1984 Part 1

In a utopia, it is necessary to make everyone equal or seemingly equal. After reading the first section of 1984 by George Orwell, this concept is very prominent. Equality is enforced by The Party and its leader, Big Brother. Everything a person does is monitored by The Party through devices called telescreens, and there are signs all over the place that say, "BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU." Everyone is expected to follow the same beliefs, such as being dedicated to the Party and Big Brother, and having a hatred of Emmanuel Goldstein. They follow the same rituals, such as the Two Minutes Hate. There are people called Thought Police who identify anyone who may commit "thoughtcrime", or any thought against The Party or Big Brother. These immense restrictions also clearly deprive these people of their right to choose, which is another concept necessary in a utopia.

The Party goes to extreme efforts to control the people and eliminate conflict. For one, they are trying to get rid of the sexual instinct. Many people have sworn to chastity, and some refer to any sexual activity as their "duty to The Party." If people who requested marriage showed any signs of physical attraction to each other, they were denied. In the society of 1984, a person didn't have "friends", he had "comrades." The Party is clearly trying to eliminate relationships. There is no mention of religion so far, however the devotion to The Party and Big Brother is strong and enforced in everyone, and many people worship Big Brother and refer to him has a "savior". Throughout all of these restrictions, The Party does make people think they are happy for the most part. No one questions the way of life enforced by the party, and if one does, he is "vaporized".

It is clear that even with all of the effort The Party goes through to make and maintain a utopia, the society is 1984 is a dystopia. There is no such thing as a utopia or "perfect" society, but even if there were, this society in 1984 is far from it. The Party tries to restrain from problems and maintain equality, however their approach is defective, and has caused a prominent fear throughout the society.