1984- A Reflection Of Ourselves

1984- A Reflection Of Ourselves

In the novel 1984, the author George Orwell has created the ultimate
“anti-utopia”; a world in which there were no personal rights, poor living
conditions, and everything was controlled by hatred.
Despite the feelings of horror the reader may feel toward the
protagonists, Winston and Julia, they have to take a more in-depth look at the
novel, its meaning and the author Orwell himself, to truly understand it.
Orwell has created a satirical version of the society in which he wrote the
book- Post World War II Europe.   Not only does Orwell satirize the new
order which came out of the second world war, he shows the reader, through
these similarities, that our own society is not far from the oppressive society
of 1984, and thus offers the reader a warning about what the future could hold
for us.  
The set up of the political system in the novel, 1984 is reminiscent of
the world order which arose out of World War II.   In the novel, the world is
broken into three different super-countries: Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia.
Each of these powers is separated by the political doctrines they followed.
These countries were in a constant state of war with one another.   One
country was always allied to another, while at war with the third.   This kept
the world stable and allowed the governments to control their people through
fear.
Even though wars were constantly raging, the fighting itself never
affected the heartland of any of the countries.   It always took place in an out
of the way area, such as Africa or the Middle East.   None of the
“super-countries” is strong enough to defeat any of the others, so the balance
of power remained roughly the same within all of them.
On top of all the turmoil, there was never really a clear reason for the
fighting, given to the world’s citizens.   The war was needed to fill the
government’s agenda, not to help the cause of the people.   Similarities
between this and our post war world are striking.   When...