1984's Dystopian Future

A dystopian novel is a story relating to or denoting an imagined place or state in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmentally degraded one. 1984 by George Orwell, is indeed a dystopian novel as it describes a nightmare vision of future society which is opposite to a perfect world. George Orwell creates this image using a few different techniques including, the language or style, the setting, characterization, and oppression.

The novel I have chosen to write about that is set in a different time but is still relevant to this day is “1984” by George Orwell. Orwell effectively uses theme, characterisation, imagery and symbolism to help us appreciate the themes he runs throughout the book that have just as much relevance then as they do now. This is despite Orwells’ book being first published in 1948.

When George Orwell wrote his novel, 1984, Hitler and Mussolini had recently been defeated in World War II, the nuclear arms race was warming up and the Soviet Union was a threat to the world. Although these are not problems in today's society, 1984 is still very relevant in current time, "The twentieth century will soon be over, but political terror still survives and this is why Nineteen Eighty-four remains valid today” (Ricks 5). In the novel 1984 the main character Winston is faced with challenges when he meets a woman named Julia. Julia makes him question his loyalty to the government. They are living under a totalitarian government that sees everything you do, hears everything you say, and knows everything you think. George Orwell’s novel 1984 is still relevant in today’s society.

Envision the presence living in a dystopian society - where citizens are watched day-and-night. George Orwell’s novel 1984, written in 1949, depicts and illustrates the future of the 1980’s. Orwell imagined the world in which totalitarianism reigned, individualism is dead, and history is just sentiment. The world diverged into three superstates: Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia. With protagonist Winston Smith and the citizens of Oceania, they have experienced the impression, having to live life behind closed doors perpetually, also known as Big Brother. On top of this, the government directed everyone stay in control, citizens are not allowed to think for themselves and must be aware what they express before the Thought Police come for

Family is a concept older than recorded time. The fact that humans form familial bonds, take care of their young, and work together to achieve a goal is the reason that humanity has succeeded this far. But maybe for not much longer. In George Orwell’s 1984, a totalitarian government monitors everything that its citizens say, do, and even think in order to prevent revolution and suppress individuality. One of the ways the government achieves this is by destroying all bonds between members in a family by turning the children away from their parents (and towards the government) at a young age. To the government in 1984, a citizen’s closest relationship should be to the party. In fact, a citizens only good relationship should be with the party.

Bringing up the children and making them members of the Spies gives them sense of belonging and all they live for is to serve the Party. This leaves no room for freedom in homes because they only know how to obey Big Brother. Even Parson's kids burnt a market selling woman's skirt for using a paper containing Big Brother's picture as a sausage wrapper (Part 1, Chapter 5, 79). This example emphasises that Big Brother's dominion over the children cannot be

The novel 1984 is a commentary of society because many of the statements of the author in the novel are coming in to effect in our society today. For example in the novel the author states that the big brother is watching everyone through telescreens which are two way T.V’s. In our society today with our National Security Agency (NSA) involved in warrantless wiretapping, maintaining a call database (MARINA), and engaged in data-mining (PRISM), we can understand how the big brother in the novel and the big brother today are the same. The only difference is that in the novel not everyone could afford a telescreen and today most or all of us own T.V’s or devices. Another way the 1984 shows that it is commentary of society is that the novel takes

George Orwell wrote 1984 to make a political statement about Socialism (Davison 1). In this novel, the author extrapolates the socialist movements of the 1920s to the point where they control three “superstates” that make up the world. The novel follows the story of Winston Smith, who is a middle class worker in Oceania, the superstate controlled by The Party. He is a non-conformist, who disagrees with the ideals and the actions of The Party, and decides to take action against it. The Party is the evolution of English Socialism, but unlike the latter, whose main focuses are equality, individual rights, production for the needs of the people, and co-operative ownership, The Party’s only goal is power (Orwell 36). The only motivation behind

society is a place where information, independent thought, and freedom are restricted.The citizens live in a dehumanized state with fear of the outside world and are given the illusion that the world they live in is a perfect utopia.

