“1984” by George Orwell (McDougal Littell 1998) features stories of Winston Smith’s life while living under a totalitarian government, a system in which the state recognizes no limits to its authority. The government in the book was obsessed with watching over each citizen’s every move, to make sure no one was going against their ways. From the huge posters that presented the face of a man with the text “Big Brother is Watching You,” to the telescreens in every home and public place, all the citizens knew not to step out of line fearing that any wrongdoing would get them vaporized. Unlike most citizens in 1984, Winston did not conform to the ideals of the party. He thought outside the box, and even worse, he had thoughts against Big Brother.
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After reading it, I understood why the book is becoming more popular in present day. Issues discussed throughout 1984 definitely relate to things happen in the world right now. For instance, technology has become a big part of our routine. Social media is giving a window into our lives, and the government is free to see that information. You can randomly search something on google, and the next day an ad for it can appear on your facebook wall. It may seem harmless, after all this is just a way to market products that you might be interested in. However, if big companies or the government can do this, what else are they capable of? Many people believe that the National Security Agency is spying on us during our everyday lives. While some might find this to be a safety precaution, others think it is a complete invasion of privacy. Some ideas are labeled as “extreme” like cellphone cameras secretly recording us, others are potentially realistic. Take the Amazon Echo or Google Speaker, these devices are like personal assistants. You are free to ask questions, and have them do small tasks for you. Conveniently, you don’t have to turn on the device every time you want to use it, simply say the keyword and it’ll be ready to assist you. But is that necessarily a good thing? Everything that is said will be recorded, and the information is stored away. It could easily pick up a random conversation you're having. As a society, maybe we
After reading it, I understood why the book is becoming more popular in present day. Issues discussed throughout 1984 definitely relate to things happen in the world right now. For instance, technology has become a big part of our routine. Social media is giving a window into our lives, and the government is free to see that information. You can randomly search something on google, and the next day an ad for it can appear on your facebook wall. It may seem harmless, after all this is just a way to market products that you might be interested in. However, if big companies or the government can do this, what else are they capable of? Many people believe that the National Security Agency is spying on us during our everyday lives. While some might find this to be a safety precaution, others think it is a complete invasion of privacy. Some ideas are labeled as “extreme” like cellphone cameras secretly recording us, others are potentially realistic. Take the Amazon Echo or Google Speaker, these devices are like personal assistants. You are free to ask questions, and have them do small tasks for you. Conveniently, you don’t have to turn on the device every time you want to use it, simply say the keyword and it’ll be ready to assist you. But is that necessarily a good thing? Everything that is said will be recorded, and the information is stored away. It could easily pick up a random conversation you're having. As a society, maybe we