Daniel Asher Greenman
802
Thursday, 2•5•15

Reading Response: "1984" by George Orwell

          In the book "1984" by George Orwell, an oppressive government named "The Party" rules over the country of Oceania, accounting for every possible mistake in its rule. Its citizens are under constant scrutiny, and are brainwashed from birth as to not be able to question the government. If a citizen does step put of line, they are seen, captured, and killed or brainwashed. The Party's airtight rule ensures that they will stay in power indefinitely.

          The citizens of Oceania are taught that the government is never wrong, and that they must always do what it tells them to. In the book, people idolize Big Brother, the symbolic leader of the Party, and to hate Emmanuel Goldstein, the enemy of the Party. Daily, there is a ritual called the "Two Minutes Hate" in which propaganda of the enemy is shown, and the people rally against it to raise feelings for their own government. A line from the text reads, "But [after Goldstein's image disappeared], the hostile image melted into the face of Big Brother, black haired, black mustachio'd, full of power and mysterious calm, and so vast that it almost filled up the screen." Illustrated by this is how Oceanians must seek refuge in big Brother from the thing they are forced to hate the most. Most people need something to blame in times of extreme tension, and the Party offers that, while also making them dependent on the image of big Brother for solace and hope.

          The Oceanians are always being supervised, and if caught engaging in anything even possibly contrary to the Party's beliefs, are taken out of society. In the book, Orwell writes from the point of view of the main character, Winston Smith, "Winston kept his back turned to the tele screen. It was safer, though, as he well knew, even a back can be revealing." This shows how citizens fear doing wrong by the government's rules. If  someone is caught by the government, they killed, or tortured before being released into society. This ensures that everyone fought by the Party stops being a problem for them.

         In "1984" the Oceanian government will always be in power. Most of the citizens are devout followers of the Party, trained to be so for their whole lives. If a citizen is against the Party, at the first sign or show of opposition to the government, their will to oppose the government will be eradicated, or they will die. Nobody can act on their death, as they too would be terminated. If most of a group has the same ideals, it is a simple job to see who stands out among them. This is why governments that truly support free speech are just. change is the only path to progress.