George Orwell's 1984

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The Book 1984 was written by George Orwell shortly after W.W.II. I think this book really shows us what would happen if the government gets too powerful. It was written long ago and set in the future, but I feel like the message is still very relevant today. This story takes place in an imaginary country called Oceania; it is one of the three large super states in the world of 1984. Oceania is a society similar to Hitler's Germany; with absolute power in the government and absolutely no individualism. Oceania is ruled by a totalitarian government, the leader of the government was Big Brother. Big brother monitors all the people by telescreens and the thought police. Telescreens watch every move that is made and there is no privacy. Telescreens were the only source of media the people can view, and were used often to spread propaganda. "Ignorance is strength" was one of the party's slogans; this and others were frequently broadcasted to the public. The government did not allow sexual gratification or relationships. Any thoughts or actions that went against the government's beliefs were punishable by torture or death. The government deployed spies to go out and capture those who spoke out against it. These spies turned in friends, neighbors, and even family members. Breaking up families showed just how hopeless the people were, their families who should have always been supportive of one another turned each other in. Big Brother turned everyone against each other and used propaganda to successfully control Oceania. All the media was controlled, therefore the people only heard what Big Brother chose. The country had also developed its own language called Newspeak. Newspeak was unique in the sense that, whil... ... middle of paper ... ...hich he could send into everyone's home using the telescreens. Hitler used propaganda very often too. Orwell even made Big Brother physically similar to Hitler and Stalin, by creating him with a strong black mustache. The message of this story is timeless and will be just as relevant 40 years from now as when it was written. Hopefully though, it will never become our reality. Living in a world with such strict rules and regulations and no true individuality would not be pleasant. As a society we tend to take our freedoms for granted and feel like they will always be there. Orwell makes it very clear that if we step aside and allow the government to think for us, we will become as the Oceanic people were. He clearly made his point; that in a totalitarian government being freethinking is not possible. Under extreme oppression the human spirit is destroyed.

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