The Truth Behind it All

In 1984, author George Orwell, concocts a futuristic society with very limited rights and strict restrictions on individual thought. I find the lack of rebellion and the ability to control all the people very interesting. The effects of brainwashing people as well as the threats implemented to maintain order is extremely scary and can be seen as a part of the North Korean society. In today’s world in times of stress especially, right can be completely lost even in the U.S. a country where we predicate ourselves on being moral. One point of the book I would like to analyze is the ability and power of limiting information and how it can conform a society to adhere to the wills of the empowered. For example, “And in front of him there lay not death but annihilation. The diary would be reduced to ashes and himself to vapour. Only the Thought Police would read what he had written, before they wiped it out of existence and out of memory.” This ultimate control over life and history is very worrisome but brings up important questions for our society. How much of the truth do we actually know? What parts of the news are untold and left out? Read to find out, I guess.

In analyzing the ability of the author to put the readers in the place of the character it is extremely important that it was put in the first person omniscient perspective. Through this perspective the reader is open to the thoughts of the character which is extremely important in this society as all written work is punishable and very limited. In addition, by focusing the narrative against one common enemy which is the all knowing being, Orwell prevails in demonstrating the significance in maintaining one’s independence. Moving on to the importance of imagery in the piece, the cookie cutter, bland society that Orwell depicts to the reader reveals the lack of variety in society. The gray, boring, monotony clearly emulates the importance of having variety in society. Looking back at it, it’s the different types of people and cultures that make our country so diversified and interesting as the backgrounds of the people are so different.

What was once foretold is now being told

1984 By George Orwell

1984 was once intended as a futuristic novel; however currently the books ideas are partially realistic. Right from the get- go, the reader is indulged in a society where freedom and rights are restricted. One’s individual thoughts were perceived as too dangerous and that the infamous “Big Brother” is always watching. So serious were these restrictions that there are spies implanted in the society to maintain this order. Moreover, the purpose of the police is not to bring justice to illicit actions, but only sought to limit improper thought. The main character becomes paranoid about the ideas he is having and if society will ostracize him for these ideas and kill him. Thus, the reader is led right into the conflict of being the only person to not believe in something, and the consequences of such an extreme reality.

Personally, I have no idea how this problem may be resolved so I will just parallel the book to our current society. Following 9/11, many Americans and people that live in America felt that their civil rights were being infringed upon by the increase of security. Whether some may believe this to be true or not, the point is that the government also referred to by some people as “Big Brother” has the capability of watching us with the increase of technology and the ability for these corporations to sell information. In addition, the theory that ideas will become polarized and very radical can be some what seen in our society today. Even in everyday politics no one speaks about the reality of the situations, but instead what party they belong to, and how much the other person is an idiot. Therefore, by confining our principles to only fit in one box we are inherently becoming polarized as well. I do not mean that if someone always felt liberal or conservative on a topic that they have polarized viewpoints. What I mean is that if someone has a predetermined view on a topic because it fits the group that they belong to that’s when the blind faith can lead to a very dark future as this type of thought is easy to control. As a result, I need to read more to speculate more possible similarities between Orwell’s views on a futuristic society and our society today.