The Conscious Collective. An exploration of Orwell’s Representations of Individualism within Authoritarian Societies

Abstract

This master’s thesis examines the prolific author George Orwell’s representation of the struggles associated with individualism within authoritarian regimes. By drawing on Hannah Arendt’s Responsibility and Judgement, a discussion of the Eichmann trials, and the responsibilities of the German people, this thesis establishes a theoretical framework. This framework is used to discuss the responsibilities of the individual when they find themselves in politically compromised situations and to discuss whether the individual or the collective is tasked with opposing authoritarian regimes. This exploration is conducted through separate analyses of the two chosen novels, Burmese Days and Nineteen Eighty-Four, highlighting the different ways the two novels discuss the responsibilities and opportunities of the individual to rebel. Following this, the thesis conducts a comparative analysis of the two novels and their similarities to attempt to shine a light on Orwell’s political commitment. This thesis concludes that considering the similarities between the two narratives, it is plausible to argue that Orwell remained critical of both individualism and collectivism. Seeing the potential issues with both individualism and collectivism, Orwell calls for a specific kind of collective to oppose authoritarian regimes. However, this collective must uphold particular criteria. The most central aspect of this collective is that it needs to retain consciousness by having the members be free-thinking individuals.