Theme Of Surveillance In 1984

Surveillance is everywhere but is not used in ways we even know. Cameras are everywhere now and everyone has one and has access to them. The government has been using surveillance to spy on enemy countries and to keep an eye out for suspicious people in our own government. Many people are unaware of how surveillance is used in their own country. In the book 1984, the government used surveillance to control a whole country into believing a specific way and changing the way they think. In the US, we have social control but not as drastic as Oceania in the novel 1984. The novel 1984 shows a separate side of control and surveillance but it doesn’t differ intently from America today. Surveillance is used under a lot of circumstances. 1984 is staged

This figurehead is not described in the novel but is understood as something with great power over this society. One type of surveillance includes telescreens much like a monitor. Another type of surveillance is “The Party” is two groups of people the “Inner Party” and the “Outer Party”. The Inner party is made up of about 2% of the population and are the people in control. The Outer Party are given administrative jobs and are composed of more educated individuals. They watch the other population of “Proles” or, the lower class, in which preform most of the unskilled tasks and labors. They observe them and watch for any sign of rebellion and acts of thoughtcrime. Thoughtcrime is thinking of anything that the Thought Police and the Party deem is illegal. Illegal is anything that differs from the views of the Party; acts of rebellion or defiance. Proles live in fear of thought police and the punishment that follows bad thought or rebellion. The Proles cower from the Party and constantly thinking about not letting their thoughts wander in front of a telescreen or in

The method most commonly explained throughout the novel are “Telescreens”. Telescreens are TVs that broadcast propaganda and spy on their people everywhere with cameras. Microphones are implanted into each telescreen which helps Big Brother and the secret police find disobedient citizens that go against the law. Another use of surveillance is the youth if they catch their parents acting out against Big Brother then they will report them and have the parents taken away. This was achieved by taking the children out of the homes at young ages and sending them to camps where they learn to love Big Brother and would do anything for Big Brother. These Youth camps were designed to make soldiers that were ready to risk their lives for Big Brother; a symbolic figurehead that they will never meet. Thought Police is a group of people from the country Oceania. They are the secret police that work for Big Brother and use telescreens, microphones, informers to search for citizens who would commit thoughtcrime. All letters sent by mail are inspected and checked by the mail service. There is no such thing as private mail. O’Brian a member of the though police lured Winston in with a book explaining strategies that can help you avoid the surveillance of the Thought