The idea of freedom in 1984 In modern politics, we are very accustomed to word such as “fake news.” Politicians use statistics and make statements that are not based in any facts, present them as hard evidence for their stances, and watch as people instantly believe what they say, simply because they are in a position of power. That is why George Orwell’s novel, 1984, is more relevant today than it ever has been before. In the past, people have viewed this novel as simply a story, a different look at how history could have been changed. However, in our modern society, with “fake news” become more and more prevalent, 1984 presents itself as not a view into a dystopian future, but rather as an increasingly likely possibility. That is why, when …show more content…
We believe freedom needs to come all at once, complete freedom instantaneously, or that we have failed to grant freedom. However, that is not always true. Winston puts it down best, writing that “Freedom is the freedom to say two and two makes four. If that is given, all else follows.” That is truly what the Party suppresses, not the bodily freedom or even mental freedom, simply the freedom to state a fact and know that it is true. This is what we are most in danger of today, having people tell us facts that are not, in reality, true, and having people believe these facts. If that is the way we continue, then we are truly no better off than the world George Orwell first presented back in 1949. We do not need to grant people all freedoms at once, we simply need to give one basic thing, the freedom to state the truth and not have it be changed. That is truly why this book is so important for us to read today, and that, truly, is the message George Orwell wanted us to see. This book can no longer stand as simply a dystopian novel, but it can, some would say must, stand as a cautionary tale to everyone today, to not let our past slip away, and to exercise our right to the most basic human freedom in the world, the freedom to say facts that cannot be edited or