Title: An Analysis of the Use of Propaganda in the Dystopian Societies Presented in The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, 1984 by George Orwell, and Fidel Castro’s Government in Cuba – Kylie's Blog
Headings: An Analysis of the Use of Propaganda in the Dystopian Societies Presented in The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, 1984 by George Orwell, and Fidel Castro’s Government in Cuba
An Analysis of the Use of Propaganda in the Dystopian Societies Presented in The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, 1984 by George Orwell, and Fidel Castro’s Government in Cuba
Figure 1: A Handmaid views the bodies of criminals hanging on the Wall, with their crimes visible for all to see on a plaque on their chests (Wong).
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Content: Similarly, the Party and Castro’s government also censor their media; in Oceania, the Records Department in the Ministry of Truth rewrites history to fit whatever the government claims, and Castro’s Radio Rebelde (and later written publications) always made Cuba’s situation appear better than reality (Infante). Additionally, in order to unify the public in each of these dystopian societies, governments organized rallies designed to promote the ideals of the society. In The Handmaid’s Tale, Atwood describes the Salvagings, which are very similar to the Hate Week festivities in 1984. In both, a common enemy is presented before large crowds, and chaos ensues as citizens grow increasingly belligerent toward the enemy. In these societies, the governments encourage citizens to watch executions of criminals, and this serves as both a warning and as a means of unity against a common cause. Similarly, in Castro’s case, millions of Cubans gathered outside the Presidential Palace during Castro’s rise to power in 1960 to approve executions of Batista supporters (Rally for Castro), and this shows how leaders can use mob mentality to their advantage to create a cohesive state. Overall, the use of propaganda in the form of censorship and violent public rallies allow governments to curb their citizens’ independent thinking and control their access to information, which are very powerful tools in maintaining total control. Ultimately, propaganda is an invaluable tool in dystopian societies, as it allows for leaders to assert their authority and spread common opinions throughout their societies. Atwood, Orwell, and Castro all utilized propaganda in the development of their societies.