Examples Of Dystopia In 1984

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Striving for perfection can often lead you in the opposite direction, just like the idea of perfection in a utopian society. A utopia is an imaginary place in which the government, laws and social conditions are perfect (“Utopia”). Many utopias, though, often evolve into dystopias, due to the conflicts of achieving a perfected lifestyle. A dystopia is an imaginary place where people are unhappy and usually afraid because they are not treated fairly (“Dystopia”). In the novel 1984, the region of Oceania is a dystopia due to the prohibition of any independent thinking, which is enforced through the use of absolute bureaucratic control and constant surveillance. In today’s society, dystopias like the Amish community demonstrate their ideas of…show more content…
The citizens of Oceania all worship Big Brother as a god, with the idea that no life existed before Big Brother. The idea of worshipping a corrupt leader is a theme throughout George Orwell’s novel 1989. Every day, the citizens must view a broadcast called Two Minutes Hate, which is the Party’s form of propaganda. The main focus of the broadcast is to remind everyone that Goldstein is the enemy; he is the cause for all of Oceania’s problems. During one of the viewings, Winston notices this change and realizes that Goldstein is not the issue at hand. Instead, he realizes something else. “And yet the rage that one felt was an abstract, undirected emotion which could be switched from one object to another like the flame of a blowlamp. Thus, at one moment Winston’s hatred was not turned against Goldstein at all, but, on the contrary against Big Brother, the Party, and the Thought Police” (Orwell 14).The main focus of “Two Minutes Hate” is to direct all emotions toward Golstein, whom Winston later on starts to question if he is even a real person. In order for the Party to achieve ultimate control, they must influence the citizens, even if it involves lying, which is why a strong and crooked leader is important to their plan. Because the citizens of Oceania worship a corrupt leader, they will never realize that the world they are living in is a rotten…show more content…
In 1984, the citizens obey Big Brother and the Party. The Amish on the other hand, is a branch of the Mennonites, who are believers of adult baptism. The society believes in absolute devotion to Jesus Christ through means of extreme simplicity (Sreenivasan). The Amish often preach about a seventeenth-century Swiss man named Jacob Amman, who was a strict believer of full-time worship, and now an additional figure head of their community (Hostetler). The Amish culture prohibits from the use of any form of modern technology, including the use of tractors for their fields. They must also wear clothes made of dark cloth, with no patterns. In addition, a child is forbidden to attend high school or college, as a higher level education is not necessary for a simple life. The Amish generally make most of their money from farming and selling handmade goods (Sreenivasan). The Amish generally enjoy this lifestyle, as it is much simpler than a modern lifestyle. They also enjoy the peacefulness of a small community, rather than a large city or suburban environment. The women, however, believe that all men have absolute power over them, just like Jesus does (Sreenivasan). This standard of living may frighten some, as a modern woman has identical rights to that of a man. On the other hand, some think that this way of living is peaceful and simple, as Americans generally use a lot

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