Examples Of Privacy In 1984 By George Orwell

In the modern society we are used to having privacy to a certain extent. In recent years, social media has opened up more sharing among individuals that ever before. However, where people are at all times, what they are thinking, and what people do in their homes are all completely private if they want it to be. That principle is the exact opposite in the classic futuristic novel, 1984 by George Orwell where every person’s action is seen. Similarly, the novel Little Brother by Cory Doctorow takes a look into the modern world's relatable experiences and how one action can slowly lead into the invasion of privacy. The characters in both of these novels do not agree with how society is ran, and want to change it.

“Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves”(Reagan). In the book, 1984, Winston recognizes the power the government has over the citizens of Oceania. The citizens lack privacy from the government. George Orwell warns society about a government with total control in 1984. Based on Dana Hawkin’s article, “Cheap Video Cameras Are Monitoring Our Every Move”, as well as Beech Etal’s, “The Other Side of the Great Firewall”, society may truly have something to fear in the form of surveillance and information manipulation.

In 1984 George Orwell describes how no matter where you go in Oceania there is

In 1984 George Orwell describes how no matter where you go in Oceania there is

As a growing topic of discussion, privacy in our society has stirred quite some concern. With the increase of technology and social networking our standards for privacy have been altered and the boundary between privacy and government has been blurred. In the article, Visible Man: Ethics in a World Without Secrets, Peter Singer addresses the different aspects of privacy that are being affected through the use of technology. The role of privacy in a democratic society is a tricky endeavor, however, each individual has a right to privacy. In our society, surveillance undermines privacy and without privacy there can be no democracy.

Many Americans are being watched, in great detail, by the government. In its ongoing battle against crime and terrorism, the U.S. has ramped up its surveillance on individuals over the years. As in the book, 1984, by George Orwell, "Big Brother Is Watching You". Many people feel that this surveillance is a major invasion of privacy and a violation of their rights.

The novel 1984 by George Orwell is an american classic that examines the power of one paramount leader in an ultimate dystopian society. A common citizen Winston Smith, struggles with the oppression in Oceania, and fights for his freedom by rebelling against the government. Big Brother is the face of the party and controls all of the power in Oceania, he is resembled as a God-life figure that all must worship. Behind Big Brother the rest of the power lies among the thought police and the party. The people among this category although has little, still has some power in which they become very high on the social ladder. Coming in a far third is the main character Winston Smith and the common people. The citizens of Oceania obtain little to none power and make up 85% of the population. At the bottom of the power chain is the proles and the so called “Brotherhood”, Orwell portrays Winston's hope in the proles as “a mystical truth and a parable absurdity”. The proles are ultimately powerless and present the horrors of the IngSoc society. In George Orwell's 1984, he explores power between characters to establish an indisputable government.

The books 1984  by George Orwell and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley are both connected in the way society controls people. Both these books illustrate control over their citizens through government intervention. People are constantly being watched either by telescreens or neighbors in 1984 while there is no privacy in Brave New World at all. In 1984, children are in a league of youth spies and send people to jail because they look suspicious. Brave New World’s children are created to be controlled for the sake of society. Sex is bad in 1984  because it promotes the idea of pleasure or selfish needs while Brave New World embraces sex to promote happiness. 1984  and Brave New World both control the people of society through privacy, sex, and children.

In George Orwell’s 1984, Big Brother uses surveillance to spy on everything from people’s everyday actions to thoughts in their mind’s privacy. The government controls much of the citizens, and this book has left a horrifying image to its readers for the future of government surveillance. As much as it sounds extreme, this could be the near future of Americans if surveillance programs continue to grow. Due to the many findings of Edward Snowden on the flaws of surveillance programs, changes must be made to the NSA Domestic Surveillance Programs.

As mentioned, in Oceania, citizens lack privacy, have little control over their daily lives, and learn only the information that the Party chooses to tell them. In today’s world everything is in front of an individual’s eye because of technology and the power of media. Media is a great source of information and a way to connect in today’s society. On the other hand, media can always work against people and not be a good source at all. In 1984, the party is in full control of the citizens leading to the fact that they have no privacy what so ever. It is mentioned, “And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed – if all records told the same tale – then the lie passed into history and became truth” (18). The party would control the

Conspiracies or Reality? “The great irony is we’re the only ones not spying on the American people.” Words spoken by the head of the National Security Agency, General Keith Alexander, tells the citizens of the United States of America that people are being spied upon and are having their privacies contravened by many other security organizations. In George Orwell’s book 1984 the story is quite similar to the real world. 1984 is written in the earlier years of the technological revolution to warn the people of the future about what is to come.

The novel 1984 by George Orwell is informing how in the future that our privacy would be violated. In the book it stated how there’s someone always watching. “There was of course no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any given moment”(Orwell, pg.3). This shows how privacy was being violated. But couldn’t do anything because it was a rule from the government.

Imagine living in a world where you could not make your own choices, or be your own person. In the novel 1984, this is exactly what happened. In a place called Oceania where there is no such thing as privacy and personal freedom (Roelofs), the main character Winston Smith, is living a strict life under the demanding party known as Big Brother. Winston decides that he wants his life back to normal and tries to rebel against the Party. Meanwhile, he is thought to be a lunatic because he is living his life how a normal person would, but everyone else is now living under what is thought to be a utopia society. Throughout the book Winston strongly disagrees with the fact that every second he is being keep under surveillance. Though at some points he believes he is being discrete, in reality someone is always watching. In 1984, George Orwell depicts the lack of privacy and loss of individualism which affects the characters and the society as a whole.

Privacy is a very important part of a person's life. Having a lack of privacy can make that person feel extremely violated. For instance, if someone is sitting down and they get a text informing them that they are being watched. This action could make a person either very scared, insecure, or resentful. This theme of the lack of privacy is portrayed by the figure Big Brother.

Privacy either encourages or is a necessary factor of human securities and fundamental value such as human embarrassment, independence, distinctiveness, freedom, and public affection. Being completely subject to mutual scrutiny will begin to lose self-respect, independence, distinctiveness, and freedom as a result of the sometimes strong burden to conform to public outlooks.