1984 and today

In our lives today, we have numerous communication technologies available to us.  Each of these technologies has been created to serve a different purpose, most of them advancing us and making our lives easier. However, with the creation of new technologies our lives are not always made simpler and less complex.  Along with these new communication technologies have come new worries.  Some of these worries include privacy and conformity.  With inventions such as the internet, and all that comes along with that communication technology, comes concerns about identity theft, privacy settings and loss of interpersonal communication.  These issues and worries we have today are some of the very same issues George Orwell discusses in his book 1984. 

1984's central character is a man named Winston.  He is living in London during a time where everything is controlled by the government and everything is equally rationed out.  Not only does the government control what everyone does and when, but it can also know who and when people are disagreeing with or plotting against the government.  One particular section of the book I really liked was in part one, section eight.  In this section, Winston begins to question the life he is living and how things may have been different in the past.  He has learned his whole life of one thing, and he is beginning to believe that he may not have been taught the whole truth. 

            Winston meets an old man in a pub one night and presses him to answer questions about the old days.  He is curious to know if things were better now or then, and if capitalism really was that wrong.  The old man is quite drunk during their conversation, but even if he was sober, he still would have had a difficult time answering Winston's questions.  The old man does not remember much and seems to be annoyed by the assumption that Winston wants him to automatically say things were better when the old man was a boy, and there was more freedom and individuality.  Winston goes on about what he believes the old days used to be like, and on page 93 uses the word lackeys when talking to the old man.  This brought back memories to the old man, memories of how things used to be a long time ago.  When Winston and the old man part, Winston is left thinking over their conversation.  He realizes that survivors of that era don't remember anything, at least anything of importance or value (95).  All people are now forced to believe in Big Brother and all personal freedom of thought has been erased.  There is no such thing as individuality in Oceania. 

            I find this observation to be very similar to our society today.  While today's loss of individuality is different from that of 1984's, there is still an important loss in our society.  People on the internet can be whoever they want to be.  People lie about their age, gender, and personal information.  Not knowing who people are on the internet can cause serious problems with stalking or obsession.  In this sense, I think 1984 pertains just as well to today's society as it did in 1949.  The communication technology we have today curtails our individuality just as the Big Brother curtailed individuality in 1984.  

Orwell, George. 1984. New York: Plume, 2003.