Ground Zero and Big Brother

We think this is crazy and could never happen, but George Orwell illustrates, throughout his novel 1984, the possible dangers of complete government control. Even though this exaggerated society seems farfetched, many of his fictional governmental qualities are starting to line up with our government today. Throughout the novel the totalitarian government, called Big Brother, is constantly attacking the people psychologically. One of the first things that strikes protagonist Winston Smith is a poster in the street, reading “BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU” (Orwell 5). From the very beginning of the book, the government is already shoving fear down on top of the citizens of Oceana.

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In 1984, Orwell fears government control of media because it helped brainwash and control the citizens in Nazi Germany and the USSR and today it continues to inhibit free will and thought in areas such as China and Russia. Several times throughout 1984, Orwell emphasizes the dangers of the government having total control of the media. The government holds a tight rein over the large population of the proles by producing all of the media they have access to. When referring to the Party’s control over the media he says “the primary job was not to reconstruct the past but to supply the citizens of Oceania… with every conceivable kind of information (Orwell 43).” Orwell fears that this control over the supply of all information, which is announced and broadcasted through the media, leads to mindless citizens and brainwashed children. Winston’s work in the Ministry of Truth makes “it is now impossible for any human being to prove by documentary evidence that the war with Eurasia ever occurred (Orwell 183).” The governments control over history leads to citizens easily believing what they hear in the media and even if someone does not believe there is nothing they can do to disprove it.

Big Brother is watching you! This is one of the frightening propaganda posters portrayed in George Orwell’s novel 1984, which offers a terrifying prophetic vision of a totalitarian state. A totalitarian government is one which subjugated its citizens and holds complete authority over the society and seeks to control all aspects of its citizen’s public and private life. It’s these type of controlling governments that use several deceptive strategies to gain control of a nation such as censorship of media, propaganda everywhere, ruling using fear, and secret police forces (Thought Police). It is this tyrannical government that Orwell feared would come true in the near future.

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Everyday we are all in trying to be persuaded into believing something using media and the government, as don’t in George Orwell’s novel, 1984 manipulation is used by the government to persuade the citizens that their leader, Big Brother, is portraying to be. For which ever reason information is manipulated, it is still a form of attempting to persuade opinions. In many forms people manipulate information in hopes that they will gain something, whether it be to gain power or to try and convince people that something or someone is correct. September 11th 2001 is one of the most terrifying, tragic, and most talked about days in the history of the United Sates. Although the official story was given out to the public many people question the events which happened and turn to one of the many conspiracies.

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