1984 Still Relevant In Our Modern World Analysis

George Orwell’s 1984: Still Relevant In Our Modern World

In 1984, the classic dystopian novel published in 1949, George Orwell paints a grim and foreboding portrait of a totalitarian superstate called Oceania where the government exercises absolute control over its citizens through a complex series of systems and institutions. In Oceania, the ruling Party is personified by its leader, Big Brother, and demands ultimate loyalty to its political ideology of English Socialism. Four ministries, called the Ministries of Love, Peace, Plenty, and Truth, are responsible for carrying out government operations and the mission of the Party. The Ministry of Love works to promote citizens’ allegiance to Big Brother and prevent dissent through indoctrination

However, given a closer look, 1984 bears striking parallels to both our collective global history and contemporary present. The historical similarities are probably intentional; Orwell wrote 1984 during a time when oppressive regimes run by cruel dictators were on the rise in states across the world. For instance, from 1929 to 1953, Joseph Stalin’s regime in the Soviet Union killed millions of people, enforced totalitarianism, and violated individual rights. The secret police, akin to the Thought Police, monitored the population and individuals who dissented against the regime were sent to gulags. In WWII-era Germany, under Hitler’s regime, the Nazi Party had total power over the nation, controlled the media, and indoctrinated young people through the Hitler Youth, a youth organization. Today, in modern-day North Korea, dictator Kim Jong-Un advertises himself as the “Supreme Leader” and imposes totalitarian rule. Individuals who criticize the government are sent to prison camps. The oppressive and tyrannical fictional society envisioned by Orwell is not so much a new invention as it is a reflection of many of our own societies, past and