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1984 Not So Far Off The year 2002 has finally arrived. This is a time to take a retrospective look at what has happened in the previous year. The same thing happened in 1984. Back then; the people decided if what George Orwell had predicted in his novel had come true. Taking a quick glance, the appearance of the society then, compared with the fictional society of 1984 was like night and day. But, on further inspection, George Orwell’s predictions were really not that far off. Now in 2002, the evidence of a 1984 like society is ever the more visible. The focus of hatred in the two-minute hate can be seen today as well. Hate is an emotion that everyone experiences. In 1984, two minutes is taken every day to focus hate on Emmanuel Goldstein. Very little is known about him except for the fact that he opposes the party. “ He was the primal traitor, the earliest defiler of the Party’s purity. (14) Because the party always changes the past to coincide with their views, no one really knows if Goldstein ever existed. He may have an object to focus party members hate on so that they love Big Brother all the more. This can be seen in the United States today, and in the past. In colonial times hatred was focused on Britain. They were the sole reason for all hardship in the colonies. They made life horrible for the settlers. In World War II hate was focused on Germany and Japan. Japan attacked the United States when the nation was not in the war. Americans then enjoyed seeing the atomic bomb fall on the Japanese cities. After World War II, the American hate was then focused Russian Communism. America had to make sure democracy prevailed over communism. Russia was a foe that the United States was always competing with. The Emmanuel Goldstein of today would be Osama Bin Laden. After his terrorist act hate was focused on him. The media told Americans that he was the one to hate. Americans listened to what the media told them. Osama Bin Laden is made fun of by Jay Leno and other comedians. The rock band Jackyl even produced a song, I hate you Bin Laden. “To dissemble your feelings, to control your face, to do what everyone else wad doing was an instinctive reaction.” (18) The hate grew severe enough for some Americans to commit hate crimes against people of a Middle-Eastern patrimony. After the terrorist exploit, love suddenly arose for today’s Big Brother, Uncle Sam. People did all they could to show loyalty to the country (The Party) by putting up flags and even having a nationwide candlelight vigil. The United States Army cannot locate Bin Laden, they don’t even know if he is alive. Yet, hate is still continually focused on Bin Laden. Similarly to 1984, thoughts fade quickly in this Nation. That act happened less than four months ago and people are already forgetting about the horrific deed. The past quickly gives way to the present in this nation where media is king. “Day by day and almost minute by minute the past was brought up to date.” (36) The hate of the people of today is similar to the two-minute hate of 1984. The society structure of 1984 is also related to the nation of today. The proles made up 85% of the population of Oceania, but their thoughts didn’t matter. They had no connection to the government. The freedom to do whatever they wanted was also one of their rights. “They were born, they grew up in the gutters, they went to work at twelve, they passed through a brief blossoming period of beauty and sexual desire, they married at twenty, were middle aged at thirty, they died, for the most part at sixty.” (74) Most countries have 85% of their population being very poor with a low life expectancy like that of a prole. The poor, who make up the majority of the population, live in very destitute living conditions. The proles only had a 40% literacy rate which is comparable to some countries today. The proles were very comparable to the middle class American in some aspects as well. “They were only concerned with heavy physical work, the care of home and children, petty quarrels with neighbors, films, football, beer, and above all, gambling. (74) That is how television depicts the average American, and that is how they are pictured. Many Americans are obsessed with the lottery and even have a gambling problem. The chance that they will win is so miniscule, yet they continue to buy more and more tickets. “The Lottery with its weekly pay-out of enormous prizes, was the one public event to which the proles paid serious attention. (89) This was the principle or only reason that millions of proles remain alive. (89) The main goal in a proles life was to win a lottery with no actual large payout. Proles had very little to live for except the same life as the family before them. Proles can be seen in many places today. The party, especially the elite inner party is visible in today’s society as well. The party made up the other 15% of the population that were not proles. Only 2% of the population was the elite inner party with special privileges. They could turn off telescreens and could enjoy good food and drink. They also had servants to wait on their every need. This is similar to the Upper class in the World today. “It was only on very rare occasions that one saw inside the dwelling places of the inner party, or even penetrated into the quarter of town where they lived.” (138) The United States has a small amount of elite wealthy people as well. The Bureau of Economic Analysis shows that the Per Capita income of the average American is only $29,451. Only a small fraction of the population have the money and power to have servants wait on their every need. The wealthy live in their own neighborhoods where the middle-class and poor never enter. But that is not just in the United States. In poverty-stricken nations there is no middle-class. There are a few extremely wealthy, and numerous impoverished peoples. There is still a noticeable division of wealth in the world today. The image of Big Brother and The Party is seen today as well. Orwell stated in 1984 that loving a country or government is hard to do. But loving an individual or symbol is much easier to do. One person, Big Brother, symbolized the government and ideals of the people. He was all-powerful and infallible. He was given credit for everything. Americans today view Uncle Sam the same way. They feel that this is the most powerful nation in the world, and nothing can stop this juggernaut. “and in any case the party was invincible.” (127) The citizens of Oceania were constantly reminded that Big Brother was watching them. His pictures and posters were plastered everywhere. “Always the eyes watching you and the voice enveloping you.” (26) The famous poster of Uncle Sam has him giving a piercing stare into whoever is viewing the image. He almost appears to be watching the area in his vicinity. The United States uses propagandas similar to that of The Party in 1984. Americans are being monitored more and more as time goes on. When examining 1984 party members were watched wherever they went. There was even a telescreen in their houses and at the places of employment. They were scrutinized if they did anything suspicious. “The smallest thing could give you away.” (54) A facecrime could have people thrown in prison camps or executed. That is the