The Invasion of Privacy in 1984 by George Orwell

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Nineteen Eighty-Four was meant to bring the mid twentieth century reader a novel full of intensity, love, and manipulation but also brought something greater than all of these things. Nineteen Eighty-Four created a way for people to look into a future created by Orwell himself, a future that slowly became a reality in the years since it was written. One reality is that personal space and privacy is never granted in the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. Every citizen is always being watched by their peers, the Thought Police, Big Brother, and the Party. This constant observation denies a person from being themselves and furthermore, stops society from acting as a whole. The book begins by being introduced to the main character, Winston, surrounding characters, and the setting of Oceania where most of the people in the book live. But what the reader also begins the book with is the feeling that most of the citizens are being watched over by their peers. Children, friends, and neighbors are watching other children, friends, and neighbors. This not only instills fear on the citizens but prevents them from living a free and healthy life. Instead of living, the citizens are constantly worried about being heard, being watched, and being taken away. The children in the book are converted into spies and are trained to watch their parents’ words and actions very closely. Some say Orwell’s inspiration for these ‘Junior Spies’ come from the organization of ‘Hitler Youth’ who were children told to watch over their parents and report any deviation from Nazi practices. An example of this is represented through Mr. Parsons, Mrs. Parsons, and their children in part one. Mrs. Parsons is worried about her children turning in their father. This foreshadow... ... middle of paper ... ...---------------------------5 April 2014 Notes on 1984 Themes | BookRags.com. Ed. BookRags Editors. 2014. ---------------------9 May 2014 "Orwellian." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 2005. -------------------------------------------------------------------6 April 2014 Orwell, George. 1984. London: Martin Secker & Warburg Ltd, 1949. Rahv, Philip. “The Unfuture of Utopia.” Partisan Review 1949. Rpt. in Twentieth Century Literary Criticism. Vol 6. Ed. Sharon K. Hall. Detroit: Gale Research, 1982. 340. Print. Sparknotes: 1984: Book One: Chapter II-III. Ed. SparkNotes Editors. 2007. ----------10 May 2014

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