1984 Not So Far Off

1984 Not So Far Off

The year 2002 has finally arrived. This is a time to take a retrospective look at what has happened in the previous year. The same thing happened in 1984. Back then; the people decided if what George Orwell had predicted in his novel had come true. Taking a quick glance, the appearance of the society then, compared with the fictional society of 1984 was like night and day. But, on further inspection, George Orwell’s predictions were really not that far off. Now in 2002, the evidence of a 1984 like society is ever the more visible.

The focus of hatred in the two-minute hate can be seen today as well. Hate is an emotion that everyone experiences. In 1984, two minutes is taken every day to focus hate on Emmanuel Goldstein. Very little is known about him except for the fact that he opposes the party. “ He was the primal traitor, the earliest defiler of the Party’s purity. (14)

Because the party always changes the past to coincide with their views, no one really knows if Goldstein ever existed. He may have an object to focus party members hate on so that they love Big Brother all the more.

This can be seen in the United States today, and in the past. In colonial times hatred was focused on Britain. They were the sole reason for all hardship in the colonies. They made life horrible for the settlers. In World War II hate was focused on Germany and Japan. Japan attacked the United States when the nation was not in the war. Americans then enjoyed seeing the atomic bomb fall on the Japanese cities. After World War II, the American hate was then focused Russian Communism. America had to make sure democracy prevailed over communism. Russia was a foe that the United States was always competing with.

The Emmanuel Goldstein of today would be Osama Bin Laden. After his terrorist act hate was focused on him. The media told Americans that he was the one to hate. Americans listened to what the media told them. Osama Bin Laden is made fun of by Jay Leno and other comedians. The rock band Jackyl even produced a song, I hate you Bin Laden. “To dissemble your feelings, to control your face, to do what everyone else wad doing was an instinctive reaction.” (18) The hate grew severe enough for some Americans to commit hate crimes against people of a Middle-Eastern patrimony. After the terrorist exploit, love suddenly arose for today’s Big Brother,...

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...t generation of The Party loyalists. “It was somehow slightly frightening, like the gaboling of tiger cubs which will soon grow into maneaters.” (23)

Brainwashing children can be seen today as well. In school kids learn about how great their country is. They “Pledge allegiance to the flag”. They don’t even realize what they’re saying. They are just told to memorize the words, and to say them over and over again. Some Middle-Eastern children learn the United States is evil from the time they’re very young. So, by the time they reach adulthood they hate the United States just like the rest of their peers. Religion teaches children the basics in order for them to keep those values for the rest of their life. They also memorize words and have blind faith toward a God who they can’t understand yet. Children are influenced the most easily, and today’s society as well as the society of 1984 took advantage of that.

Though the year is currently 2002, people can still look back at 1984 and the similarities between now and then. With a quick glance, today’s society seems completely different. But, on closer inspection, some aspects of 1984 are much more true than anyone ever realizes.