In his literary classic of the 1940s, 1984, George Orwell depicted the dreary society of Oceania. Here, the party of Big Brother sees and controls all its citizens. Set in the futuristic setting of Airstip One (London) in the year 1984, the main character, Winston Smith, lives his mundane life as an insignificant party member. While he spends his time pondering his existence, he grows to hate the party’s oppression and submissive nature of the people. As the novel progresses, Winston commits his own acts of defiance (writing a diary, having a love affair with Julia, attempting to initiate a rebellion with the Brotherhood, etc.). Even when he gets caught, imprisoned and tortured by the Party, he fails to accept the idea of Big Brother. It is
…show more content…
The party employs technology in effective methods in order to control and monitor the populace at all times. The most successful use of this technology is the telescreen (the two-way television screen that monitors the citizens as they watch the programming). As the telescreen are always on in every household, it symbolizes the idea that Big Brother, the ominous authority figure, is always watching. “...You had to live- did live, from habit that became instinct- in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard, and, except in darkness, every movement scrutinized.” (1984, Book 1, Chapter 1, George Orwell) Although the Party utilizes technology to physically monitor citizens, the mere psychological assumption that citizens are always being watched is what truly forces them into submission. As the quote describes, what starts as a mere assumption develops into an instinct for survival. The Party is able to successfully manipulate the population to the point where submission not only becomes a conscious action, but also a subconscious survival instinct. Additionally, the world of 1984 is filled with a consequential history. Even though the reader is not aware of the true sequence of events (as the Ministry of Truth had altered history), the world is illustrated in a war-ridden era. As a result the significant and oppressive actions of the regime (e.g. changing alliances between Eurasia and East Asia, and rallying citizens through propaganda) are justified. The established social structure also helps the regime in maintaining control. By ostracizing the Proles, the regime is able to maintain control over a minor
The party employs technology in effective methods in order to control and monitor the populace at all times. The most successful use of this technology is the telescreen (the two-way television screen that monitors the citizens as they watch the programming). As the telescreen are always on in every household, it symbolizes the idea that Big Brother, the ominous authority figure, is always watching. “...You had to live- did live, from habit that became instinct- in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard, and, except in darkness, every movement scrutinized.” (1984, Book 1, Chapter 1, George Orwell) Although the Party utilizes technology to physically monitor citizens, the mere psychological assumption that citizens are always being watched is what truly forces them into submission. As the quote describes, what starts as a mere assumption develops into an instinct for survival. The Party is able to successfully manipulate the population to the point where submission not only becomes a conscious action, but also a subconscious survival instinct. Additionally, the world of 1984 is filled with a consequential history. Even though the reader is not aware of the true sequence of events (as the Ministry of Truth had altered history), the world is illustrated in a war-ridden era. As a result the significant and oppressive actions of the regime (e.g. changing alliances between Eurasia and East Asia, and rallying citizens through propaganda) are justified. The established social structure also helps the regime in maintaining control. By ostracizing the Proles, the regime is able to maintain control over a minor