One of the main themes in George Orwell’s 1984 is the control over reality. Many times in the story, Winston, the main character, is confused and doubts what is real and what is not as he sees everyone around him unquestioningly accept what “Big Brother” declares to be the truth. Although physical realities cannot be controlled, the way they are perceived by people can easily change, and when everyone perceives them in the same way, they become a reality.
In 1984, when Winston is being questioned and tortured, O’Brien mentions that the Party controls what is real. This is a true statement because reality only exists in the minds of those who believe it. As the Party continues to provide information to the people of Oceania and simultaneously destroy proof of previous truths, that information becomes accepted facts. Since no one dares question the Party for fear of being …show more content…
Many could argue that “Big Brother” cannot control reality because truth cannot be changed. Although this may be true, something does not need to be truth in order to be a reality. A few months ago, for example there was an incident in which a hitch hiking robot was destroyed after only two weeks of being in circulation. Hitchbot, as the robot was known, was a social experiment which relied on strangers picking it up and driving it to its destination. A few days after it was destroyed, two men called news casters claiming to have security footage of the person responsible for its destruction. The news was picked up by many news stations, and the footage, in which a man appeared to be kicking the robot, was shown in hopes of finding leads on the criminal. As far as the world was concerned, the person in the video was responsible for destroying Hitchbot. However, a few weeks later, the men who provided the video admitted to have faked the footage as an internet prank. This shows how, although something may be a lie, wide acceptance of it transforms it into a
In 1984, when Winston is being questioned and tortured, O’Brien mentions that the Party controls what is real. This is a true statement because reality only exists in the minds of those who believe it. As the Party continues to provide information to the people of Oceania and simultaneously destroy proof of previous truths, that information becomes accepted facts. Since no one dares question the Party for fear of being …show more content…
Many could argue that “Big Brother” cannot control reality because truth cannot be changed. Although this may be true, something does not need to be truth in order to be a reality. A few months ago, for example there was an incident in which a hitch hiking robot was destroyed after only two weeks of being in circulation. Hitchbot, as the robot was known, was a social experiment which relied on strangers picking it up and driving it to its destination. A few days after it was destroyed, two men called news casters claiming to have security footage of the person responsible for its destruction. The news was picked up by many news stations, and the footage, in which a man appeared to be kicking the robot, was shown in hopes of finding leads on the criminal. As far as the world was concerned, the person in the video was responsible for destroying Hitchbot. However, a few weeks later, the men who provided the video admitted to have faked the footage as an internet prank. This shows how, although something may be a lie, wide acceptance of it transforms it into a