Land Of The Free-1984 Essay Essay, Research Paper

Our country, one of the most liberal around the globe, prides itself on the rights that each individual is granted upon birth. As citizens of the United States we often overlook the rare personal freedom that we are granted upon birth. As we turn the calendar onto another century we continue to grow in individuality, personal privacy, and the balance between self and government; or do we? As the calendar turns, so do the pages in scientific notebooks. Each and everyday a new discovery takes place, and just as Orwell predicted in his infamous novel 1984, the result is that our personal freedom has not only been threatened, but it may soon become non -existent.

The plot of 1984 is focused upon an average man, Winston, in a robotic like society. The citizens of this place, Oceania, a country made up of many present countries, are under constant surveillance by the party, their so-called government. The party must approve each and every thing they say and do, and if one chooses to disobey or rebel, like Winton, he will literally be erased off of the face of the earth. Behind Winston s back the voice from the telescreen was still babbling away about pig iron and the over fulfillment of the Ninth Three-Year Plan. The telescreen received and transmitted simultaneously. Any sound that Winston made, above the level of a very low whisper, would be picked up by it; moreover, so long as he recommended, he could be seen as well as heard. There was of course no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any given moment. How often, or on what system, the Thought Police plugged in on any individual wire was guesswork. It was even conceivable that they watched everybody at the same time. But at any rate they could plug in your wire whenever they wanted to (page 6). Here Winston is describing the telescreen, a monitor used by the party for the purpose of watching the citizens. In today s society the telescreen described here is a little far fetched but if one really considers the general idea of a government watching it s people, it doesn t seem as abstract. We, citizens of the Untied States, are watched in stores, at work and while resting at stoplights everyday. Little cameras, now smaller than the eye can see, are placed in walls, cracks, and ceilings without our knowledge or consent all the time. An even scarier idea is that there are presently companies that take satellite pictures all over the globe during every minute of the day. Not only does the government have access to these pictures, so does anyone else with a pretty penny. (Telescreening doesn t sound that obscure anymore does it?) At first it might have seemed like something only a dictator would do, but it is happening right here in the land of the free. How is watching us a part of that freedom? On one hand, monitoring behavior can keep us all safe, but on the other hand, others see everything we do, and although there are criminals out there, the majority of citizens are harmless. The government is watching the innocent as if they were guilty for the purpose of knowing all, just like in 1984.

Another example of government control in 1984 is Newspeak. There is a word in Newspeak, said Syme. I don t know whether you know it: duckspeak, to quack like a duck. It is one of those interesting words that have two contradictory meanings. Applied to an opponent, it is abuse; applied to someone you agree with, it is praise (page 48). Newspeak is the language that Winston s society is in the process of converting to. They tell the people what they can and cannot say. Here in the U.S., we have the freedom of speech, but on the other hand many people are taken to court because of things they say. Personally, racial and sexual slurs offend me, but does another person not have the right, by law, to voice their opinion? Musicians are forced to cut lyrics from songs because they appear offensive; it is presently against the law to say that you are going to kill the president of the United States, even if you are joking. How do theses things reflect freedom of speech? On the other hand, who would know if you said any of theses things? Years ago, letters were the only form of communication without personal contact, but as phones, email, and faxes become a necessity, the government has complete control. Phone companies can tap into your phone call at anytime. Internet servers can record your e-mail messages whenever they please, and although the United States Government denies that such a thing exist, other countries have acknowledge that there is a world wide system in which every phone call is screened for words that are threatening or somehow inappropriate. In 1984 the party knew all and heard all. How is this any different?

As cameras get smaller and technology becomes more advanced, personal freedom and privacy declines. Should we be scared? And what will become of our society if we continue along this same path? In 1984, Winston, the rebel, did not succeed at overcoming the party. They were too strong and too wise for just one man. Eventually they took over his mind and his life. He died. As Americans, most of us cannot picture life without personal freedom, for that is the very thing that we think sets us apart and makes red, white, and blue, so great. On the other hand, if we assume it will never happen, than the government and other powerful figures have an easier time controlling ill-prepared, na ve minds. We must be aware of what surrounds us and what might become of a powerful government in the age of wires, miniatures, and antennas. We currently live in the land of the free, but for how long? It is the year 2001, but 1984 can still happen.