1984, George Orwell

1984

At the beginning of the 20th century, there was a rise of fascism and communism, mostly during the Second World War (1939-1945). Hitler wanted to change the world with fascism and Russia with communism. The advancement of modern technology made totalitarianism possible. The United States did not want to fight, but they were attacked so they had no choice. Modern technology makes totalitarianism possible; because they can spy on you, control your thoughts and your imagination. With torture, they can make you say everything they want and they can make you think the same way you have to think.

The book “1984” is a warning. It is a warning that the world could be controlled by a totalitarian regime. People don’t care about democracy. I think that the only thing they would care is themselves. It is an horrible aberration to see the way people want to facilitate their lives with products they don’t even need. The human is always looking for the easiest way to think. When you don’t think, it’s freedom. False. Thinking is the way to freedom and we don’t have to take our freedom for granted. People don’t want to go voting because it’s too difficult, they say. Democracy is a part of our freedom. If we aren’t careful, it could disappear.

They party controlling is IngSoc which is the acronym for English Socialism. Big Brother is at the top of the pyramid of monarchy. Then comes the Inner Party (2% of the population), the Outer Party (13% of the population) and the Proles (85% of the population). They control everything with telescreens placed everywhere. They made a rumour that there was a secret organisation named “The Brotherhood” and their leader, Emmanuel Goldstein. In “1984”, the world as we know it today is separated in three main-land and regrouping countries. The three main-land are Oceania, Eurasia and Eastasia. Those big countries are always at war to control through fear. In this case, people don’t want to decide what they going to do in time of war. They want someone to decide at their place.

When I say that they control everything, it’s true. They control even the past to change the future. When Big Brother says something and it’s not true in the future, they will change the past for the present and they would have written that Big Brother had predict all of what happened. Then, Big Brother would never lie. It’s surprising for me to see people believing everything they say, because torture makes them think the way they are supposed to. Winston is a part of the people that are changing the past. The whole history belongs to those people and their job is to change it or destroy it completely. Winston works at the Ministry of Truth where all the lies come from. There is the Ministry of Peace, the Ministry of Plenty and the worst one, the Ministry of Love. That’s ironic because that’s there where prisoners are tortured and vaporised. Their slogan makes people more secure and they really believe what they say. They have to. “War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength”. The opposite remains the same thing: lie.

Finally, we hope and we have to do great efforts to keep our democracy working, not only for us but for the people that will come after us.

“Who controls the past controls the future”.

“Who controls the

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