1984 Versus Today A dystopia is something that most of us do not believe will occur in our society, but there are already occurrences in modern society that seem like something out of a dystopia. The novel 1984 explores the possibility of our society being completely controlled by the government. In 1984, the government of Oceana (previously London) maintains complete control of their citizens through limiting their thoughts and restricting basic necessities, and there are also examples of these actions in today’s society. The citizens of 1984 and today’s society are both exposed to alienation and being denied basic necessities through use of thought restriction and rationing. The citizens of 1984 are alienated through use of thought restriction.
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A group of people in today’s society that face discrimination and alienation are people of middle eastern descent and people that follow the muslim faith. Due to terrorism and violence in their home countries, they are feared by many people who live in America, and are often profiled due to their appearance by security. Profiling muslims for “random” screening is an extremely common occurrence in post-9/11 America. According to an article on Cnn, “The TSA uses the hijab to profile Muslim women, and passengers can now expect a full-body pat-down, an appallingly invasive "enhanced pat-down search that could include the chest and groin, or a planned "mind-scan" that would track people's reaction to terrorist symbols.”(Syed) Profiling people due to their beliefs not much different than the thought restriction used in the novel 1984. People of the muslim faith feel alienated for following their religion, because they are seen as a threat to Americans, and the stigma against muslims makes people hesitant to display their religion. In a sense, this stigma is a form of thought restriction because it is difficult for people to demonstrate their beliefs without consequences. Though the consequences may not be as severe, it is still the same way people feel alienated in
A group of people in today’s society that face discrimination and alienation are people of middle eastern descent and people that follow the muslim faith. Due to terrorism and violence in their home countries, they are feared by many people who live in America, and are often profiled due to their appearance by security. Profiling muslims for “random” screening is an extremely common occurrence in post-9/11 America. According to an article on Cnn, “The TSA uses the hijab to profile Muslim women, and passengers can now expect a full-body pat-down, an appallingly invasive "enhanced pat-down search that could include the chest and groin, or a planned "mind-scan" that would track people's reaction to terrorist symbols.”(Syed) Profiling people due to their beliefs not much different than the thought restriction used in the novel 1984. People of the muslim faith feel alienated for following their religion, because they are seen as a threat to Americans, and the stigma against muslims makes people hesitant to display their religion. In a sense, this stigma is a form of thought restriction because it is difficult for people to demonstrate their beliefs without consequences. Though the consequences may not be as severe, it is still the same way people feel alienated in