WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

In the novel, "1984", Orson Wells tell the story of a man, Winston Smith who is living in the territory known as Oceania (formerly known as England). Smith works as a "Speakwrite" in the section of the ministry labeled, "Ministry of Truth". Smith lives a monotonous life under the rule of "Big Brother", except Smith is different; he is curious; he is rebellious. He begins to record his feelings in a journal bought in the Proles (the poorest) section of the country. The first time he writes the feelings come rushing to him until he realizes that he is writing "DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER" over and over again. He records his thoughts, memories, and feelings in this journal, while at the same time; he is constantly aware of spies in everyone he meets. He illustrates how the government has turned everyone into enemies, even children are used as spies to rat out whomever the suspect, including their parents. The government has suppressed the peoples rights from chocolate to sex; they are erasing history and changing historical accounts to their liking. In the book, Smith writes in his journal of how he misses sex so dearly. He writes of his wife, who hated sex, and of his most recent sexual encounters (with an old prostitute from Proles); he also writes of his new crush, a dark haired woman from government who he believes is quite likely a spy. This book, supposedly a prediction of the future, is much to severe of a prediction to be realistic. We as humans in the 21st century have been educated to the point that we are not willing to give up our rights even if it means to die for them. For example: in the middle east currently country after country are taking a stand against oppressive governments such as in Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya. They were under the rule of a main leader (some cases more extreme than others) and they believed that the way their ruler was ruling didn't suit them so they revolted, and most countries are winning. The kind of oppression of that large of a body of people seems impossible seeing as there will always be the Winston Smith's of the world who recognize the unjust works their government is doing. The only way slightly plausible of creating this Big Brother society would be if the government of a country followed Marxist ideals and completely exterminated an entire race, even then they would have to go through tedious work of changing records and blocking their new society from the outside world. Oceania is an extreme instance but at the same time Wells is spot on with the type of theories about governmental control but not necessarily in the future; governments have been hiding secrets, suppressing individuals, and corrupting since the dawn of time. Orson Wells just writes of a world where the advancing of technology has brought the big brother we've always known into another dimension.