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CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
This chapter consists of three parts. The first is a review on related studies which provides two literary criticisms on Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-four.
The second is review of related theories. It is used to review the theories which are relevant to the study. The last part is theoretical framework which draws on
how the theories are systematically utilized in the analysis.
A. Review of Related Studies
This part contains two studies conducted by two different researchers. Both of the studies connect to the present thesis in terms of similar object of
study, Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-four, but differ in their approach and analysis focuses. The first study uses a biographical and socio-cultural historical approach
to analyze the novel. This study was conducted by one of Sanata Dharma English Language Education Study Programme’s alumni Anita Andriani in the form of
undergraduate thesis entitled Analysis on the Theme of Orwell’s Political Novel. She conducted the research using the combination of the biographical approach
and socio-cultural historical approach to discover Orwell’s purpose in writing the book and the characteristics of totalitarianism adopted in the book in which the
ideology becomes the major theme of the book.
12 In her study, Andriani 1987 found that Orwell’s political thought and
background influence him in writing. Most of Orwell’s works contain personal experiences in engaging in some political events. He spent all his life in the year
of World War II. As a writer, Orwell starts to record what he feels about a lot of things and his experiences in his essay and novels. Orwell hates imperialism and
he feels that he wants to escape from it and from every form of man’s dominion over man. After conducting her biographical research, Andriani concludes that
Orwell’s purpose in writing Nineteen Eighty-four is to warn the readers of the danger of totalitarianism when it is practiced p. 52.
The second related study is Adiyanti’s thesis entitled Arts and Religion as Threats for a Totalitarian Power as Seen in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-
four . Unlike the first study which focuses on the Orwell’s biography and his
motives in writing Nineteen Eighty-Four, in the study Adiyanti seeks to scrutinize the profound link between art and religion related on totalitarian power.
Based on the Adiyanti’s analysis, the conclusion that can be drawn is that the presence of arts and religion may become threats for a totalitarian regime in
the efforts to maintain their power. Empirically, both arts and religion are able to open people’s eyes. They share ideas or concepts that can drive human mind to
take action. On the other hand, the target of a totalitarian regime is to gain control over human mind. Therefore under the regime arts and religion are strictly
controlled and limited. Realizing the capability of arts and religion, they are made to be compatible with government. Thus, arts and religion are employed as means
to spread government’s ideology 1998, p. 56.
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