the characters in george orwell's 1984 depict propaganda as a form of control which also mirrors the cult of personality in A totalitarian society of the paranoid north Korean peninsula.
Character and the Cult of Personality
The characters of 1984 exhibit an emotional rampage of dictatorial impulses, formulating a society where propaganda is a prime mode of control. North Korea, known as a paranoid peninsula, mirrors the fictional world in 1984. The Kim family has developed a cult of personality within the country, dehumanizing the citizens by militarizing the society. This is parallel to the influence of Big Brother's dictatorship over the society described in the book 1984, by George Orwell. Propaganda has influenced the environment,
Kim Il Sung : Sung, known as ‘The Great Leader’, was elected president in 1972, and held position until his death in 1994. Sung still remains the eternal president even after his death. He fought with the Soviet union in World War II, and set in motion the Korean War (www Kim Il-Sung Biography). Soon named the great leader, Sung oppressed the citizens of North Korea and shut-off contact with the west, claiming that North Korea is the supreme power which must not be influenced by any outside sources (www Kim Il-Sung Biography).
Kim Jong Il : “Kim Jong-il's official image in the propaganda was always a man with no time for himself, and a large part of the propaganda was aimed at making the public feel guilty about the overwork that he was subjecting himself to” (Williamson).Son of Kim Il Sung, known to the North Koreans as ‘The Dear Leader’ succeeded his father as leader of state. He was well educated, and further expanded the cult of personality. A biographical source cites “ Kim gave firm instructions that the party’s monolithic ideological message be communicated constantly by writers, artists, and officials in the medias.” (www Kim Jong-Il Biography). Jong expanded the North Korean army, and implanted in them a combative urge to devote their lives to the military. "Kim Jong Il's official image in the propaganda was always a man with no time for himself, and a large part of the propaganda was aimed at making the public feel guilty about the overwork that he was subjecting himself to." (Williamson).
Kim Jong Un : ‘The Supreme’ and current leader of North Korea, who took over after the death of his father Kim Jong Il in 2011. He is the youngest leader of state in the world, which questions his authority as the military leader of North Korea. Un has been educated abroad himself, however, he still carries on his father’s idea of isolating the country from the west to “protect” the nation from influences. (www Kim Jong-un Biography). As if the cult of personality was not enough, a carving of the slogan “Long live general Kim Jong-Un, the Shining sun!” was etched by a hill, in Korea, seen from a satellite, which strengthens propaganda and the biased societal view (Ryall).
Big Brother : In 1984, 'Big Brother' is shown as an idea. An idea, that was projected as reality; something the citizens have lived in fear of. "Big Brother is watching you" (Orwell 2) emphasizes the depth of control the character has on the minds of the people. Similar to the Kim family, the "Thought Police" (Orwell 2) have been trained to capture people who go against the law of Big Brother. Parallel to getting captured by the Thought Police, where they went through series of torture, and a state of dehumanization, North Korea has enforced a labor camp, where kids are savaged to death by dogs, and people ate grass dude to fatigue (Mackay). Big Brother, is an authoritative figure in 1984, who possessed control over every aspect of the society.
Orwell quotes "Always the eyes watching you and voice enveloping you. Asleep or awake, working or eating, indoors or out of doors, in the bath or in bed - no escape." (Orwell 27)
Winston and Julia : Winston and Julia, two ordinary people living in the totalitarian society, who proved to outsmart the manipulations of the government. They work for the ministry, however, they had a sense of rebellion. In 1984, Winston and Julia place their trust in O'Brian, to express their thoughts on their scrutinized life. Unlike the situation in North Korea, Winston and Julia were courageous enough to confess their opinions, while being aware of the terrible consequences. In North Korea, these consequences are a reality. "Testimonies from those who have escaped the totalitarian regime laid bare the extent of human rights abuses in the country" as they were executed and thrown into labor camps. People grew hungry, and dropped shallow enough to eat grass to remain alive (Sam Webb). Furthermore, a nurse reported that she was investigated for accidentally breaking a portrait of Kim Il Sung while cleaning it (Webb).
Propaganda is a growing concern in contemporary world. Fictional ideas have started to emerge into reality. Humanity seems to have dissipated from the true meaning of being human, as power, control and dictatorship has grown to take over culture. In both 1984, and real world North Korea, [they] "had to live - did live, from the habit that became instinct- in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard, and, except in darkness, every moment scrutinized" (Orwell 3).
The propaganda has molded the characters, and altered their personality, where emotions, other than that of fear and obedience are buried within. Ownership was giving no meaning, as "nothing was [their] own, except the few cubic centimeters inside your skull." (Orwell 27).