Winston and O’Brien had opposing views on the types of societies that could survive, but who was right? Winston opposes the ideas of Big Brother and believes Oceania cannot survive in their current circumstances with the government trying to control every aspect of the common lower class citizens, often called proles, and the outer party also known as the middle class. “We, the party, control all records, and we control all memories” (Orwell 248). Meanwhile, O’Brien is a part of the inner party, he loves his power and believes it will be everlasting, as a society based on hatred, greed and cruelty will not survive. Based on research and evidence from George Orwell’s 1984, a society based on hatred, greed, and cruelty cannot survive. In…show more content… Throughout history there have been many societies that attempted overwhelming control of the people, but I can't think of any ruler in the history of mankind that has been successful. There are some obvious examples between the reign of Nazi Germany and George Orwell’s 1984. In the book 1984, Big Brother decides to obtain and maintain power, causing strife among the citizens of Oceania. The people, “proles” in particular, felt their main goal was survival in this world of hatred and cruelty. The people started turning on each other through neglect and betrayal of their once close friends and family. In Oceania, there is no privacy, no safe haven. “Always eyes watching you and the voice enveloping you. Asleep or awake, indoors or out of doors, in the bath or bed-no escape. Nothing was your own except the few cubic centimeters in your skull” (Orwell 27). Everyone has turned against each other because they have put all of their faith in Big Brother. Friends and family betrayed each other because of their loyalty to Big Brother. As seen in the appendix, this totalitarian government collapsed and did not last. There are events in our past, like Nazi Germany, that thrived on a similar form of power. During the Holocaust, the Nazis were fueled by power which lead to the persecution…show more content… President Isaias Afewerki began his reign of Eritrea in 1993, installing many laws to create oppression. Under his rule, the people are tortured and stripped of their basic freedoms. The government does not allow for independent media. All sources of propaganda must go through the government before being released to the public. The government only allows the people to see what the government wants them to see. The people of Eritrea are not granted access to any form of outside information. The rapid growth of oppression in this society has lead to protest and rebellion of the people. On one occasion, a group of people forced their way into the Ministry of Information, the centralized government branch that filters through media releases. The report of this incident only lasted a few moments before the stream was cut off and all evidence of this protest was wiped from history. Big Brother has a similar power play by rewriting history so that it is presented in a way that benefits the
