The Effects of Censorship in “1984” and “Fahrenheit 451” As government censorship has increased throughout history, there has also been an increase in the occurrence of excuses justifying censorship as a means of protecting citizens. In actuality, the effect of limiting society's awareness of their country’s activities proves to have a detrimental impact on the psychological well-being of the nation. George Orwell’s 1984 takes place in a dystopian society where citizens are constantly monitored and sources of information are continually altered in the Inner Party’s favour. Similarly in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, firefighters use their power to destroy all novels which represent the ideologies and values behind the freedom of thought, …show more content…
One of which involves the use of scare tactics, such as posters featuring a large face with the words, “BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU” underneath in bold, white letters. This should not only be unsettling to the reader, as the intimidating tone of the poster makes citizens believe that their every move is being watched, but it should also be of concern because of the message behind the slogan. It is threatening punishment of those who partake in any actions to undermine the government, thus creating a society in which everyone is afraid of going against the government. The same goes for the Party’s slogan, “WAR IS PEACE, IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY” as the Party is trying to convey the message that the operation of the current societal system, where people are being oppressed from speaking up for their beliefs, is for the benefit of the people (Orwell, 4). This leads many to trust the government’s decisions, regardless of whether they provide benefits to the people or cause more damage to their well-being, resulting in a complete blind following of the government. Another way that the government influences the human mind is through the spread of misinformation of the Party’s intentions or