1984 (Part 1)

In George Orwell's 1984, the society of Oceania attempts to achieve the status of "utopia". To do so, the government must create equality, eliminate conflict, and force happiness.

To create equality, "The Party" institutes a series of restrictions that force a certain conformity upon the citizens. This conformity is used to create a sense of equality. The Party does so with the use of constant monitoring and the lingering threat of such a thing as the "Thought Police". The oft quoted poster that is featured everywhere in this world reads, "BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU". All of these threats of "retribution" force the people of Oceania to think and act as the totalitarian government wants them to. This coerced conformity puts everyone on an even ground.

The elimination of conflict goes hand-in-hand with the forced equality. The constant threat of death and elimination of basic human rights keeps conflict to a minimum. The limiting of thought stops the citizens from delving into religious thought, and without any outside confirmation of religious beliefs, religion has been eliminated. Relationships are perceived as something far from what we perceive them as, and the people are heavily sexually repressed.

This conformity and lack of conflict create an environment that might lead people to believe that they are happy, but that happiness is only a fabrication of The Party. They are able to control what people think and believe, and with that kind of power, it is simple to contrive a universal "happiness". However, it is important to note that they haven't created true happiness.

This fact allows me to discern that this society of Oceania is in fact a dystopia. It may have the recipe for a utopian society, but the execution is malevolent and unfair. The Party may have initially had good intentions, but they have tightened their grip too far.