Corporation and Government Control reflected in 1984
Throughout 1984, a book by George Orwell, the dystopian setting ruled by Big Brother
reflects and warns us about the growing control of Governments and Corporations over citizens'
lives. Possessing the power to rewrite and edit history in addition to manipulating citizens
psychologically by making the party's failures appear to be huge successes as well as suppressing
sexuality and emphasizing that the end goal of making love is to create new party members is
also key to Big Brother's control. Additionally, punishing citizens for anything they do while
observing them through telescreens keeps the citizens in fear of doing anything. The setting
created is similar in many ways to North Korea, under the control of dictator Kim Jong Un.
The ministry of truth is responsible for "correcting" history. By doing so, the citizens of
Oceania believe that their country is mistake-free and has always been. Similarly, in North
Korea, the internet is fully blocked in addition to many methods of obtaining information
relating to other countries, so the citizens believe nothing other than their country being the best.
"And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed – if all records told the same tale –
then the lie passed into history and became truth. 'Who controls the past,' ran the Party slogan,
'controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.'" (Orwell, 44). Kim Jong Un, the
leader of North Korea applies a less daunting format of this manipulation, by informing citizens
only about things the government wants them to know. The party not only does this but they also
edit what citizens already know and believe to be true.
Love-making and sexual activities are highly suppressed by the party. The end goal of
sex is to create new party members, and the party tries to obliterate all love unless the love is for
Big Brother. Because of this, Winston is separated from his wife who followed the views of the
party as well. His wife, Katherine, views sex as a chore to create party members. The party even
encourages separation betw...
