In 1984, a telescreen is a dual-purpose device: it broadcasts party propaganda to the people of Oceania while also watching and recording their every move. As such, the telescreens are located in a wide range of locations. We find them in Winston's apartment, in the workplace and all government buildings, like the Ministry of Truth, and in public spaces, like cafes and Victory Square. A telescreen even appears in Winston's jail cell. The abundance of...
In 1984, a telescreen is a dual-purpose device: it broadcasts party propaganda to the people of Oceania while also watching and recording their every move. As such, the telescreens are located in a wide range of locations. We find them in Winston's apartment, in the workplace and all government buildings, like the Ministry of Truth, and in public spaces, like cafes and Victory Square. A telescreen even appears in Winston's jail cell. The abundance of these screens reinforces the book's central idea that 'Big Brother is Watching You' and are designed to provide examples of how a totalitarian state enforces social control.
What is, perhaps, more interesting is to look at where the telescreens are not located. There are none in the woods, for example, when Winston and Julia make love. Nor in Mr Charrington's antique shop or the Prole Pub, as proles are exempt from having them. Not having a telescreen, then, represents being outside of mainstream society and its norms and values. In the eyes of Big Brother, these people are a deviant underclass, but, for Winston, they symbolise freedom and change.
No comments:
Post a Comment