George Orwell’s 1984 In the year of 1984, a man by the name of Winston Smith lives in London in the oppressive state of Oceania. No matter where he goes, he, as well as his fellow citizens are always being watched by the notorious “Big Brother.” There are cameras everywhere that can watch your every move. Winston has become infuriated with his government’s oppressive control over everything that is going on, such as how they have took away free thought. No type of individuality is allowed what so ever. This might could have happened in the western hemisphere, but this would never happen in the United States of America. The United States of America will never conform to the hideous ways of oppression seen in Oceania. One reason
that America would not conform to the ways of oppression, like in Oceania, is because of the First Amendment. It says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” This means that the government would never be able to mind control us like the government of Oceania. Citizens of America will always be able to speak freely and worship the religion of their choice. The media will be able to report on what they are allowed to. The people of America have and will have the right the peacefully protest. American citizens have the option to petition the government. As an Oceania citizen, you do not have these rights. It is so oppressed that if you say, or even think, the wrong thing, you can be executed. Another reason that the ways of Oceania would never leak into the United States’ government is the security level. Even though no one on the outside is sure of what the United States of America’s National Security Association fully does, it is not as terrible as Oceania’s. Every house has a television screen that constantly shows “Big Brother” propaganda and has a camera that can surveillance the inside of every house. Even outside of the household, everyone’s move is being watched. They are trying to make sure they have absolute control over all of their citizens. That way, if someone has an open act of rebellion in open sight, they can catch them and brain wash them. Democracy is an important part of our government. Oceania shows a similar type of government to Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. There is a communist-like dictatorship going on that is trying to brain wash their citizens into loving their terrible ways. In the end of the book where Winston was taken to the dreadful room 101, the tortured him merciless until he surrendered his rebellious ways and said to let his lover, Julia, be tortured, not him. Once he did this, he gave up his feelings for not just her, but love. Once O’Brien caught him in the act of rebellion, Winston was brainwashed into loving “Big Brother.” He even admits to loving “Big Brother” at the end of the story. This is similar to what Hitler did with his Germans and other German states. He put up posters displaying disgusting pictures of Jewish people, just so that he could brainwash everyone into hating the Jewish people. America would never conform to the ways of Oceania. The nation is too strong to allow an oppression-influenced dictator to change the United States of America.