English Term paper

1984 is a novel of great influence. The novel illustrates many concepts of life in the future through the knowledge of the past. The descriptive theories within the novel are familiar in basic context when we look into the society of today. The author George Orwell has projected an image of the future through the knowledge of his lifetime, which is not far off reality. The novel talks about the social movement to a world of unbearable proportions, which takes the idea of security to the limit. A feeling of helplessness is bestowed upon the people as the government scrutinizes their every move. The government has created a society of fear, and people automatically fall into line for they cannot escape the eyes of Big Brother who is watching them. Many of the major concepts outlined in detail in the novel are applicable to life in the twenty-first century. The author has defined concepts for several areas, which he perceived the world would progress towards. Orwell’s prophecies as illustrated in the novel 1984 are fulfilled in today’s society.

One of the major prophecies that Orwell outlines in his novel is the idea of the telescreen which can watch anyone at any time this is a reality in today’s society. One of the major connections that Orwell makes about the telescreen of 1984 and today’s society is that you could spy on people. The telescreen might be the most closely compared to microphones and cameras, but there are also many other devices that can be easily used for spying. Within the area of the telescreen anyone could be watched as well as heard, which closely links to the surveillance of today, except people are a little more naive. “Any sound that Winston made, above the level of a very low whisper, would be picked up by it; moreover, so as long as he remained within the field of vision which the metal plaque commanded, he could be seen as well as heard. There was of course no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any given moment.”(Orwell, 6) The notion that “Big brother is watching you” from the novel is not that far off. In fact cameras are being installed all over the place for security reasons, but you do not know who is watching you and what kind of personal information you are giving away. “No matter how far our contemporary world may seem to 1984’s Oceania, any suggestion of government surveillance of its citizens--from the thre...

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...clearly outlines several theories of his within the novel, which have come true in modern day. George Orwell’s first prophecy is about a piece of technology, which we can quite easily relate to modern day because it is quite like a television or a communication device such as a camera or microphone. This was important since it was one of the main ideas of his novel, relating to spying, and it has become quite prominent within our society as well as in the novel. Next the author outlines the type of government, which is quite overpowering, which again in co-ordinance with the telescreen presents one of the main ideas in the plot of the novel and is quite emphasized. The type of governance described is in effect in some countries around the world today. Finally the author has described in detail the use of a new language that has become useful for brainwashing, and government propaganda. This language can be related to today as we have created a new language of our own for special purposes and there are places that deal with a double languages, just as in the novel. The concepts that this novel introduces are so realistic that it has influenced many around the world for many years.