zlacker

1984 was not about surveillance. Surveillance was not what enabled the state depicted in 1984 to exist. The entire final section of the book explains, in detail why the state in 1984 exists and it's not because of the telescreens.

The telescreens and their usage was a tool in the arsenal of the state, but it wasn't why it functioned, nor how it came into existence.

>>XorNot+(OP)
Well what was it

>>jncfhn+T1
Control, indoctrination, and fear. The books makes a big deal about language and editing history because of how important they are in framing how people think.

The ration increased from 200 units from 15p units without mention that last years ration was 250. You couldn’t trust anyone including friends or family members etc.

But what’s so masterfully done was the realization that the revolution had become a tool for the state.

>>XorNot+(OP)
Do we have any confidence in the narrator in the last section? I assumed that there was no more reason to take any of that as true than there was at any other point in the book.

Probably the only thing that we truly know at the end is that Winston really did love Big Brother.

>>Retric+F2
IMO, surveillance is a necessary tool for control and fear. It need not be total surveillance (see e.g. the panopticon), but a belief that you will get caught is needed.

>>XorNot+(OP)
Although it's many years since I (re-)read the book, I do understand that. Nevertheless, in fiction, the surveillance was apparently mandated by the central government.

In reality, we invite the surveillance home, and give it breakfast.

>>Retric+F2
But the surveillance was a crucial part of control and indoctrination. Surveillance of the home, never knowing whether or not someone was watching, led Winston Smith, and presumably other citizens, to change their thought patterns. He was literally afraid to have an unapproved thought lest it change detectably his behavior while he was being watched. This was very similar to Soviet-style control where you could never be sure your neighbor wasn’t spying on you.

One big difference, though, is that people in our society generally accept the set of forbidden things.