Major Theme

The Dark Sides of Totalitarianism

→ Totalitarian regime is based on the political power by means of secret police, propaganda disseminated through the state-controlled mass media, personality cults, regulation and restriction of free discussion and criticism, single party states, the use of mass surveillance (monitoring of behavior), and widespread use of terror tactics.

1984 is a political novel written with the purpose of warning readers totalitarian government. Orwell was deeply disturbed by the widespread cruelties and oppressions he observed in communist countries, and seems to have been particularly concerned by the role of technology in enabling oppressive governments to monitor and control their citizens.

In 1984, Orwell portrays the perfect totalitarian society, the most extreme imagination of a modern-day government with absolute power. Orwell portrays a state in which government monitors and controls every aspect of human life to the extent that even having a disloyal thought is against the law.

Technology

→ By using telescreens and hidden microphones across the city, the Party monitors its members almost all of the time. Additionally, the Party employs complicated mechanisms to control economic production and sources of information, and fearsome machinery to torture upon its "enemies". 1984 reveals that technology, which is generally perceived as beneficial, can also facilitate the evil.

This is important for teenagers living in 2008 because many of them think that the development and impact of technology are always favorable. However, according to 1984, too-advanced technology can control humans, even their minds. It can also manipulate us psycologically as the telescreens in 1984 monitors people's behavior—everywhere they go, citizens are continuously reminded, especially by the omnipresent signs reading “BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU,” that the authorities are always scrutinizing them.