1984 and Today’s Society Essay -- English Literature

1984 and Today’s Society Though 1984 was written well before the year 1984 and it is now 2005, there are many similarities between the book and today’s society. Relationships of all kind have less value, the government watches one’s every move (or at least has the capability to), and large groups of people are influenced to believe opinions at school due to the government. The government has regulations and records on everything and everybody. George Orwell may not have been very far from predicting the truth when writing 1984 in 1948. In the United States today, anywhere from something as harmless as television shows to the government itself promotes less sanctity of a loving family much like 1984. In the book, children went to school and were trained to be spies and turn adults into the thought police. Parsons (Winston’s comrade and neighbor) was turned in by his own children. He had committed a â€Å"thought crimeâ€Å". This shows what little respect the children in the book had for their parents, and the baffling effect was the parents getting use to and accepting it. Parsons had told Winston that he’s actually kind of proud of his child. â€Å"Big Brother† discouraged emotions and anything with meaning in families. Children are raised today with households based on financial support, affairs, and anything but real love. Children are taught that divorce is okay, and the value of marriages has greatly decreased. â€Å"Till death do us part† may now really mean â€Å"Till death do us part or if you can’t work out any problems and do things my way†. In 1984, Winston â€Å"separated† with his wife Katherine. By law he could not get married again unless Katherine died but this was strictly to discourage love and sexual relationshi... ...the schools contradict information the children is given from the parents. The theory of evolution for example, has been taught as a theory and not creation. Parents may not spend much time teaching their children about creation and the child has only the school’s information to turn to. Sex education being another excellent example, students in high school are taught to have â€Å"safe sex† instead of no sex at all. This may also contradict parents and their teachings. With relationships downplayed, the government having access to one’s private life and their children, George Orwell was very correct about the future of society and humans alike. Though the book was rather intense when it came to the outcomes, Orwell described a world of the government brainwashing the people. Much of society does not realize what is going on or think it is a negative effect.