The Panopticon And Private Life In 1984 By George Orwell

In 1984 private life in Oceania came to an end due to the use of surveillance by the party as a source of mechanics of control over people’s lives. People lived under the watchful eye of the Thought Police through telescreen, child spy, and other Party members. The people of Oceania were not free to say what they wanted or felt should be done by the Party. It is not safe to express your opinion towards the Party that is governing you, whether in public or private. People lived in fear, they always think the worst will happen if they do something that is against the Party. The way surveillance destroyed private life in Oceania through the use of telescreens, child spy, microphones and other party members will be discussed later in the essay

The panopticon is all-seeing, it is proposed as a model prison by Jeremy Bentham, and he also described it as a mode of obtaining power of mind over mind [Mania, 2014]. The panopticon is a circular prison with cells around a central watch tower of which prisoners are seen at all times. It is a perfect eye of which
Take for instance, Mr. Charrington who Winston first bought his diary and pen in his store, Winston thought he is an old man who is interested in history and the past only to find that he was leading him to his trap by allowing him to rent the room above the store he owns. He observed all Winston and Julia’s actions and then denounced them to the other Thought Police members. He then reveals himself as a member of the Thought Police at the end when Winston and Julia get arrested [Chapter 2, p156]. Winston trusted Mr. Charrignton and thought he is an ordinary prole who is only interested in history and did not care about the party. He did not think that a party member will live in that part of the country and did not consider that Big Brother is watching