In George Orwell’s novel 1984, the party who rules the society uses different methods to control their citizens and strengthen their own power. By comparing with the modern American society, we can see similarities. This essay will contrast the two societies within the subjects of doublethink, surveillance and the governing of the people. Doublethink is a method and an act that is being used by the party and the American government to make the citizens simultaneously accept two contradictory beliefs as correct at the same time. Surveillance is used as the eye over the population. In 1984 it is Big Brother who sees and hears every step you take, while in America it is the National Security Agency (NSA). By controlling the people with lies and …show more content…
It focuses the hatred and rage of the people away from Big Brother and towards the “enemy” as well as providing excuses for the second rate life of the citizens. Oceania is and has always been at war with Eurasia but during Hate Week, the enemy changes to Eastasia. The party immediately disregard all of the evidence showing that Oceania has been at war with Eurasia. Doublethink causes the people to hold and then accept the false idea that they had always been at war with Eastasia, even though material proof contradicts this idea. This is very significant because if the inhabitants were allowed to notice the change in war, they may have began to question it. The party uses doublethink to focus the people’s anger outwards instead of inwards against their leadership. A modern act of doublethink in America, which could be compared to Oceania’s, is when Barack Obama in 2009 accepted the Nobel Peace Prize as he was simultaneously involved in two wars. One in Afghanistan and one undeclared in Pakistan. As in 1984 you could say that the anger was focused on the “enemy” instead of his and the governments leadership. America, the world’s savior, has a habit of as they please “keeping the peace” in foreign lands. They send their armed troops into these lands, threatening to kill anyone who goes against the interests of democracy. (Landler,
Today’s society is predicted as living in a world George Orwell envisioned in 1984. The system Orwell invented is compared to what the United States government is capable of doing. Government control of society is an essential subject due to the current mind set of the world today. In 1984, George Orwell represents how Big Brother is compared to today’s government, showing the consequences and dangers of a government with unlimited surveillance power.
Everyone has always wondered if people were ever watching them. Our technology today is capable to eavesdrop in on anyone’s conversations even if their phones are turned off. In the novel, “1984”, the party INGSOC uses telescreens to watch over the people and always know what they are up to. This denies the people’s rights and privileges to go about their business as they please. The technology we have today is almost exact to what big brother uses in George Orwell’s novel by taking over the public and private parts of our lives.
Totalitarian governments, by their very nature demand control over the people, encompassing all aspects of their lives, and through the use of surveillance, this control is maintained. Through the works of Anthony Burgess in A Clockwork Orange, Tom Rob Smith in Child 44, and George Orwell in 1984, these authors take a closer look into the necessity of surveillance in the survival of any totalitarian government. To begin with, the motivation for using surveillance over the people stems from the concept of power, maintaining the power of the state is the ultimate goal, and as long as the state is maintained, any measure taken is worth it. In addition, through the use of surveillance, governments create an environment where the family unit itself is broken down, and society drifts towards one devoid of trust, encouraging people to turn on one another in the name of the state. Finally, the use of surveillance allows the government to form the next generations, molding their ideal nation, into one where the truth of the government is absolute, and any thought of revolution is crushed. Through the use of surveillance, totalitarian governments create an environment where secrets and privacy no longer exist, and the state is the dominant and absolute power, at the expense of the people
For example, if one were to “Doublethink”, one would say the sky is yellow and at the same time claim it to appear blue. Doublethink pits logic against logic; it allows you to reject morality, but then claim it to be true. While employing doublethink, one can forget certain knowledge, and then draw it back into memory when it comes of use. By utilizing doublethink, one can control one’s memories by choosing to forget an occurrence or experience. The process of “Doublethink” runs rampant in 1984 as it is heavily displayed in the society. For example, the Party’s four ministries have origins in “Doublethink” as the Ministry of Plenty supervises resource shortages, the Ministry of Love emits maltreatment and harsh retributions, the Ministry of Truth who unfurl propaganda and adulterate historical knowledge, and the Ministry of Peace who instruct war (Orwell 7). Also,
George Orwell’s 1984 is more than just a novel, it is a warning to a potential dystopian society of the future. Written in 1949, Orwell envisioned a totalitarian government under the figurehead Big Brother. In this totalitarian society, every thought and action is carefully examined for any sign of rebellion against the ruling party. Emotion has been abolished and love is nonexistent; an entire new language is being drafted to reduce human thought to the bare minimum. In a society such as the one portrayed in 1984, one is hardly human. In George Orwell’s 1984, the party uses fear, oppression, and propaganda to strip the people of their humanity.
