To Orwell Today,

Dear Jackie,

I am writing from Denmark, I hope you can understand my english.

I am writing a task about Orwells "1984", and I find your website very helpful. Thank you!

I also have a question for you. My angle is the conflict between society and the individual. And whether Orwell's prophecy (which I know is mostly a warning) has become fulfilled. What effect do you think surveillance has on the individual?

I hope you can give me some inspiration.

Love,
Sofia

Greetings Sofia,

Yes, regrettably it is becoming obvious that Orwell's warning is being fulfilled, although the worst of it will be felt by the present young generation - those in their 30s and under. Those of us in our 50s will witness what our apathy allowed. Many people I talk to say, "Oh, I don't care, I'll be dead." I guess they are just living for today, with no care for the future, or even for their own children and grandchildren.

Surveillance dehumanizes individuals and turns them into tools of the State - into snitches for the government and the police - just as it did in Russia after the Communists came to power, and just as it is continuing to do there under Corporate Communism, which is the system also taking over the Western World, including Europe (where Denmark is) and England, Americas, Australia etc. (present day Oceania).

Many of the ideas Orwell used for his descriptions of life in "1984" came from his understanding of life in the Soviet Union under Stalin and the KGB and their tactics. He just expanded it to include future high-tech scientific inventions - like the telescreen (two-way television), the speakwrite (computer/internet) and hovering helicopters, etc.

Orwell didn't see any difference between totalitarianism in Europe, Asia or America - the three "superstates" into which the world had become divided by the time Winston was 39 years old, in 1984, which means he was born in 1945. The United Nations (the evolving Big Brother) was also born in 1945 - just after WWII.

Orwell wasn't so much a prophet as a very intelligent man with a soul that drove him on to connect with all humanity.

All the best,
Jackie Jura

1.Winston's Diary and 3.Surveillance and 20.Thought Police and 15.Life in Oceania and 2.Big Brother and 28.Reality Control