Literature has a mysterious way of predicting certain events. The fact that history tends to repeat itself amplifies this phenomena. The novel, 1984, George Orwell seems to make certain predictions that are evident in our current political system. Censorship and government surveillance are two topics that are revealed through this novel. The novel and similarities in contemporary politics may be identified by reviewing the novel 1984 by George Orwell.
There are three primary characters revealed in the novel. Winston Smith is the primary character. He falls in love with Julia and brings her through the struggle to overthrow the Party. He is brought down by O'Brien. There are also three primary entities. Big Brother, The Party, and the Thought Police each work in cooperation throughout the novel.
The novel 1984 reveals an entity that monitors every action of the main character, Winston Smith. The setting of the novel is London. Oceania is the exact nation that this takes place in. Winston is actually a member of the Party that rules the nation. However, he was only a low level member. The leader was a mysterious figure known as Big Brother.
[...] In conclusion, multiple similarities between issues of contemporary politics and the novel 1984 may be identified. The primary issues are government surveillance and censorship. Our government censors people in multiple ways. The internet is used to both censor and monitor certain activities. Various agencies enforce the content that the government monitors. The government does not reveal certain information to the public. This is another similarity between the book displays. Several of these issues do not seem like political issues. However, the politicians decide on laws that promote each. [...]
[...] Richard Nixon attempted to hide this from the public. This occurred in 1972. (Williams) Another scandal that was hidden from the public was Iran-Contra. This took place during the Ronald Reagan era. In this scandal money was delegated to Contras in Nicaragua. Weapons were also sold to Iran in hopes of hostages being released. (Williams) This scandal began in1985 and lasted for 2 years. (Williams) The language enforced in the novel is similar to a language Americans use regarding politics. [...]
[...] The government does monitor use of each. The establishment of the ATF illustrates the regulation of each. The agency was formed on July (Kerwin and Furlong ) The final entity that our government utilizes that is similar to the Party is the internet. Various interactions are monitored through the internet. The internet is different because it uses information that people render. However, it is similar because the government may utilize the info at its discretion. It's a way of monitoring people without explicitly monitoring them. [...]
[...] This group was identified as the Thought Police. They arrested people that had thoughts that differed from those of the Party. This group instilled fear in the nation. It also prevented free thinking within the nation. There are several people that desire to rebel against the Party. Winston Smith actively rebels throughout the novel. His journal is a direct violation of the law provided by the Party. There is a group that intended to rebel against the Party. The name of the group was Brotherhood. [...]
[...] The commute to work may even be recorded by these cameras. The government is able to readily access the footage of the cameras if necessary. The only place that people are free of this surveillance is their household. This may even be subjected to the surveillance if someone stays in an apartment. The laws regarding surveillance are basically nonexistent. These laws allow people to be legally recorded at work, retail stores, restaurants, parks, malls, and other public places. The law forbids recording in certain private areas such as restrooms and changing areas. [...]
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