By now, I'm sure most of us are familiar with George Orwell's classic dystopian novel, 1984. Although I haven't read the novel in a long time, I recently saw a preview of the new Broadway play adaptation. Let me tell you, it's very different when you see it on-screen than imagining it in your head. If you thought the book was disturbing, the play included periodic loud noises and flashing strobe lights to add to the unnerving environment. Now, many connections have been made that we're currently living in an environment similar to 1984, or we're at least close to living in one. So here lies the question: are we really experiencing 1984 right now?
Well, kind of. We're certainly not living in a world as discomforting as the play/novel, but if we're not careful, we could be living like that sooner than you might think. As you could guess, it has a lot to do with our current political system. For those who are not familiar with 1984, it's about Winston Smith, a typical man who is a member of the Outer Party, the middle class of Oceania, the main location in the novel. Oceania is under control of the Inner Party, the nation's higher class. The Inner Party oversees the Outer Party and the rest of the population. Big Brother, the leader of Oceania, represents the Inner Party, and oversees everyone's thoughts. That's the reason for the constant reminder, "Big Brother is watching you."
This could definitely relate to Donald Trump. Please keep in mind, I'm not bashing him. Some of Trump's beliefs, especially when he lies, are reminiscent of Big Brother. While we're currently not living in a world where we have to be extremely aware of what we think, if we're not careful, things could spiral out of control. The big problem is, we don't know what Trump is going to say next. His unpredictability could make some live in constant fear. His selfish and careless decisions have angered tons of people around the world, including some Trump supporters themselves.
So far, we're not living in a 1984-like world. At least, not yet. We can try to fight back, but the truth is, unfortunately, it's just not enough. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't stop trying. I'm not saying impeach Trump, but I will say to stand up for your beliefs and your human rights. If we can do that, we could make the world a better place to live, one step at a time.