same today in our society.There are more and more security cameras being installed everywhere in the country. Global Positioning Systems track many electronics now and are even in most Big Rigs. Thermal Vision systems give the capability of staring through walls. Night vision systems allow people to see in darkness. Six and a half years ago, the Federal Bureau of Investigation asked that every cell phone double as a tracking device. “The FBI is demanding real-time tracking of anyone suspected of committing a crime. This is a clear violation of the statute and the Fourth Amendment,” said CDT executive Jerry Berman. In 2002 the FBI gained the right to tap any phone line, anytime a crime is suspected. “There was always a danger of concealed microphones.” (98) They can only listen through the telephone, not watch for crime. But now there is satellite imagery available to anyone with a computer and the Internet to look at picture of the earth close enough to see cars as distinctive objects. On www.terraserver.com they show these pictures and are constantly adding more every day. That is information available to anyone, but the government always has the latest technology. They may even be currently capable of watching people on the street in real time footage. In the Hollywood film Enemy of the State, the United States Government uses satellites to track a criminal who has something controversial that they don’t want getting out. They use a combination of satellite tracking communicating with teams of men on the ground to go after the criminal. That may just be Hollywood, but that kind of thing does not seem that far fetched. Technology is improving at a faster rate and if the capabilities are not there now, they are only a few years away. All this technology will be used only for the people who look suspicious. But, people will still have to wonder if they are being monitored anyway. “Nobody ever escaped detection, and nobody ever failed to confess.” (87) After children are born they are given a social security number. That is another way the government keeps track of who people are and where they may be. Americans today are being monitored even though they don’t realize what’s happening. The thought police are also evident in today’s culture. The Press is the thought police of today and they work in the same way. They are concerned with the collective thoughts of the people, but they don’t care what average people may say or do within reason. “Nobody cares what the proles say.” (11) But, the press is concerned with celebrities and whoever may be in the spotlight. This would be comparable to the “Inner Party”. If someone famous said something that contradicted what the press thinks is right, they get torn down. For example, Reggie White was offered a job as a football commentator until he made negative remarks regarding homosexuals. Then the offer was quickly withdrawn and he fell out of favor with the people. Americans have the right to free speech, but how much freedom do they actually have. The United States has divisions similar to Oceania as well. Oceania had Minitrue, Minipax, Miniplenty, and Miniluv. Minitrue is visible in any government cover-ups of what happened. For example, they say area 51 does not exist when people have seen and been there. The United States has a department of commerce and other divisions of the government that focus on the economy just like Miniplenty. Minipax is like the press controlling who and what is big in arts and entertainment. Miniluv would be like the CIA and FBI making sure that nobody commits a crime or alters others thinking against the country. The United States is in parallel to Oceania in some of the government structures. Fake love between Winston and Julia is also evident today. They were not actually in love, but copulated for personal reasons. Julia was involved for pleasure. “You wanted a good time; “they” meaning the Party, wanted to stop you having it; you broke the rules the best you could.” (109) People who engage in intercourse outside of marriage can be like that as well. They will have “one night stands” for the sole purpose of achieving personal pleasure. There is no love there, for there is no affection for the other person once they are gone. Winston committed to sex as a way of rebellion. He saw Julia shared his enemies so he was interested. “As soon as I saw you, I knew you were against them.” (102) When he finished with her he reflected very selfishly. “Their embrace had been a battle, the climax a victory. It was a blow struck against the party, It was a political act.” (105) Many adolescents feel sex is a way of rebelling against their family or religion. They prove that they can break the rules without getting punished. Love can be faked for selfish reasons and personal gains. Our nation is also constantly at war just like the nation of Oceania. “Winston could not definitely remember a time when his country had not been at war.” (30) “War had literally been continuous.” (31) Oceania had not gained nor lost any land that wasn’t disputed. They were either at war with Eastasia or Eurasia. There was no point to the fighting. The United States is in some kind of conflict extremely often. Right now there is a war on terrorism going on. Wars often divert attention from political scandals and other actions that might affect people’s views about a person or a matter. Constant war is another correspondence with the government of 1984. The focus on children is also very seeable. Children are most easily influenced of all people because of the ability to have blind faith. Most values that people have as children stay with them the rest of their life. The Party took parents out of their life and replaced them with Big Brother. Having parents would interfere with showing full loyalty and devotion to Big Brother. Two children on the street verbally attacked Winston. They pledged full allegiance to Big Brother and attacked him because he did not fully support Big Brother. They will grow into the next generation of The Party loyalists. “It was somehow slightly frightening, like the gaboling of tiger cubs which will soon grow into maneaters.” (23) Brainwashing children can be seen today as well. In school kids learn about how great their country is. They “Pledge allegiance to the flag”. They don’t even realize what they’re saying. They are just told to memorize the words, and to say them over and over again. Some Middle-Eastern children learn the United States is evil from the time they’re very young. So, by the time they reach adulthood they hate the United States just like the rest of their peers. Religion teaches children the basics in order for them to keep those values for the rest of their life. They also memorize words and have blind faith toward a God who they can’t understand yet. Children are influenced the most easily, and today’s society as well as the society of 1984 took advantage of that. Though the year is currently 2002, people can still look back at 1984 and the similarities between now and then. With a quick glance, today’s society seems completely different. But, on closer inspection, some aspects of 1984 are much more true than anyone ever realizes. This essay is only for research purposes. If used, be sure to cite it properly! |
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