Analyzing George Orwell’s 1984 as a Warning to the Modern Society
Without a doubt, scholars across the literary divide are often baffled by the sharp accuracy with which this book speaks about modern society. The baffling thing is that the book was published a long time ago, way before the things spoken in the book happened or had a chance of happening, but the events described in the book are similar to what we see in society today. With this in mind, it suffices to say that 1984 is a striking warning to modern society and that the events spoken in the text could occur if modern democracies fail to act. Foremost, it is essential to point out that the book primarily serves to warn the free countries of the world that they should value what they have already, which is freedom and democracy. By so saying, the author’s intention is simply to be a voice of reason concerning the fate of humanity. In it, he cautions against allowing the prosperity of a totalitarian government. A totalitarian government suppresses its people and harshly deals with dissenting voices against the regime. By so doing, the citizens of a country are left without a shred of hope in the system and live in sheer fear of the State. For instance, the State in the novel oppressed its people in the sense that “…There was, of course, no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any given moment…It was conceivable that they watched everybody all the time…You had to live—did live, from habit that became instinct—in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard, and, except in darkness, every movement scrutinized” (Orwell, 1984). Big Brother’s government needed to ensure that they had total control over the citizens to prevent the likelihood of an uprising. In this case, the people are spied upon by their own government. In such a state, rather than the government protecting the people from outside aggression, it protects itself from its people.
Secondly, it is crucial to understand that 1984 cautions against the ramifications of the rule of such a government on the people’s behavior, even when it is gone. In this case, people who such governments rule are never really free, even when oppressive regimes have been overthrown. In this case, the indoctrination and perennial oppression of the people become so much a part of the people to the extent that they become slaves of the system and always do the regime’s will. For instance, in this case, Albania, a European country, was ruled by a totalitarian government. Even though the government was overthrown, the effects to the people were that they were still servile and wary of the State. According to Pajo (2016), this society was similar to a closed society where everyone knew all people and had enslaved society features. After being ruled by totalitarian governments, the people remain submissive to the government (Pajo, 2016).
Many years after having a democratic government, the people are still wary of the government, and democracy has not been fully achieved. The people are still suspicious of the government and its institutions largely from the ghosts of the previous dictatorial government, whereby “…Freedom of expression was forbidden, religion was outlawed, and torture executions were common” (Pajo, 2016). As such, it is clear that these effects of a totalitarian regime, as advanced by Orwell, are a core feature of such governments, and the people of truly democratic countries and leaders should not allow the prosperity of such a nation.
Furthermore, such totalitarian governments get into the basic fabric of the society, which is the family, essentially making members of the family more loyal to the State than to each other. According to Orwell (1984), “…It was almost normal for people over thirty to be frightened of their own children. And with good reason, for hardly a week passed in which the Times did not carry a paragraph describing how some eavesdropping little sneak—“child hero”—had overheard some compromising remark and denounced his parents to the Thought Police.” This is indeed a warning to modern-day society to be wary of such a government whereby people clearly belong to the State and that even family members are loyal to the State, not even the family. By so doing, the totalitarian government would have immense power even in the families of people, making everyone dependent on the system. Such governments thrive by essentially turning the family against itself. With this in mind, it suffices to say that George Orwell’s novel is essentially a warning against allowing such states to exist and have a global influence on other countries. It would have irreversible consequences on people and the world, and democracies must be wary of such governments.
Also, Orwell’s novel works as proof that through sexual relationships, it is easy for the government to control its people. In this case, sex could cause hysteria, and it explains why when Julia and Winston engage in sexual intercourse, they see it as “…a blow struck against the Party” (Orwell, 1984). It explains why the government prevents sexual behavior because it rivals the loyalty to the State. It is thus safe to assume that a totalitarian government excels and thrives on reducing or repressing sexuality to create “…room for mass “marching” and public “cheering,” that is, “sex gone sour.” Nor is it hard to think of governments, and political movements, that appear to provide at least indirect support for Orwell’s claim” (Sunstein, 2010).
Nonetheless, the George Orwell literary work serves as a warning because it highlights the extent that a totalitarian government would go to exercise full control of its people. In this regard, the party controls people, employing various ways that include terror, surveillance, and even propaganda. As of January of 2016, Chinese couples were allowed to have more than one child after about thirty-five years of the one-child policy (Feng et al., 2016). It is clear that it thrives by essentially controlling its citizens in such a government.
In conclusion, a totalitarian government does not have the people’s interests and welfare as its priority. In this case, George Orwell’s literary work should be taken seriously as he warned that a state that is a dictatorship could happen as there are already signs. As such, it is sufficient to maintain that 1984 is a striking warning to modern society and that the events spoken in the text could occur if modern democracies fail to act.
References
Feng, W., Gu, B., & Cai, Y. (2016). The end of China’s one‐child policy. Studies in family planning, 47(1), 83-86.
Orwell, G. (1984). The Orwell reader: Fiction, essays, and reportage. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Pajo, M. (2016). Consequences of the Totalitarian Past on the Albanian Post-Communist Society. European Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, 3, 182-186.
Sunstein, C. R. (2010). Sexual Freedom and Political Freedom. In On Nineteen Eighty-Four (pp. 233-241). Princeton University Press.
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Question 
Analyzing George Orwell’s 1984
This week, you will submit a rough draft of your analytical paper.
Now that you have written a thesis statement and created an outline for your paper, you will use the critical reading skills practiced in this course to defend your interpretation of the literary text you have chosen to analyze. Keep in mind the importance of “close reading” or “reading between the lines.”
Your paper must include the following:
An introduction that provides relevant background information and ends with your thesis statement
A minimum of six body paragraphs that defend your thesis statement
A minimum of three references from reliable sources; one must be a scholarly, academic article, and all must be cited at least once in the paper
A conclusion that reaffirms your thesis statement and addresses wider implications
Formatting, citations, and references must all adhere to APA style.