1984 is a big set up. Orwell writes a comedy in the bleakest terms. Comedy, as you know, focuses mainly on the flaws of the society; a tragedy focuses on the individual. Orwell wants to dispel any Romantic or tragic notions that the individual has any chance of freedom or rebellion against the modern totalitarian state. In the end, the state will crush the individual through the following:
torture: pain is the last thing and individual will feel if it tries to rebel. Pure, physical, unadulterated pain.
police-state surveillance: an individual's freedom is limited through profiling and surveillance (both technological and human)
propaganda: an individual cannot rebel if an individual is uninformed, disorganized, and uneducated. The Ministry of Truth blurs the lines between truth and untruth, between persons and unpersons, and between the past, present, and future.
war: individual rebellion is squashed because of state-wide war. Nationalism is at its peak, and war keeps the masses focused on the war effort instead of their own suffering and poverty.
no core: individual rebellion is hopeless when an individual has not core meaning in his life: family, religion, or friendships. The state keeps everyone alienated: physically, spiritually, and emotionally. There is no rebellion if there is no trust.
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