Institutionalization In George Orwell's 1984

George Orwell’s, 1984, uncovers the dark parallels between the operations of the Party and the U.S. government that are forced upon the disorderly defective civilizations that came to be in Oceania and the United States of America. Under the circumstances of both governments and civilians, 1984 is more relevant today to United States citizens than ever. With set laws and rules that civilians are mandated to follow, the U.S. government and the Party can limit dysfunction to the government of a nation among its people. Under a law called the First Amendment the U.S., "The Sedition Act made it a crime to write or publish any false, scandalous, and malicious writing or writings against the government of the United States, or either

The U.S. and Oceania’s governments treats their criminals quite similarly. Under the U.S. government’s prisons, “At the very least, prison is painful, and incarcerated persons often suffer long-term consequences from having been subjected to pain, deprivation, and extremely atypical patterns and norms of living and interacting with others”(“The Psychological Effects of Incarceration: On the Nature of Institutionalization”). The known circumstances of prison scare U.S. civilians from acting against their government. The punishment of living in a lonely, painful, and unnatural humane environment causes one to regret their actions and not have the desire to act against the government’s laws again. By putting criminals in prison, civilians in Oceania and the U.S. are being “protected” from inadequate and unorthodox influences and ideas of both governments. “People simply disappeared, always during the night. Your name was removed from the registers, every record of everything you had ever done was wiped out, your one-time existence was denied and then forgotten. You were abolished, annihilated: vaporized was the usual word”(Orwell 19). In 1984, when committed of thoughtcrime, for example, one would simply vanish in the eyes of the other civilians, but they would actually be taken to the Ministry of Love. The Ministry of Love serves as a correctional facility

As displayed in the text of 1984, “‘Smith!’ screamed the screwing voice from the telescreen. ‘6079 Smith W! Yes you! Bend lower, please! You can do better than that. You're not trying. Lower, please!’ Winston’s face remained completely inscrutable. Never show dismay! Never show resentment! A single flicker of the eyes could give you away” (Orwell 36). This is one of many examples in the novel that proves that In 1984 cameras are constantly watching everything and and everyone to make sure that all civilians are acting appropriately. Winston is even being watched during his exercise routine, which reinforces the meaning of “Big Brother is Watching You” to the reader’s understanding. Compared to similar circumstances in the U.S., and article explained how “The things around us are increasingly computerized, and increasingly connected to the Internet, and most of them are listening. Our smartphones and computers, of course, listen to us when we're making audio calls, but the microphones are always there” (“Your T.V. May Be Watching You”). This example of how technology in the U.S. is listening and watching as well, and we allow it to through enabling certain privileges for apps such as “enable microphone.” Our knowledge of this makes us be cautious about our communication around any