Freedom of Media Big Brother and 1984 Essay - 898 Words

In 1949, George Orwell wrote one of the most influential and relevant scientific fiction books of modern time. The book critiques the rule of totalitarian governments using subtle and not so subtle satire. The book reveals the dangers of a government gaining too much power over its citizens. The government can abuse its abundance of authority by controlling all of the media available to the citizens. In 1984, Orwell fears government control of media because it helped brainwash and control the citizens in Nazi Germany and the USSR and today it continues to inhibit free will and thought in areas such as China and Russia. Several times throughout 1984, Orwell emphasizes the dangers of the government having total control of the media. The†¦show more content†¦There were various events that instigated Orwell’s fear of the government having total control of the media. In the few years before the writing of 1984, World War II occurred. During this time, censorship was imple mented in Germany by the Nazi Propaganda Ministry. The Ministry â€Å"took control of all forms of communication in Germany: newspapers, magazines, books, public meetings, and rallies, art, music, movies, and radio (United States Memorial Museum).† The regulation/censorship of all media in Germany restricts the freedom of thought and information for all citizens. This allows the government to control what the people see, which directly influences what they will think and act about, especially if they have no access to any other media. Orwell’s fears were also exposed in the satellite states of the USSR, especially in Lithuania from 1940-1989 in which a bibliocide was active (Newth). The bibliocide in Lithuania consisted of numerous libraries and other books that didn’t support the ideals of the USSR being burned downed and destroyed. This destruction and censorship of any idea or thought that does not support the ruling government can be very harmful. Without a ny other sources the citizens will be much more likely to believe whatever information the government feeds them and they will be unable to formulate their own thoughts and opinions. The thought of the citizens being unable toShow MoreRelatedThe Real-Life Counterparts of 1984s Oceania Essay1616 Words   |  7 Pages Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin are household names, but what about the more obscure individuals Muammar Qaddafi, Xi Jinping, and Kim Jong-un? George Orwell used 1984 as a prediction of what could happen if the fascism in Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia persisted. The dystopian, fascist government that exists in 1984 resembles the governments in the real-life, modern-day countries of Libya, China, and North Korea. 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