This made it impossible for people to rebel because rebellion cannot be carried out without ideas and the cooperation of many people. The novel also focuses the reader to consider the power of their thoughts. In the book a government believed that though was so powerful that it created a system in which free though was discourages and even punishable unto death. Big Brother understands that thoughts lead to action and rebellious actions could threaten the authority of the government. In addition, punishing people for thinking the wrong way was designed to deter others from having thoughts that were not sanctioned by the government. This was a fear tactic used to maintain control.

Interestingly enough Orwell had great difficulty publishing many of his novels because of the thoughts that he expresses. In addition, even when his books were published they wear often met with a great deal of controversy. For instance. "Nineteen Eighty-Four got an icy reception in leftwing circles and was violently attacked in the communist press (Meyers, 1)." Indeed people were vehemently opposed to his work because of the social and political issues that they exposed.

Through this novel, Orwell establishes how total population control can occur and why it must be avoided. According to Atkins (1984) "In Orwellian terms, 1984 means menace; it stands for the triumph of Totalitarianism a useful word with which Orwell familiarized us…(34)" The characters demonstrate how deception and deceit can cause people to act in ways that are contrary to their character and even contrary to the nature of human-beings. With this understood social conditions should never be ignored and people should always have free will to choose. This does not mean that laws don't exist. Instead it simply means that the laws do not hinder the right to free expression or to think as one chooses.

In

This is particularly evident in the use of the words Big Brother. Today these words have become synonymous with government practices that are overbearing. In addition, there is a television show entitled Big Brother in which contestants are constantly monitored. In many ways that ideas presented in the book have become a subconscious part of society. In this way Orwell's influence in unique among writers because he established a certain shift in the paradigm concerning what constitutes good social and political structure and how in the absence of the correct structures a society can devolve into chaos. Many of Orwell's works take on this challenge and Nineteen Eighty-For is no exception.
Overall the book serves as a reminder that people in positions of power do not always have the best interest of the people they serve in mind. In some instances, their motives are selfish and their desires are to harm people. Orwell does an excellent job of warning people concerning the pitfalls of totalitarian rule. The novel will continue to provide important social commentary for years to come.