Orwell and the many-headed monster : Images of the Crowd in 1984

Abstract

In his dystopian novel, George Orwell depicts a totalitarian regime governing the minor details in the life of its citizens. However, the dictatorial impression created in 1984 is not exclusively nurtured by the leading forces. In fact, the authoritarian atmosphere exposes the dynamics of power between the leading and the led (crowd). This paper focuses on the stylistic rendering of the crowd in Orwell’s novel. It postulates that the author defamiliarizes the crowd to draw attention to its pivotal participation in power dynamics. For this reason, this paper departs from the early critical receptions of Russian Formalism that nullify the political dimension of this school. Drawing on recent reassessments of Defamiliarization, the paper essays to trace the stylistic patterns in the portrayal of the crowd and the political implications they advance.