1984 Government And Privacy Essay

The electronic devices that society carries in this modern age have a bigger purpose than communicating with others. This society continues to advance in technology through phones, computers, televisions, cameras, and more— only to bring the world closer to Oceania, a society where a totalitarian government watches and listens to everyone’s moves in order to control their minds and actions. For instance, there are thought police who monitor people of Oceania to catch thought crime, which means having thoughts or plans that are considered rebellious against the government. In the novel, 1984, George Orwell discusses Big Brother’s capabilities of “all seeing,” also known as “panopticon” (Maass, Rajagopalan, 14). Despite this, it was never clarified whether Big Brother is a real person or a creation of the Party— similar to ‘Uncle Sam.” The surveillance technology used by Big Brother is the telescreen, a television in every room used to watch and listen for those who may be against Big Brother.

An Oppressive Government George Orwell talks about the dangers that can occur with an oppressive totalitarian government. He documents life under a controlling government party referenced to The Party and Big brother. He discusses the lack of privacy of the citizens and the result and consequences of committing crimes. During the time period of the late 40’s the government used telescreens in order to surveillance the people at all times. “ On coins, stamps, on the covers of books… everywhere.

The purpose of Newspeak is to control personal beliefs as this gives the government the ability to remove and limit thoughts that are aimed against Big Brother and its parties. One character in 1984, known as Syme, a worker in Oceania reveals to Winston that he is intrigued by Newspeak and complies with the system which allows the reader to see how citizens are indoctrinated. “It’s a beautiful thing, the destruction of words... You haven’t a real appreciation for newspeak, Winston … don’t you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought? In the end we shall make thoughtcrime literally impossible because there will be no words in which to express” the juxtaposition of ‘’beautiful’’ and ’’destruction” demonstrate how Big Brother and the Ministry of Truth use their power to destroy the conventional way of life, but they believe it is essential for society to have complete order and be artificially constructed to create

Governments use fear as a strategy to control people for example back in the times after the bombing of hiroshima our government send videos out to schools, televisions etc.. to publicate to citizens on how to prepare if there was a bombing because if they were preparing them the government was controlling them and live in fear and probably think that the United States government can help them . so companies started to sell first aid kits for bombing , the government made people believe that everything they do is for their own benefit. In 1984 they used fear as a way of control because when Winston was caught with Julia they took him into room 101 which was the room of torture and basically where O’Brien picks up a cage full of enormous, squirming rats and places it near Winston. He says that when he presses a lever, the door will slide up and the rats will leap onto Winston’s face and eat it. starving rats just inches away( chapter V), Winston Changes his mind .

The Party is able to shape millions of minds through propaganda techniques, which shows the control the Party has on society. When there are certain expectations held in society, it can cause fear among people, so they are more willing to follow those expectations. If the Party or a dystopian government can successfully manipulate its citizens, then they can receive absolute power and control in society. Orwell’s novel 1984 follows many common characteristics of dystopia by the persuasion of propaganda, the brainwashing of citizens, and a uniform lifestyle is integrated to please Big Brother and the Party which highlights their power. The Party controls propaganda and expectations in Oceania to make the citizens think and act a certain way, which dehumanizes them.

The central theme is how in the United States our privacy is being violated for the bettering of our society and how this could be this could relate to 1984. In the book George Orwell describes how a totalitarian society would be he created this to warn people about the dangers. The dangers were that a government would brainwash people and make them do whatever big brother says. The main idea is to compare the violation of privacy in the United states,and if they should be able to listen to you to protect the country from external and internal threats. In the book 1984 show that privacy didn't exist in Oceania at all, anywhere you were Big Brother couldn't hear you and to you as the author States in chapter 1 “the telescreen received, transmitted simultaneous any sound that Winston made, above the level of a very low whisper, would be picked up by it moreover so long as he remained within the field of vision which the metal plaque commanded, he could be seen as well” (orwell page 3).

To begin with, In Fahrenheit 451 Bradbury shows how the government is controlling their society with surveillance. It shows how the government is abusing the hound by making it watch everyone 's every move and controlling everyone 's lives. This theme is not only shown in the book but also in our modern day society. It’s shown when Montag said, "That 's sad," because all we put into it is hunting and finding and killing. What a shame if that 's all it can ever know."

In George Orwell’s 1984, the totalitarian government tries to control everything about its people, even their thoughts. In the story the inter group of government, the Party, does everything in their power to make sure that the lower people are fully loyal to them. Winston, the main character, notices many of the things the Party does to control him and the other people of the society. The Party does this in many way such as telescreens, the Thought Police, and microphones to control their people. The Party controls their people with means of telescreens.

Within the book, the Party is a well set-up government with a great future prospect. Although the novel portrays the success of the Party in 1984, it would fail definitely today. The Party is a brutal government constructed on forced compliance and torture. Within the novel, Orwell uses the characters attempts at overthrowing the government to further illustrate the idea of how powerful the Party is. The use of characters such as Julia and Winston are implemented to portray how unconquerable the Party is.

“Power is in tearing human minds to pieces and putting them together again in new shapes of your own choosing” (George Orwell 234). These three slogans in 1984 all center around power: “war is peace”, “Freedom is slavery”, “Ignorance is strength”. The government of Oceania’s goal is to keep the truth hidden from their people. It’s all about what the government wants their people to know and what the citizens are supposed to think. The government wants control but not too much control to the point where people start asking questions and revolting.