An Interpretation Of Nineteen Eighty-Four From The Perspective Of Foucault's Theory Of Power And Discourse

British writer George Orwell surveys and records his era with sharp insight and trenchant writing style.Nineteen Eighty-Four is one of his best works.From the perspective of Foucault's theory of power and discourse,the thesis aims at answering the following questions by analyzing totalitarian manipulation of discourse: 1.What means does the totalitarian government takes to manipulate power discourse? 2.What consequences totalitarian power discourse brings to the people? 3.What is the possibility of subject to resist against the totalitarian power discourse and pursue the self? What is the enlightenment of the resistance?The thesis is divided into introduction,main body and conclusion.Introduction is about George Orwell' life,a brief content of Nineteen Eighty-Four and literature review of abroad and domestic researches on this novel,as well as the main arguments of the thesis.Main body is divided into four chapters.Chapter One is an introduction of Foucault's theory of power and discourse and the key concepts.Chapter Two analyzes three means the totalitarian government takes to manipulate discourse: institutional manipulation— “gaze”,ideological manipulation and delimitating manipulation.Chapter Three analyzes three kinds of consequences the totalitarian power discourse brings to people: 1.People are turned into docile bodies;2.they are deprived of discourse;3.they lack true knowledge.Chapter Four analyzes subject's journey of resistance,discusses the possibility of individuals' resistance and pursuit of self under totalitarian power discourse,as well as significances of the resistance.Combined with Foucault's theory of power and discourse,Conclusion reveals three points: 1.under the oppression of totalitarian power discourse,it is difficult for individuals to achieve self-awareness.Individuals under totalitarian governess need to fight for discursive power in a long-term and large scale resistance.2.Foucault speaks highly of intellectual's resistance because they are the nucleus in rewriting discourse of knowledge.From Foucault's perspective,although Winston fails,he sets a good example for intellectual's resistance in a large scale.3.Orwell not only points out the importance of gaining discursive power,but also points out individuals' limitations and the significance of proletarian in resistance against totalitarian governess.The combination of Foucault's and Orwell's perspectives provides a possible way for resistance: if intellectuals could break the class barrier and unite with proletarians,they would form powerful strength rebelling against totalitarianism.Based on Nineteen Eighty-Four,the thesis analyzes means of totalitarian governmental control on discourse,influences on people endowed by totalitarian power discourse,and explores root causes of subject's failure in resistance,so as to reveal the secret manipulation and the dread essence of the totalitarian government.They aim at weaving an intense web of power,eliminating independent subject,to make people become docile bodies with identical minds,so as to form an unshakable totalitarian society.Nevertheless,Winston's resistance throws a light upon people in totalitarian society.Nineteen Eighty-Four is not only a political allegory of George Orwell,but also reveals his humanist passions and sympathy.