatantly suggests how, with appropriate use of brainwashing and propaganda, the implacable Party can impose brutal and complete control over its people, and how the protagonist, Winston Smith, is gravely endangered by a simple line of individual thought. He becomes frustrated by the rigid confines of government control and begins to have rebellious thoughts, such as sex and any expression of individuality that differs from a normal Party "puppet." Winston's character can be compared to the protagonist, Anchee Min, from the memoir Red Azalea. Reminiscent of Winston, Min exists in a totalitarian society under the reign of Mao Zedong during the Chinese Cultural Revolution, a historical period in which the ideas of communism were applied in China, resulting in totalitarian methods of control. Both Min and Winston show subtle signs of rebellion in their respective societies; that rebellion eventually grows stronger. The totalitarian societies of Orwell's 1984 and Mao's reign of China indicate extreme control over their citizens through propaganda, thus endangering every individual belonging to that society; it is evident that within these forms of government the word "freedom" absolutely does not exist. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The general techniques and propaganda of Mao Zedong's Chinese reign are similar to that of Big Brother's control over Oceania. Both totalitarian societies psychologically manipulate the mentality of their citizens and use language and fear to maintain total control over their people. By twisting their words into a form of distorted reason, also known as doublethink, these governments manage to persuade their people to worship their respective leaders, Chairman Mao and Big Brother. Both parties are founded on a tangled web of lies; In Oceania, history is constantly being rewritten and false promises of a perfect, egalitarian world reside in the minds of Chinese citizens. Telescreens are constantly used in virtually every corner to spy on people, and in every individual's mind – or, more appropriately, in the puppets – there is the constant fear of being captured and vaporized by the "Thought Police" where the Police control your thoughts constantly; hence their name. Throughout Oceania the slogans "War is peace", "Freedom is slavery" and "Ignorance is strength" undermine the mentality of society as a whole. In 1984, O'Brien, one of the Party's members, rails against submission to the Party. reign under Big Brother, saying, “We convert him, we capture his inner mind, we reshape him. Let us burn from him all evil and all illusions; we bring him to our side, not in appearance, but sincerely, heart and soul. We make him one of us before we kill him. It is intolerable to us that wrong thinking exists anywhere in the world […] no one we bring to this place ever stands out against us” (Orwell 255). This passage shows the epitome of the general mentality of this society in 1984. When Winston's rebellious actions are finally discovered, he is tortured into submission by O'Brien and the other Party members, until he returns to where he started: selfless , a government puppet and forever lover of Big Brother. Hisobedience supports the fact that totalitarian government always wins and that Big Brother is “always watching you”. Likewise, Mao's influence spread widely and created a regime that eliminated opposition in China, just as it did in 1984. The communist government controlled all aspects of people's lives. All goods produced are shared equally; in other words, there was a peasant-based economy similar to colonial life. This “Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution” led to a massive cult of personality around Mao. For example, one person per family in communist society was forced to work in a grueling labor camp under the impression that all rumors of horror and hardship were "monstrous lies [...] concocted by enemies who feared that the revolution spread." . The Party authorities showed the families images of [...] prosperity. The families were convinced and comforted" (Min 44). In essence, by twisting language into another meaning, openly stating lies, and using the most extreme form of manipulation, both totalitarian societies are able to effectively maintain control over their people. The powerful forms of manipulation and control within these totalitarian societies are clearly shown through the lives of both the protagonist of 1984 and the protagonist of Red Azalea, a memoir written about surviving during China's Cultural Revolution. Winston Smith and Anchee Min both live in totalitarian societies; both have moments and thoughts of rebellion, although Winston clearly portrays rebellion more overtly through his actions, while Anchee goes against the government more subtly. Since 1984 is a work of fiction, the book contains imaginary telescreens that are there to constantly monitor one's thoughts. The lack of telescreens or any kind of mind-reading devices and “advanced technology” allows Anchee to secretly rebel through his personal thoughts. In 1984 Winston showed the first signs of rebellion when he bought a diary and began writing in it. This seemingly banal action gradually leads him to more direct forms of rebellion; falling in love with a girl, Julia and having sexual thoughts about her, which is strictly prohibited. The reader observes how the Party does not "just destroy our enemies; we change them" (Orwell 253). As indicated at the end of the book, this statement is indeed correct. On the other hand, although Anchee displays several acts of rebellion, she remains, throughout the book, a puppet of the government. She is constantly reminded of her duty to fight anyone who goes against Mao's teachings. Early in her life, Anchee's actions indicate how she is controlled by her government. Encouraged by the shouting of slogans and intimidated by Secretary Chain, representative of the Party, she denounces and publicly humiliates her favorite teacher and accuses her of corruption by reading fictional stories. Secretary Chain exclaims: “Our Party has faith in you and Mao would be very proud of you” (Min 35). She explains how her favorite teacher brainwashed her into betraying communism by reading her stories like The Little Mermaid and Snow White. Even though she doubts her words, she still speaks as a good role model for the Party and as a model student. This incident is the first subtle conflict and doubt he has with the government system. Previously he had wholeheartedly believed in and supported Mao's communism. Eerily similar to the words of the Big Brother society, Party members under Mao state that "towards enemies we must be cruel and merciless" (Min 41). Both protagonists are greatly changed and influenced by their societies, the two societies.