1984 In The Present Day

2636 Words11 Pages
A Government Status Quo in an Ever-Changing World Government control of the media is a major topic of contention that can extinguish the freedoms and liberties of its citizens. Governments, whether monarchies, dictatorships, or democracies, all have, to a greater or lesser extent, the ability to monitor what is being expressed through the media. The more governments attempt to control television, radio, Internet, and print, the more society is biased to the controlling government’s point of view. An objective perspective is then compromised and truth is often difficult to find. Some governments even dole out harsh punishments to individuals who express opinions contrary to the government’s politics. In George Orwell’s novel, 1984, the author displays what he believed the world would be like in that year. Although the year 1984 has come and gone, some aspects of Orwell’s worldview are still in existence today. Orwell’s perception of government control over the media in the year 1984 mirrors modern day media censorship in the United States as well as in many foreign countries. In George Orwell’s 1984, the government, referred to as the Party, has complete control over its citizens. The Party rules over Oceania, a city that Orwell portrays as a totalitarian society, where the government controls every aspect of the lives of its inhabitants. In Oceania, the government perpetrates false information, distorted ideas, and inaccurate historical events to benefit their own ends. Through control of the media, the Party is able to indoctrinate its beliefs into the minds of its citizens and remain in absolute control. The Party figurehead, Big Brother, is displayed as the most prestigious, honorable, and admired individual in the world. On every street corner, posters of Big Brother are marked with the slogan “Big Brother is Watching You.” The Party constantly portrays Big
Open Document