Another country that has similar rules and regimes to the novel 1984 is North Korea. Ideals such as military requirements for all citizens and the looming danger of being thrown in prison or even killed for thinking differently from North Korea’s government are a constant threat. In 1984, Orwell shows a world where differentiations from the norm and the way one thinks
are punishable by prison and torture “Decades of this rigid state-controlled system have led to stagnation and a leadership dependent on the cult of personality. The totalitarian state also stands accused of systematic human rights abuses” (‘North Korea Profile’). These crimes were called ‘thought’ crimes; something the main character Winston is accused of “He was already dead, he reflected. It seemed to him that it was only now, when he had begun to be able to formulate his thoughts, that he had taken the decisive step. He wrote: Thoughtcrime does not entail death: thoughtcrime IS death” (Orwell 28). Citizens of North Korea are going through a similar, yet somewhat different standard. Within the military, citizens seventeen and older are required to join; North Korea’s women serve for a total of seven years, while men serve for ten. This excludes those with a bachelor’s degree which only requires a service of five years, so that the knowledge may be put to good use. Alongside this, women are trafficked to be sold off for marriage and on occasion, sent to other countries for a larger profit. Anyone who is opposed to this issue cannot show their faces without the risk of being caught, resembling Orwell’s novel.
“Criticism of the regime or the leadership in North Korea, if reported, is enough to make you and your family ‘disappear’ from society and end up in a political prison camp. It goes without saying that there is no free media inside the country. The only opinion allowed to be voiced inninside the country is the regime’s.” (‘The People’s Challenge’).
Freedom of expression along with the voices speaking out against North Korea’s injustices are silenced before the opportunity arises to make a change.
In Pakistan, situations are not any better than in North Korea. Pakistan’s government is slowly crumbling due to the intense fighting amongst multiple groups with opposing views, only fostering other violent wars. These disagreements result in many civilian casualties, and reveal the governments true intentions. In 1984 it can be argued that the government only cares for the citizens endorsing its cause, neglecting those who disagree. Besides for the obvious cruelty occurring in this country, Pakistan’s education system is incredibly fragile. Children do not have a safe environment to learn and work within, making it nearly impossible to improve the country. It is clear through many news reports that the government does not focus on education or additionally, freedom of religion as most Pakistan citizens are Muslim, mainly citizens disallowing any religion other than their own “Last year, two bombers struck local Catholic and Protestant churches, killing more than a dozen people, injuring many more. Protests by the Christian community only led to more violence rather than security” (Mohsin). This is just another example of the religious hatred that occurs in Pakistan.
Though countries such as Pakistan, China, and North Korea have many issues similar to those in 1984, America has several similarities to Orwell’s dystopian narrative as well. Home devices have recently dominated the technological market with products such as “Amazon Echo”, “Alexa”, and “Google Home”. These devices are seen by plenty of citizens as innocent, helpful search engines connected to the internet to reply to their inquiries. The concern in such devices is that they are almost always listening. Likewise, the government has occasionally hinted at listening in on the general public’s mobile phones and computers “The Obama administration did its best to conceal that the national security agency is listening to our electronic communications, an eerie parallel to the surveillance described in 1984” (Charles). This only contributes to the concern of illegal privacy invasions. In Orwell’s novel, surveillance is in many hidden places, allowing Big Brother to watch the civilians “’It was behind the picture,’ breathed Julia. ‘It was behind the picture,’ said the voice. ‘Remain exactly where you are. Make no movement until you are ordered.’ It was starting, it was starting at last!… The picture had fallen to the floor uncovering the telescreen behind it” (Orwell 221). This event from 1984 is shockingly parallel to the surveillance in modern homes that could be conveniently used to listen in on any conversation at any time.
Works Cited
“The People’s Challenges.” Liberty in North Korea, www.libertyinnorthkorea.org/learn-nk-challenges/.
Charles, Ron. “Why Orwell’s ‘1984’ Matters So Much.” The Washington Post, 25 Jan. 2017,
www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-40412010.html?refid=easy_hf.
Cook, Paul. “Law of Trade in Human Rights: A Legal Analysis of the Intersection of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trades Article.”
Lewis, Jim. “Investigative Journalist Who Went Undercover Offers Insights into North
Korea.” Reading Eagle, 28 Sept. 2017, Http:/tribunecontentagency.com/.
Mohsin, Saima. “Pakistan Attack: How Christian Minority Lives.” CNN, Cable News Network,
4 Apr. 2016, www.cnn.com/2016/04/04/asia/pakistan-attack-religious-intolerance/index.html.
“North Korea Country Profile.” BBC News, BBC, 14 Aug. 2017, www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-15256929.
Orwell, George. II, X, 1984, Signet Classics, p. 28, 221.