Conformity In George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four

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Many different concepts and subjects revolving around politics and the human condition are covered throughout the story of George Orwell's famous novel 'Nineteen Eighty-Four'. One of the main concepts is the idea that "whether to conform or to be original comes at a cost either way", which in most ways is a very accurate statement. On one hand, in allowing one's self to conform to what their superiors expect of them, they sacrifice their freedom and independence likely in exchange for safety and a more simplistic lifestyle. On the other hand, the choice to remain original and to not conform to what the "higher ups" tell you to do is a much more dangerous lifestyle, yet at the same time in contrast to conforming, it is a much more free and open-minded…show more content…
The Party enforces conformity on a brutal scale, in that those who show even the slightest signs of disobedience or independence are taken away to a large facility known as the Ministry of Love, where they are tortured physically and mentally until they worship The Party and its fictional mascot Big Brother, after which they are eventually executed. The Party uses all sorts of methods to make sure that little to no acts of disobedience are missed. Telescreens are placed in nearly every location in order to hear and see everything that everyone does at every moment; Thought Police patrol the streets and hide amongst the crowds of people, acting as spies and reading people's subtlest movements and expressions, and even children born into the new world are brought up to spy on their parents and eventually reveal them as enemies of The Party. The result of all these methods of information gathering is that no one can keep their secrets from The Party, not even when they're talking in their sleep. In summary, conforming gives people guaranteed safety, in exchange for any forms of freedom, true happiness and acknowledgement of one's own independence, as is provided by
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