A Psycho-Political Study of the Pathology of Power in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Fou

Abstract

The psycho-political concept is an interesting subject when it intersects with literature. Discussing psychology and politics in relation to allegorical literary works is the major theme of this thesis. This research studies the causes and effects of the Pathology of Power on two opposing sides: the oppressor and the oppressed, using the allegory Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell, as the case study through which the research fulfils the understanding of political behaviour. The novel portrays the world of absolute power, how it changes ideologies and morals, and the psychological states of individuals. Furthermore, this study aims at unveiling the source of the pathology of power through the eye of psychoanalysis. The dissection of characters from 1984 provides this work with a detailed outlook of what it is like to be one to hold power or to experience oppression and humiliation. In addition, questioning the psychological nature of the pathology of power, the formation of good and evil in relation to the concept of power obsession, and lastly whether the pathology of power is innate or an acquired are discussed throughout this thesis.