Drake Muller
Mrs. Bernhard
AP English Lit
September 10, 2013
Government Distractions
In the book 1984, George Orwell explains how in Oceania the government distracts their citizens from what is happening with the government and from what is going on all around them. This makes the citizens of Oceania seems like they are almost brainwashed because their minds are kept on so much other stuff that they have no idea what important things are happening around them everyday. Oceania does things to distract their citizens from the government for they will think that nothing is wrong and everything is going great. Also, if you really think about it our government does the same thing sometimes in our world today. The government likes to make everyone believe that everything that is happening is going well and that there is nothing to worry about, when there are so many different problems that we just can't see.
Some of the ways that Oceania's government distracted its citizens were by having them associate with the two minutes of hate everyday. This was an event that happened every day when everyone gathers in front of a large screen and are driven into a frenzy of hatred, even to the point of throwing things at the screen. Usually they should their hate towards Eurasia and East Asia, but this was also to help big brother detect disloyalty in the party members. Another way they kept the citizens distracted was by having them be able to drink the and smoke. For instance Winston always had his victory gin and his cigarettes because they helped him get through the day and be able to let go of some of the stress that he has built up. The reason that this also distracts the citizens because when doing these things it doesn't allow them to be 100% focused and they don't realize or focus as much on the problems that are going on around them.
Oceania controls everything that goes on around there and they control what the people do, think and basically feel. Oceania and Big brother basically control anyone and anything that goes on there and if they don't like something is going they will change it right then and there. As, for our government in real life today, they control what goes on around us, but they are limited on how much they control us and what they can make us do. Our government although, is similar to the one of Oceania because they also use different ways to keep us distracted from the real problems that go on around us today.
Some of the ways that our Government distracts us is by keeping our mind distracted from the important stuff and keeping us focused on worthless entertainment. For instance television, our government shows us what they want us to see on television and what we are able to see. Like whenever watching the news, they show us what they want us to see. They don't get all the details of the story and also, there are hidden secrets that the government will not show either. The government also distracts us in some ways that we don't realize is a distraction. For instance the police system in our world distracts us from so much and sometimes we don't even realize it. The police department lets us hear mostly about what goes on around us, but just like the government they also keep secrets from us everyday. What we don't realize today is that our world is chaos just like in the book 1984, and the government is trying to keep us under control so that nothing will happen. Now we are not under as much control as they are in the story 1984, but they do it now more secretly in our world today for we don't realize it and try to change it. Although, we do still have the people that try to figure out what is all going on and know that the government is hiding things from us. Just like Winston in 1984 and Edward Snowden in our world today. They both went behind the government and tried to let everyone see what is really going on and now they are serving severe consequences.
Mrs. Bernhard
AP English Lit
September 10, 2013
Government Distractions
In the book 1984, George Orwell explains how in Oceania the government distracts their citizens from what is happening with the government and from what is going on all around them. This makes the citizens of Oceania seems like they are almost brainwashed because their minds are kept on so much other stuff that they have no idea what important things are happening around them everyday. Oceania does things to distract their citizens from the government for they will think that nothing is wrong and everything is going great. Also, if you really think about it our government does the same thing sometimes in our world today. The government likes to make everyone believe that everything that is happening is going well and that there is nothing to worry about, when there are so many different problems that we just can't see.
Some of the ways that Oceania's government distracted its citizens were by having them associate with the two minutes of hate everyday. This was an event that happened every day when everyone gathers in front of a large screen and are driven into a frenzy of hatred, even to the point of throwing things at the screen. Usually they should their hate towards Eurasia and East Asia, but this was also to help big brother detect disloyalty in the party members. Another way they kept the citizens distracted was by having them be able to drink the and smoke. For instance Winston always had his victory gin and his cigarettes because they helped him get through the day and be able to let go of some of the stress that he has built up. The reason that this also distracts the citizens because when doing these things it doesn't allow them to be 100% focused and they don't realize or focus as much on the problems that are going on around them.
Oceania controls everything that goes on around there and they control what the people do, think and basically feel. Oceania and Big brother basically control anyone and anything that goes on there and if they don't like something is going they will change it right then and there. As, for our government in real life today, they control what goes on around us, but they are limited on how much they control us and what they can make us do. Our government although, is similar to the one of Oceania because they also use different ways to keep us distracted from the real problems that go on around us today.
Some of the ways that our Government distracts us is by keeping our mind distracted from the important stuff and keeping us focused on worthless entertainment. For instance television, our government shows us what they want us to see on television and what we are able to see. Like whenever watching the news, they show us what they want us to see. They don't get all the details of the story and also, there are hidden secrets that the government will not show either. The government also distracts us in some ways that we don't realize is a distraction. For instance the police system in our world distracts us from so much and sometimes we don't even realize it. The police department lets us hear mostly about what goes on around us, but just like the government they also keep secrets from us everyday. What we don't realize today is that our world is chaos just like in the book 1984, and the government is trying to keep us under control so that nothing will happen. Now we are not under as much control as they are in the story 1984, but they do it now more secretly in our world today for we don't realize it and try to change it. Although, we do still have the people that try to figure out what is all going on and know that the government is hiding things from us. Just like Winston in 1984 and Edward Snowden in our world today. They both went behind the government and tried to let everyone see what is really going on and now they are serving severe consequences.