A panopticon can be used to effectively maintain surveillance of society. This, in every sense, is manipulative and coercive. As society began to grow, it became more and more difficult to control people and therefore it was necessary to use other resources or mechanisms to monitor these people. At the end of the 18th century, Jeremy Bentham had an architectural plan for prisons, asylums, schools, hospitals and factories and received the help of an architect to put his ideas on paper. Michael Foucault, a French philosopher, did extensive research on panopticons and his ideas were taken into consideration by future authors. Bentham's plan for prison design gained popularity because Foucault saw it as a strategic model for internalizing discipline and authority. The Panopticon, written by British young adult author Jenni Fagan, is directly linked to these ideas. George Orwell's 1984, however, was published in 1949, so Foucault cannot be said to have influenced him, as panopticist ideas were published in Discipline and Punish: The Birth of a Prison (1975). On the other hand, Bentham may have influenced Orwell's writings slightly. These panoptic ideas also come into play in today's world, and it has become a controversial topic due to modern technology that society believes has become increasingly invasive. The Panopticon and 1984 both have the recurring theme of panopticism, which affects the main characters in different ways. This article aims to show the correlation between Bentham and Foucault and how the same ideas and theories influenced works written decades apart. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The ideas of a panopticon originally had good intentions; Jeremy Bentham created it to abolish violent methods of punishment. He wanted to punish in another, more psychological form. Foucault stated that the panopticon “inverts the principle of the prison”. The prison had “three functions: to enclose, deprive light and hide; it (the panopticon) preserves only the first and eliminates the other two". Knowledge comes from power, and the panopticon can allow authorities to see everything that happens around them, leading them to know more. The panopticon also creates a state of constant control and causes those being watched to internalize the fact that they are always being watched. “Constant observation served as a control mechanism; a consciousness of constant surveillance is internalized." The Panopticon, as the title states, revolves around the idea that people are always being watched. Anais feels involved in an experiment, she knows that people are always watching her and she wants to escape them. It is a novel that goes deep into the protagonist's psyche and the reader is able to gain an idea of her life and her fears. He is strong, but faces drugs and his own imagination. Ironically, these are the things that should not be done when you know you are under surveillance. To escape the experiment and cope with the uncertainty of where it came from, Anais seeks comfort by playing the "birthday game." By creating a life for himself, he is able to rely on these facts and pretend to have a semi-normal life. On the other hand, it is a sign of resistance on the part of the panopticon, because people can see his actions, but not his thoughts. Since the novel is written from his point of view, the readers get to see his thoughts, so in this case the readers act as panopticon. Anais is very skeptical of everything around her and was forced to grow up quickly. In the Panopticon where he lives, the watchtowerit does not guarantee privacy, which is an act against human rights. Being in a constant state of surveillance drives Anais crazy, which ultimately drives her to flee her life. He was able to escape because the watchtower was shattered, «the whole surveillance window is shattered, and I see them; turning the tail of the dick; the experiment, for a fraction of a fucking second: exposed” . At this point, Anais is freed and can start her life in Paris, just as she had decided with her birthday game. The last sentence of the novel is “I begin today”. Since the windows that hid the faces of those who guarded her have been shattered, they are now on her level because they are real people. She has the power to escape and fight the system and, therefore, becomes herself. Orwell's novel is dystopian and reflects the helpless and robotic society. Big Brother in this case is the panopticon. Big Brother has no face, but society fears him. By using these scare tactics they were able to brainwash society into being permanently afraid. They must be in constant control of what they say or do because the consequences are brutal. It is impossible to trust anyone, because when Winston did, he was handed over to the police. Orwell also introduces “Newspeak” into the novel, which would now be considered plain English. It is the official language of Oceania. Because the words are so simple and do not present any complexity, people have no reason to rethink the words or give them other definitions. It limits their language so that they cannot rebel against the system, which is the main reason behind the language change. In addition to limiting language, it also limits personality and personal identity, which is also a method of brainwashing. Newspeak does not allow for any kind of personal development, and Winston breaks this by keeping a diary. He is able to express his feelings, but realizes that he has written "Down with Big Brother" on the page several times and sees that he has committed a thought crime. If the intelligence level of this society was higher, one would have realized that it would be impossible to follow all the thoughts of all the members of the society, but due to the various brainwashing methods that have been carried out, no one has been able to able to think about it carefully. “Thought crime was not something that could be hidden forever. You might successfully dodge for a while, even years, but sooner or later they were bound to get you.” Fear is the most common tactic used by oppressive societies to stay in power. If society fears the system, it will rebel and the oppressive state will continue. Winston is also guilty of doublethink, although he realizes he is. He works for the system, but secretly rebels against it. At the Ministry of Truth, slogans that read “WAR IS PEACE”, “FREEDOM IS SLAVERY” and “IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH” brainwash society. These words are contrary to each other and people don't realize it. Working at the Ministry of Truth, he supports these claims, but by writing in his diary and maintaining secrecy he rebels against them. The difference between 1984 and The Panopticon is that the latter enjoys partial freedom. Although Winston Smith is not a prisoner and works for the party, he has less freedom than Anais. He has no freedom of any kind, he cannot do, say or think as he wants, because society is a microscope observed by Big Brother. Anais, although arrested and the victim of countless foster homes and misfortunes, is in a controlled environment but has the freedom to think, which is extremely powerful. As Foucault stated, knowledge is power. He can free himself from the constant pressure of social workers and the.
tags