In 1984, George Orwell presents a powerful message through the form of a satire to the audience regarding aspects of politics, government and technology. The world depicted in this book is rather complex and multidimensional, representing various aspects to consider and reevaluate. The objective of this essay is to explore Orwell’s main ideas demonstrated in 1984, and how these ideas are implemented in contemporary society.
The leading idea shared by Orwell in his novel is that the extensive desire for power usually leads to uncontrolled behaviors and unpredictable results. The depiction of a fictional totalitarian government occupies the most of the book, with an emphasis on the use of propaganda as a way to gain power over individuals (Roelofs 15). Orwell clearly warns people about the immense dangers of totalitarianism because he witnessed numerous incidents of such a form of governance (Patai 860). The manipulation over people, as depicted in the novel, is illustrated through psychological manipulation, physical control, control of information and history, and technology. This implies that the presented government simply controls all aspects of human life. In line with Orwell’s idea, it has emerged that even disloyal way of thinking was considered against the law.
What is most interesting about the novel is that Orwell has made certain predictions that appeared true in modern society. It may be stated that the world has become a totalitarian state considering the ongoing conflicts that take place between states. One of the apparent parallels that can be made with Orwell’s 1984 and today’s society is in the fact that ‘Big Brother is watching you’ (Patai 862). An example of this statement can be found in the activities of the National Security Agency (NSA), which is persistently involved in warrantless wiretapping and data mining.
It is clear that in 1984, the depicted Party adopts a policy of a continual war, with the utmost goal of controlling people and keeping them poor. In contemporary society, the number of military conflicts occurring around the world is quite disturbing, making people believe in the existence of a perpetual war in the global context. The current conflicts in places like Syria, Iraq and Palestine serve as evidence of the feasibility of Orwell’s idea depicted in his novel. Another significant point made by Orwell in 1984 is that language can be misused by the controlling Party in order to mislead and control people. Orwell indicates, “We, the Party, control all records, and we control all memories. Then we control the past, do we not?” (204-205). In contemporary society, aspects of political correctness and euphemism appear extremely pervasive. The misleading power of language can be witnessed in various situations, and it has come to show how people can be easily controlled. In fact, people emerge with their powerlessness in the global game called politics.
The society Orwell creates in 1984 corresponds to the way of life in modern society. This means that his message serves as a valuable warning in today’s world. The predictive power of Orwell’s statements show that the author of the novel is extensively convinced in the validity of his arguments. One such statement is the following, “Thought crime does not entail death; though crime is death” (Orwell 27). The ideas explained in 1984 should be definitely explored in order to enrich individuals’ perspectives regarding dimensions of global governance that are still relevant today. Orwell apparently makes interesting parallels in his book. Every individual should read this book because it presents a series of proper arguments related to the world’s order and issues of power and control, which are relevant categories at any historical period including the present one. The novel 1984 is worth reading due to the focus on a distinct way of presenting political reality as well as its prediction for the forthcoming generations.
