1984 Reading Journal Part I

The society in the book 1984 is meant by the government to be a utopia, but has become more of a dystopia, even if many of the citizens cannot recognize this fact. The government, in true utopian fashion, has tried to make all citizens appear equal and happy by way of the same opportunities, homes, foods, etc. for all citizens. However, the citizens have been stripped of all rights-freedom of speech, religion, even thoughts! Only Goldstein, who is despised by all (or is meant to be), suggests that people should have such rights, and the people follow the government in saying that this idea is preposterous. One might think that it would be difficult to convince people to conform so easily to such strange ideas; however, the government is all-powerful and often arrests people or makes it so that they simply "no longer exist" if they are not cooperating with the rules. Enough people think that they are happy that there is no mass thought of a revolution. Overall, the people are told that they live in a perfect world, even with their patched clothes and disgusting food and smelly houses--proving that this is a dystopia in disguise as a utopia.