land of the free-1984 essay
Our country, one of the most liberal around the globe, prides itself on the rights that each individual is granted upon birth. As citizens of the United States we often overlook the rare personal freedom that we are granted upon birth. As we turn the calendar onto another century we continue to grow in individuality, personal privacy, and the balance between self and government; or do we? As the calendar turns, so do the pages in scientific notebooks. Each and everyday a new discovery takes place, and just as Orwell predicted in his infamous novel 1984, the result is that our personal freedom has not only been threatened, but it may soon become non -existent. The plot of 1984 is focused upon an average man, Winston, in a robotic like society. The citizens of this place, Oceania, a country made up of many present countries, are under constant surveillance by the party, their so-called government. The party must approve each and every thing they say and do, and if one chooses to disobey or rebel, like Winton, he will literally be erased off of the face of the earth. "Behind Winston's back the voice from the telescreen was still babbling away about pig iron and the over fulfillment of the Ninth Three-Year Plan. The telescreen recei
In today's society the telescreen described here is a little far fetched but if one really considers the general idea of a government watching it's people, it doesn't seem as abstract. There was of course no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any given moment. Phone companies can tap into your phone call at anytime. Any sound that Winston made, above the level of a very low whisper, would be picked up by it; moreover, so long as he recommended, he could be seen as well as heard. 'I don't know whether you know it: duckspeak, to quack like a duck. Personally, racial and sexual slurs offend me, but does another person not have the right, by law, to voice their opinion? Musicians are forced to cut lyrics from songs because they appear offensive; it is presently against the law to say that you are going to kill the president of the United States, even if you are joking. " Here Winston is describing the telescreen, a monitor used by the party for the purpose of watching the citizens. Little cameras, now smaller than the eye can see, are placed in walls, cracks, and ceilings without our knowledge or consent all the time. In 1984 the party knew all and heard all. How often, or on what system, the Thought Police plugged in on any individual wire was guesswork. An even scarier idea is that there are presently companies that take satellite pictures all over the globe during every minute of the day. It was even conceivable that they watched everybody at the same time. On the other hand, if we assume it will never happen, than the government and other powerful figures have an easier time controlling ill-prepared, naive minds. How is watching us a part of that freedom? On one hand, monitoring behavior can keep us all safe, but on the other hand, others see everything we do, and although there are criminals out there, the majority of citizens are harmless. Applied to an opponent, it is abuse; applied to someone you agree with, it is praise (page 48).
Common topics in this essay:
Three-Year Plan,
Newspeak' Syme,
United Government,
,
personal freedom,
freedom speech,
freedom speech hand,
government watching,
phone call,
land free,
speech hand,
granted birth,
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Acceptance Essays
