1984: HOW RELEVANT IS IT TODAY?

1984 is an anti-Utopian novel in which Orwell depicts a society four decades into the future. It is a society that has been perverted, rather than perfected, by a government that strips humans of their basic rights. Even though the year of 1984 has now passed without the creation of a Big Brother state, the novel still has relevance today. Although the cold war is over and the fascist governments no longer exist, man still feels alienated.

The heavily automated society of today has stripped people of human contact. Prejudice and hatred still exist in many forms. Political maneuvers are still made throughout the world, often without the interest of people in mind. The threat of war still hangs heavy. As a result, 1984 is as relevant now as it was in the post-war period. It is still a warning to humankind that it can never let down its guard; it must protect precious human rights, both today and in the future.

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