1984 vs. America in 2004: Dystopia or Distant Mirror?

Introduction: Is America Really So Different from Oceania?

This essay examines 1984 by George Orwell, with an Afterword by Erich Fromm. Specifically, it discusses the similarities and differences between the "imagined" world of Oceania and the "real" world of America in 2004, using Fromm's Afterword in relation to 21st century American society. Orwell's novel 1984 seems far removed from American society in 2004, but on closer inspection, the two worlds may not be so different after all. The Patriot Act allows our own "Big Brother" to spy on suspected terrorists, and the FBI has repeatedly arrested the wrong people. Technology gives grocery stores and banks access to personal information every day, and we do not question it. Are we really so distant from 1984?

Clearly, there are many differences between our society and the society Orwell describes in 1984. The residents of Oceania have surrendered every freedom and live in constant fear of Big Brother, who is always and forever "watching you." While many 21st century Americans complain about growing government power and the loss of personal freedoms, after reading this book it becomes clear that they have very little to complain about by comparison. However, the road to utopia is not very different from the road to dystopia, and it is clear — especially given widespread fear over terrorism — that greater controls could come. Those controls could make the country look less like a functioning democracy and more like a dysfunctional authoritarian state, rather than a society where citizens still have a meaningful say in their governance.

The Dystopian World of 1984 and Real-World Parallels

Throughout the novel, Orwell portrays "Airstrip One" — his renamed England — as a terrible place to live, where people are perpetually afraid and someone is always watching over their shoulder. Citizens are monitored by telescreens in every room, and they live in constant fear that the Thought Police will discover something incriminating and take them away to be "vaporized." As Orwell writes early in the book, "Asleep or awake, working or eating, indoors or out of doors, in the bath or in bed — no escape. Nothing was your own except the few cubic centimeters inside your skull" (Orwell 26). This is a terrible way to live, and it is the antithesis of utopia. Dystopia is the opposite of the perfect society, and that is precisely what the world of 1984 represents — a hell on Earth that the author believes could arise without much prompting. The imagined world of Oceania is a place where torture is routine and love is forbidden. We are nowhere near this degree of control in 21st century America, and it seems Americans would not tolerate it; they would stand up and rebel, just as the Proles are beginning to rebel in the novel. Yet it is equally clear that the Party has constructed a powerful political system fully capable of suppressing rebellion and maintaining control over the population. Is America on the path toward the same kind of control?

In his Afterword, Erich Fromm calls Orwell's book a "powerful warning" (Fromm 267). Americans might smugly assume that the controls depicted in 1984 could never take hold here, but it does not require much reflection to recognize that similar controls are already in place in many countries around the world. In China, journalists are banned and citizens are controlled by the Communist Party to a considerable degree. In Cuba, Fidel Castro kept his people in poverty and living in fear of his Party and its informants. In Iraq, Saddam Hussein ruled through fear and violence. These realities still exist in modern times, and there is no guarantee — as societies grow increasingly fearful of the world around them — that our own country could not develop escalating controls under the banner of keeping us "safe," while quietly stripping away personal freedoms.

Surveillance Technology and the Erosion of Privacy

The watchful telescreen may not yet be installed in our homes, but many existing technologies already allow the government to eavesdrop on conversations and intrude into personal lives. Radio Frequency Identification Devices (RFIDs) are tiny microcomputer systems capable of transmitting a great deal of information about consumers. They cost as little as 25 cents to produce and were expected to become ubiquitous in the retail sector within a few years of 2004. These devices emit information when struck by bursts of electromagnetic radiation, and they can do so from virtually anywhere. Why are these devices so troubling? Because "all kinds of information could theoretically be transmitted about an individual without their knowledge or consent, by tags in their shirts, shoes, gloves, belts, car seats, credit cards, and so on" (Dixon).

What may be even more alarming than the potential of these devices to gather sensitive and potentially damaging information is the fact that so many Americans simply take this kind of technology for granted, without pausing to consider its long-term implications. Today, nearly everyone carries a grocery loyalty card that records exactly what they buy and how often; they also use ATM cards that reveal how much they spend, where, and how much money remains in their accounts. Countless other records now store personal information electronically, and those records are accessible to government agencies if a person is suspected of criminal activity. We take our right to privacy for granted, even as that privacy steadily erodes. Is this merely the beginning of an organized and repressive society like the one Orwell describes? According to Fromm and others, it very well could be, and citizens should be far more vigilant about both government overreach and the protection of their privacy.

Conclusion: How Close Are We to 1984?

The closer the reader looks at 1984, the more commonalities become apparent between dystopic Oceania and 21st century America, whether we want to admit it or not. Our society is well on its way toward resembling another Oceania, and if we allow technologies such as RFIDs to expand unchecked, it will not be surprising if Big Brother comes knocking on our door sooner than we expect.

References

Caminiti, Jason. "It's Like 1984 All Over Again." 9 March 1996. 25 May 2004.

Dixon, Dr. Patrick. "RFIDs: Great New Logistics Business or Brave New World?" GlobalChange.com. 2004. 25 May 2004.

Orwell, George. 1984. New York: Signet, 1981.