1984, a novel by George Orwell, represents a dystopian society in which the people of Oceania are surveilled by the government almost all the time and have no freedoms. Today, citizens of the United States and other countries are watched in a similar way. Though different technological and personal ways of keeping watch on society than 1984, today’s government is also able to monitor most aspects of the people’s life. 1984 might be a dystopian society, but today’s condition seems to be moving towards that controlling state, where the citizens are surveilled by the government at all times.
George Orwell’s novel 1984 reflects on the society of dystopian city Airstrip 1 where main character Winston Smith lives. Along with the many other citizens, Winston is controlled by the Inner Party by constantly being monitored via telescreens that keep sight of everybody and their actions. Besides using telescreens the government also easily arrests people in any case of “thoughtcrime” which consists of any thoughts that regard disobedience towards the government. Thoughtcrime and telescreens are two of the several factors that reflect the extreme surveillance in 1984. Orwell uses surveillance as the central theme of the novel to spread his idea that the usage of more extreme surveillance could eventually lead to a totalitarian society. On a less extreme scale, today’s society also has a significant amount of surveillance but many question whether or not more surveillance is necessary. With the many current text sources, it is certain that we need less surveillance in order to keep a stable society that does not take away the individualism of people.
In the brainwashed society of Oceania in 1984, by George Orwell, led by a totalitarian government in the name of a leader known as Big Brother, citizens are placed under constant surveillance from the government, preventing them from having individuality and freedom of thought. Although written in a fictional setting, the book strikes analogous similarities to the United States in today’s world. Due to a growth in surveillance, personal information and privacy are being intervened, however, not violated. While technological advances are increasing and crimes such as hacking and terrorism are becoming more prominent in society, government surveillance is becoming largely needed to ensure the protection
This quote exemplifies the extent to which the Party hijacks the mental processes of people to gain power, and how that is more crucial to unopposed power than physical control already established. Thus, Orwell presents a perspective on power through exploring the restriction of free thought and movement, and how that benefits a totalitarian government.
1984, Orwell’s last and perhaps greatest work, deals with drastically heavy themes that still terrify his audience after 65 years. George Orwell’s story exemplifies excessive power, repression, surveillance, and manipulation in his strange, troubling dystopia full of alarming secrets that point the finger at totalitarian governments and mankind as a whole. What is even more disquieting is that 1984, previously considered science fiction, has in so many ways become a recognizable reality.
What is doublethink? Orwell describes doublethink as “the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them.'; In 1984, doublethink is the normal way of thought, and as a result everyone understands it and practices it. Doublethink is different from changing ones mind, lying, and self-deception in many ways. Doublethink involves believing in the two contradictory ideas at the same time. This is different from lying because lying is saying something that is wrong and knowing that it is wrong but still saying it anyway. For example lets say you broke a vase. When your mother asks you who broke the vase and you say the dog did it that would be lying. The reason it is not
“ War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength,”. The following quote originates from the infamous novel, 1984 by George Orwell. The significance of this popular quote was to display an example of the action of doublethink. Doublethink is the act of having two contradictory thoughts at the same time and believing both are true. Doublethink plays an influential role in the novel, 1984. The novel takes place in a super-state by the name of Oceania which covers the entire continents of our America in reality. The main character of this novel is Winston Smith, a thirty-nine year-old Party member who works at the Ministry of Truth correcting “errors” in past publication who has a
Why do people that hate each other so much work better together than people who love each other? People who love each other never get the job done it seems, but people that hate each other get the job done fast and efficiently, have you ever wondered why? You may say maybe they get it done so fast just to get it over with so they don’t have to work side by side anymore, but maybe it might be because they take their work seriously and rather work together side by side rather than do it alone and fail. In George Orwell’s Novel 1984 the society they live in is based on hate yet it survives because they hate their ruler so much they end up confusing it with love and they become loyal under Big Brother's watchful eyes, fighting to please him and continue with his bidding. If any one person in the society is to express their hate for him they are sent to a place like a prison or more like a reform center to learn to disguise their hatred again by basically confusing the people into thinking they love him they manipulate their minds and they create a loyal subject once again, this is why I believe a society based on hate can survive because can easily be confused for love and hate can make a loyal person besides their negative feelings for the society.
The book 1984 depicts a society unimaginable to most; however, a further look shows us that we actually do live in an Orwellian society. Orwell describes a country called Oceania made of multiple continents which is ruled by the dictatorial “Big Brother” who uses different systems like the “thought police” and “telescreens” in order to have full control over the country. Our democratic government, through organizations such as the NSA and NGI, can look through our most private conversations and moments using spyware. Due to the secrecy of the government, citizens in 1984, as well as those in our society, fear the government.
In the past no government had the power to keep its citizens under constant surveillance. The invention of technology, however, made it easier to manipulate public opinion, and the film and the radio carried the process further. With the development of television, and the technical advance which made it possible to receive and transmit simultaneously on the same instrument, private life came to an end. (Orwell 205)