Sound of Subscendence: Navigating Soundscapes in George Orwell’s 1984

Abstract

This paper examines the sonic environments of 1984 by George Orwell through the lens of Timothy Morton’s concept of subscendence, arguing that sound operates as a paradoxical force within the novel’s oppressive system. While the Party seeks to construct a sensory-controlled, prison-like environment that limits perception and embodied experience, sound continually exceeds these constraints by occupying space, shaping affect, and enabling fleeting moments of resistance. Methodologically, the paper combines close reading with insights from prison literature studies and ecocriticism, particularly subscendence from Morton’s Ecology without Nature. It analyses key scenes, including the Two Minutes Hate, the Ministry of Love, the Thrush’s Song, and the Prole Washerwoman’s Singing, to demonstrate how soundscapes are co-produced by both the regime and its subjects. These environments immerse individuals in affective atmospheres that discipline perception, yet never fully eliminate the possibility of alternative experience. The analysis shows that subscendence emerges through the interaction between individuals and their environments, where the collective sonic field both reinforces and destabilises power. Moments of immersion—whether in orchestrated hate or spontaneous song—reveal that sound cannot be fully contained, as it continues to press into bodies and space. Ultimately, the paper argues that Orwell’s soundscapes expose the instability of total control, demonstrating how even within a tightly regulated sensory regime, the material and affective qualities of sound preserve the potential for life, expression, and resistance.