Ways The Party Exerts Their Power in the Book 1984

Many find the book '1984' unrealistically disturbing, but fail to see the resembling nature of the society we live in. Violence is glorified, war has become a reflex, and privacy is so easily compromised. Nevertheless, we continue to submerge our lives in filth, but slowly and surely become lenient towards our wayward society. In the book “1984” the future is portrayed as a place where minds and thoughts are restricted, fear and anger drives a nation, and ignorance reassures safety from the all knowing. '1984' is not so farfetched from our day and age.

The future passes by minutes and hours, and within this time we see our world becoming morphed and distorted, but fail to acknowledge how and why. Fear has engulfed the people and voices remain low in order for others to be our mouthpiece. “1984' has brought remaining and increasing problems to light such as, constant control of history, lack of privacy through surveillance, and History is no longer an array of events but now has settled in classroom textbooks, where words are changed and events disappear as if they were never a moment in time. In '1984' past documents were continually edited or discarded so that the citizens would remain having a narrowed vision. The Party had control of what could be seen which was usually limited. History of nations and people had no longer existed with the reason that it was unnecessary or classified information.

Lives remained stagnant and life itself was seen as clumped moments of time that never existed even if these events happened a week ago. The Party filtered lies into the society of Oceania in order to keep a specific mindset in the thoughts of people, total mind control. Unfortunately speaking against implanted thoughts in such society would have severe consequences; therefore people accepted the fact that they were wrong to begin with. There was no history to confirm right or wrong, only the guidance of the Party. I immediately think of the Pentagon Papers that were released in 1971, which revealed that the U.S gave military aid to France while at war with the communist group the Viet Minh. U.S involvement in previous wars involving Vietnam was unknown until the Pentagon Papers were leaked by Daniel Elsberg.

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Years after, Edward Snowden leaked classified documents from the NSA stating that government officials are able to detect and monitor any suspicious activity by phone records and internet searches. This clearly exemplifies the similarities of the Party and the United States' government of 2015. We live in a society where Big Brother hides what doesn't want to be seen in order to provide safety in our country. Yet, is safety used much to often as a cover up in order to protect what they don't want us to see? Perhaps living in ignorance is all we have known. Now a day there seems to be cameras everywhere, from schools to streets to bathrooms with selfies, a watchful eye is always near. In ‘1984' telescreens lingered in every corner, almost enough to see a heartbeat. Telescreens were used to monitor areas and people to maintain control of any suspicious activity that may cause harm or disrupt others or the Party.

Microphones were hid in various areas in order to track and oversee the people to ensure constant obedience to rigid laws. People were not allowed privacy, not including the inner party as they were allowed to have only a few minutes of privacy. The average person in Oceania was stripped of all forms of privacy and was forced to keep a screen in their homes, where Party members could easily oversee every action taken by any individual that passed through the doors of the home. So much like today, we confide in such an intruding government that many take the lack of privacy as normal or correct. Conversations are monitored and internet searches are easily detected by any government official that so pleases to see it. Microphones that were used in ‘1984' and telephone calls or text messages that are used for such useful information are so much of the same thing, but one is seen as just.

We live in a world where safety is often an excuse for compromising freedoms. We see no problem with not being trusted by allowing constant surveillance by authority, but lack doubt in our on government as we continue to continue to confide in it. In '1984' violence was more than tolerated and even praised. Young children had become faithful to the Party and pledged to serve it any way possible, even if it meant betraying their families. Violence and anger drove the people to love and support the Party and all of their requirements. Films of genocide and murder were laughed upon and taken lightly. Public hangings seemed to excite children more than fairs and candy. Oceania was a nation where existence relied upon anger and violence by the people. Hatred was spread through the people and became easy like human nature.

Atrocities were digested and accepted with no doubt in mind that this could ever unacceptable. We see social media and propaganda swallowing youth as a whole and morals of many being depleted and forgotten. Video games that exemplify mass destruction of enemies has become a norm and assumed as child's play. PG movies have become lenient to what can be shown and what seems to be acceptable as times change. Genocide, murder, destruction, and poverty are taken lightly and seem to be talked in a joking matter around the lunch table.

We have become a society that is permissive and slow to judge activities that were once immoral and socially unacceptable. Suicides are a thing of the past and too many, what is another death? The years pass and our trust and confidence of our government is slowly fading, but there is no good in waiting until total control is the only option. '1984' may be seen as unrealistic but as the days and years change of 2015 and onto more years, we slowly loosen our grip and allow thoughts to be implanted in our minds. We cannot wait until safety is not an option, but survival stands. '1984' talks of days where complete control of the people is necessary. The years have changed the way we think, our morals, and beliefs. History has been changed to in order to have a new present, privacy is being compromised, and violence is being glorified in every way. 1984 will always be a part of our future.

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