The idea of a utopia sounds like a great idea, however it always turns into a feared dystopia. This is exactly what happens in the novel, 1984 and in the notorious group, The Ku Klux Klan. The definition of Utopia is “an imaginary and indefinitely remote place” (Utopia). The illusion these groups create never end up being utopias and eventually becomes a dystopia. The definition of dystopia is “an imaginary place where people lead dehumanized and often fearful lives” (Dystopia). The KKK and Oceania are perfect examples of a falsified utopias that are simply dystopias.

“War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.” This is the slogan of the Inner Party in 1984. George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984 depicts a terrifying and bleak image of the future under “Big Brother” — an authoritarian regime that controls not only the citizens’ action, but their very own thoughts. The novel was written in 1948 as a critique of authoritarianism and Stalinism, after Orwell’s travel to Spain where he witnessed the atrocities committed by the fascist Spanish regime during the Spanish Civil War in 1936. The rise of the dictatorship of Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union and Adolf Hitler in Germany inspired Orwell’s enmity toward totalitarianism and authoritarianism. Although written as a political satire over half a century ago, 1984 lives today not only as a well-crafted novel, but also as a terrific prophecy of the contemporary United States. Nobody is willing to admit that people are living in the society of 1984. Its authoritarian state is toxic to the health of democracy. But if one really analyzes what is happening in the United States — the closure of public schools and its effect on the pervasive incarceration of the black population, and the mass surveillance — one may find a striking resemblance to the dystopian society of 1984. To this extent, 1984 successfully advances the authoritarianism in the United States that resembles the authoritarian control in 1984. These critiques of the new authoritarianism in the United States include the

“Create. Sustain. Destroy. For each of these tasks, the Hindus have a different god. I master, all on my own. I created, but the world is not my witness and never will be.”(pg258, Dead Man, Erebos). 1984 is about Winston, who lives in a dystopian society under the command of Big Brother. In Winston’s world, there is nothing private; Big Brother knows everything. One day Winston decides that Big Brother is not a good cause and makes the decision to rebel. Erebos is about Nick Dunmore, who lives in the 21st century. He receives a video game that knows everything about him and forces him to do tasks that are not always the utmost desirable all for the goal of defeating the enemy Ortolan. These two dystopian worlds are controlled in similar ways with some differences still as well.

In the novel 1984 there are different types of Dystopias going on. Winston Smith is the main character in this novel. Winston lives in a world where he is constantly watched by surveillance and is basically told how to live and what to do. In a dystopian society , propaganda is used to control the people living within the society. Winston on the other hand is protagonist and feels like the world he lives in is weird or isn't right. The types of dystopian controls in this novel is Technological Control , Totalitarian Control , and Bureaucratic Control.

The perfect world has never existed nor will it ever. Someone persons view on something great could be another worst nightmare. In some cases people mistake utopias for dystopias. A utopia is an ideal place of state or living (“Utopia”). A dystopia is a society of characterized by human misery, a squalor, oppression, disease, or overcrowding (“Dystopia”). In George Orwell’s book 1984 the society is depicted as a utopia when in reality it’s not the perfect place, it’s written to represent a dystopia. It takes place in 1984 in a dystopian America where it’s actually called “Ocieana”. The book tries to make itself seem like a perfect society, using propaganda, and presented government. They would look like the perfect society to some people

It seems as though every time a society attempts to create a utopia, it has the opposite effect. 1984 is an example of an attempt at a utopian society that results in a place that is definitely not perfect. In most instances, a dystopia will be created when trying to make a utopia (Hough). There are multiple reasons as to why a utopia cannot work. Some of these reasons include resources and people in the society. George Orwell’s 1984, along with past governments, show that a utopia can never be truly created and that it will always turn into a dystopia.