The impact of space on the psyche of the protagonist in George Orwell’s nineteen eighty four

Abstract EN

In literature the concept of space is regarded as the physical element of the events occurring in the novel or a story, that is to say that any artistic creation is accompanied by its own space being real or fictional, which serves as a container for the plot and the events of any narrative.

The purpose of the present paper is to illustrate the influence of the physical space on the psychological space of the protagonist in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty Four.lt is also an attempt to differentiate between the ‘Panopticon Space’ and the ‘Heterotopic Place’ in the novel.

In George Orwell’s novel the room above the antique shop stood out as a special place that contrasted the other spaces in the novel and it had a noticeable impact on Winston.

From his experience with the room it became evident that a change in the physical environment could bring about radical changes in one’s physical as well as mental health which opens the door to a query, since a space could have a positive impact on an individual physically and mentally; then would it be possible to intentionally reverse the effect?.

In other words would it be possible to immerse an individual in a physical setting that would negatively affect his physical and mental health.

And could these surrounding be manipulated and controlled to achieve the desired change in one’s behavior?.