Examples Of Dystopia In 1984 By George Orwell

Nearly seventy years ago, an author by the name of George Orwell conceived an eerie vision, a warning, of what he imagined our world might soon become. 1984 is one of the most prominent dystopian novels, showing plainly what a world of constant surveillance would look like. This story takes place in the nation of Oceania and follows a common member of the Outer Party (middle class) named Winston Smith. If not given much thought and glanced over quickly, Oceania might actually be mistaken as a sort of Utopia. The average living conditions for most citizens are better than what they used to be and the never-ending war seems to finally be coming to a close. Though, this is only how the Inner Party (upper class) wishes life to be seen for the Outer
Appeal in the novel today comes from the fact that the more time passes, the more people are finding some of Oceania’s distinct traits leaking into their own lives. But, while on the surface our two worlds may not seem all that different due to some striking and frankly alarming similarities, there are basic laws and societal beliefs in place that prevent Orwell’s unnerving vision of the future from coming true today.
The most apparent similarity between today’s society and that of Orwell’s dystopia is the constant surveillance of its citizens. All over the streets and buildings of Oceania are posters of “Big Brother” their inconspicuous leader. This gives off an aura that there is always someone watching, but the device that truly manifests this feeling is the “Telescreen”. Capable of transmitting both audio and video to “Thought Police”, the Telescreen prevents citizens from engaging in unusual behavior or conspiracy. This is not completely unlike some of the recent efforts made by the
Within the novel, it is said that Newspeak “is the only language in the world whose vocabulary gets smaller every year” (Orwell 52). Its diminishing vocabulary serves to further control the minds of the Proles and the Outer Party to conform to the society that the Inner Party has set forth. Multiple parallels can be drawn between Newspeak and the methods by which thoughts are communicated today. Perhaps the most easily identified similarity is the modern style of communication, texting. One might argue that the reduction of vocabulary, combined with the constant use of abbreviations in texting would similarly reduce the range of thought. Despite this seemingly easy connection, there is little proof to show that it has a negative impact on the literacy skills of students. When people text, “they’re writing in a particular genre …for an informal audience” (Bakken). In the case of texting, abbreviations and symbols are warranted since “texting… has space considerations and expectations” (Bakken). If the style of writing is warranted and it doesn’t have a negative impact on literacy then it can be assumed that education programs are doing a good job of discerning the different types of writing and the appropriateness of when to use each. So as easily as one could say that texting is ruining English, it could