1984: The Reality of Our Technological Prison

Have you ever thought about how different the world would be if we were freed from the handcuffs of this technological prison? It seems like almost everything today is powered by technology, whether it’s your car, phone, or even your home; in some shape or form technology is a part of it. There 's no escaping. In 1984, the reality of our technological prison is emphasized upon. Wherever Winston turned, there was something watching him. In his home, a telescreen was set up that could watch him if he were to walk past it or hear everything he said if it was anything above a low whisper. In Oceania technology was used as a way to control the citizens every move, hence the saying; “Big Brother is Watching.” Big Brother was a name used for the government. Many of the technological elements portrayed in 1984 are becoming ubiquitous in today’s modern society.

In the novel 1984, Winston describes Oceania as a dystopia where everything is ran by Big Brother. It was like Big Brother was the god and everyone had to worship him or else. The plan is to have full control over the thoughts and actions of the citizens. They were not allowed to be

The people who gathered on the docks to greet the ships were met with a horrifying surprise: Most of the sailors aboard the ships were dead, and those who were still alive were gravely ill. They were overcome with fever, unable to keep food down and delirious from pain. Strangest of all, they were covered in mysterious black boils that oozed blood and pus and gave their illness its name: the “Black Death.” The Sicilian authorities hastily ordered the fleet of “death ships” out of the harbor, but it was too late: Over the next five years, the mysterious Black Death would kill more than 20 million people in Europe–almost one-third of the continent’s population.”