In his novel "1984", George Orwell creates a society where all decency, integrity, individuality, and consciousness has been destroyed and abolished from existence in order to obtain a "so-called" utopia. Therefore, according to Orwell, utopia in this sense means "a society in which the relationships between individuals and the state are perfectly adjusted for." Torture and brainwashing is what Orwell believes are the ideal methods for achieving this perfect society or utopia. Orwell's intention for writing this novel is not to show the reader how the current society can become, but to show that it is very much possible for humans to become dehumanized by these torturous means. The society depicted in "1984" can be compared to a society that is run by machines. Orwell illustrates to the audience, with use of haunting images, that through oppression, cruelty, brainwashing, and the elimination of man's inmost desires, it is possible that man can be made "unhuman".
Oppression in the novel, resulting from two main themes of poverty and politics, is made quite evident from the very first chapter of "1984". From the moment that a person is born, he/she is taken control of by the Party in the first attempts to control the society as a whole. The child is given a uniform, thus making them all alike and illustrating unity within each person in the society. People, like robots, are born to serve their masters, the Party and Big Brother. Signs promoting Big Brother, which say, "BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU," loom over the whole town, haunting many people, but in particular the main character Winston. Devices such as the telescreen and people such as the Thought Police were developed by the Party in order to take control over the thoughts and actions of everyone living in Oceania. If someone is thought to be doing something or thinking of something that is of threat to the Party, appropriate action is taken to deal with this "so-called" betrayal of the society.
