The Utopia of Orwell and Foucault Essay -- Panopticism 1984

The Utopia of Orwell and FoucaultTwo ways of exercising power over men, of controlling their relations, of separating out their dangerous mixtures. The plague smitten town, transversed throughout with hierarchy, surveillance, observation, writing the town immobilized by the functioning of an extensive power that bears in a distinct way over all individual bodies-this is the utopia of the dead governed city (Foucault, 6) This quote extracted from the Essay Panopticism written by Michel Foucault perfectly describes in detail the controls put on the citizens of Big Brothers Oceania in George Orwells 1984. Through control of relation, surveillance, and separating out their dangerous mixtures Big Brother obtains a political sympathies system, which is described by Foucault as a Utopia. The Utopia relies upon more than one manner of control as noted by Foucault, but the far most significant method is surveillance. The telescreen received and transmittes simultaneously. Any sound that W inston made, about the level of a very low whisper, would be picked up by it moreover, as long he remained within the field of vision which the metal plaque was commanded, he could be seen as well as heard (Orwell, 6). In Orwells 1984 the surveillance is achieved by the distressing, constant presence of the telescreen. No individual was free of the thought that the open-eyed telescreen would catch you in some undefiable act, which would lead to unquestionable vaporization. This enclosed, segmented space, observed at every point, in which the individuals are inserted in a fixed place, in which the slightest movements are supervised, in which all events are recorded (Foucault, 5) The panopticon in Foucault essay is stressing exactly the sa... ...e knew he would be before his ideas were heard. Big Brothers cleverly organized, and cynical government silenced Winstons ideas. He used the methods of control presented to you in Michel Foucaults essay Panopticism, which are surveillance, c ontrol of relations, and separating out their dangerous mixtures. The telescreens presence change Winstons way of life. Control of relations changed Winstons outlook on the people in his life. Separating the dangerous mixtures is what killed him. He joined a mixture which was detached, separated by killing him. The ironic similarities within the two works are mind boggling and intriguing, but the truth in it all is what is truly remarkable. Works Cited Foucault, Michel. Panopticism. prepare and Punish. New York Vintage Books, 1979. Orwell, George. 1984. New York The New American Library Inc., 1983.