1984

Dear Boethius,

I am writing to you from the future, and I have a few things to tell you about how life is now under the rule of Big Brother. I imagine this world is nothing like how it was back then. It seems as if today there is no such thing as your own opinion, or your own privacy. And I'm going to explain what i mean now. There is this thing called "thought-crime" and that occurs when you disagree with what the "party" and Big Brother say. They will consider your mind "impure" and you will be punished to "cleanse" your mind. If Big Brother says 2+2=5, then 2+2=5. You may know it is not really 5, but in todays world that is how it is. They call this kind of thing "doublethink." Doublethink is when you are told something, know its a lie, (in your mind), but speak it as the truth. "Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two makes four. If that is granted, all else follows." Listed on page 90, this quote is basicallys saying that if the freedom to say that 2+2=4, then you will again have the freedom of opinion. The ability to have this kind of control is appalling and ridiculous. I can explain how this power is kept too.

Big Brother and the party maintain there power a few different ways. You could say you are never alone. Why? Because everywhere you go you are constantly under the eys of the party and Big Brother. How? Simple, telescreens. In this time there are technologies you never would have imagined. Telescreens are basically an ivention that displays live footage broadcasted by the controller, along with sound. But, it also watches you. It sees your every move, and picks up sounds made. There isn't such thing as in the own privacy of your home. or even a private conversation. "War is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength" Found on page 114. They may say freedom is slavery, but there is no such thing as freedom in slavery. Being controlled by Big Brother is not free. He continues to keep power aloso by other minor things such as the thought police, and children. Both are used as "spies" to catch any doubt in the rule or love of Big Brother. Its against ruling to enjoy having sex and is only permitted to have a child. Children are used to spy on there parents for any type of thought crime. With all of these different ways to watch people, they listen because they are afraid to be punished or caugh in the act of a thoughtcrime.

People listen to Big Brother for the simple facts of either liking how things are run, or they are just afraid of the punishment for thoughtcrime. The punishments are rather harsh too. If caught in the act of thought crime, you will be sent/taken to a place called the ministry of love, where law and order are handled. Once brought there you will be vaporized which means any traces of your life, or you being alive will dissappear as if you have dropped off the face of the earth. There will be no trace of you. In the ministry of love, you will be tortured and practically forced to confess for things you haven't even done. This is the party's way of "cleansing" your mind to keep power and stop rebellion. By scaring you from doing it again. "Under the spreading chestnut tree, I sold you and you sold me: There lie they, and here lie we, under the spreading chestnut tree." found on page 85. I interpret this quote as if Big Brothers ruling is the chestnut tree, and is spreading and in the end you end up betraying everyone and they betray you. IN the ministry of love, people tell on others hoping they get punished instead but either way you are punished. The thought of all of this torture and punishment scares people in to believing what everything Big Brother says is true which helps him maintain power, and mostly control of people and how they think.

As I have explained in this time there is no truth, no privacy, no opinion all you really have and can say as "truth" is what you are told. Big Brother pretty much can manipulate how your mind works, and how/what you think. I don't know if his power will last, or for that fact, how long my sanity will last, but for now this is how it is. I just thought I'd let you know a little bit of how the future is today, rather then how it was (which we have no idea how it __really__ was)

Sincerely, Tani Okada