The book 1984 is a novel by George Orwell written in 1944. It is a look into the future as Orwell saw it, a dystopian universe in which the “Party” had absolute power and used it mercilessly to dominate its people.  People were separated into three groups, the Inner Party, the Outer Party and proletariats; at the head of these groups was Big Brother who had everyone under constant surveillance and rigid rules of conduct. This was achieved by forcing them to live in austere conditions with only the basic necessities and the threat of torture and certain death for those who deviated from rules. Pleasure or personal feelings were forbidden and even your spouse and children could be your persecutor.

The protagonist Winston was a member of the outer party working in the records department. His job was to alter the record of events that displeased or opposed the vision and goals of the party. He lives in a world where major countries aligned themselves into three groups, Oceania, Eurasia and Eastasia; two of these three States were usually at war with each other, a strategy used to keep the people in fear and oppression, as well as, utilize any excess resources that were produced; Winston lived in Oceania. He hated the ideals of the Party and hoped that someday there would be an uprising; however Winston was not brave enough to proactively start one of his own. Julia, Winston’s love interest was also a member of the outer party, she was rebellious but she knew how to play the system. Her courage gave Winston the nerve to be more assertive and share his disdain for the Party with O’Brien a fellow co-worker who turned out to be his interrogator after he and Julia were captured.

The world of 1984 was a figment of Orwell’s imagination, however, in today’s society there are factors that are reminiscent of some of the events that took place in the book. Surveillance of citizens by its government has been steadily increasing, under the guise of protection. This has been especially true since the attack on the World Trade Center in 2001.Freedoms and liberties are gradually being taken away and the presence of police at every corner has become normal. While we are not quite at the extremes described in the book; such as open surveillance of individuals in their homes and prosecution for mere thought we are well underway to making this Orwellian novel a prophecy.