1984 and THT Surveillance AO5

Christopher Hitchens on Surveillance in 1984

1984 is a book about the awful pleasures of servility. It is a book that intrigued us as it allows us to live out a fantasy of being servile to a degree.

How does Hitchen’s idea of surveillance in 1984 apply to the TV show Big Brother?

We are intrigued by the idea of people in cages and being able to control their lives despite the fact that we claim to live in a liberal democratic society. This links to the idea for our desire for servility. Big Brother is a paradoxical manifestation of the fears of the novel.

What has Wadell said about the link between 1984 and social media?

• The internalisation of surveillance culture - e.g. people are constantly watching other people

• Lack of concentration span caused by social media mirrors Winston's lack of concentration post torture - in order to create change we need to have awareness of the world around us and social media prevents this

Dr Davies on Surveillance in Contemporary Society

CCTV cameras enforce rules such as speed limits and not littering