George Orwell's The Book 1984 was written by George Orwell shortly after World War II. I think this book really shows us what would happen if the government became too powerful. The story was written a long time ago and takes place in the future, but I feel like the message is still relevant today. This story takes place in an imaginary country called Oceania; it is one of the three great superstates of the world of 1984. Oceania is a society similar to Hitler's Germany; with absolute power in government and absolutely no individualism. Oceania is governed by a totalitarian government, the head of the government was Big Brother. Big Brother watches everyone through TV screens and the thought police. TV screens monitor every move and there is no privacy. TV screens were the only source of media people could see and were often used to broadcast propaganda. “Ignorance is strength” was one of the party’s slogans; this and others were frequently broadcast to the public. The government did not allow gratification or sexual relations. Any thought or action that went against the government's beliefs was punishable by torture or death. The government deployed spies to capture those who spoke out against it. These spies turned out to be friends, neighbors and even family members. The separation of families showed how desperate people were, their families who should always have supported each other gave themselves away. Big Brother pitted everyone against each other and used propaganda to successfully control Oceania. All media was controlled, so people only heard what Big Brother chose. The country had also developed its own language called Newspeak. Newspeak was unique in the sense that while it was in the middle of a paper it could be sent to every home using telescreens. Hitler also used propaganda very often. Orwell even made Big Brother physically similar to Hitler and Stalin, creating him with a strong black mustache. The message of this story is timeless and will be just as relevant 40 years from now as when it was written. Let's hope, however, that this never becomes our reality. Living in a world with such strict rules and regulations and no real individuality would not be pleasant. As a society, we tend to take our freedoms for granted and think they will always be there. Orwell says very clearly that if we step aside and allow the government to do our thinking for us, we will become what the Oceanic people were. He made his point clearly; that in a totalitarian government, free thought is not possible. Under extreme oppression, the human spirit is destroyed.