George Orwell's novel 1984 depicts a dystopian vision of the future, in which the thoughts and actions of citizens are controlled by the Big Brother government. This novel connects the merciless surveillance and lack of privacy of citizens to today's government actions. Totalitarianism, surveillance, and lack of privacy may all be common themes in Orwell's 1984 novel, but they are also prevalent in modern society and government. Many people today have and will continue to reject the ideologies mentioned in 1984, seeing them as unrealistic predictions that could never come true in the democratic system in which they live today. But are Orwell's ideologies completely implausible, or did his predictions already play a hidden role in society? Today, many citizens are truly unaware of the extent to which their private lives are made public. With new technological advancements, modern democratic government can easily track and investigate citizens without their knowledge. While the government depicted in 1984 may use gadgets such as TV screens and moderators such as the Thought Police, these ideas depicted can be seen today in the ever-evolving democratic government known as "the equivalent” of the voice of the people. Orwell perhaps painted a clearer picture of modern surveillance than one might have imagined in this “fictional” novel. Additionally, a government based on totalitarianism is a dictatorship in which the dictator is not limited by constitutional laws or additional opposition. “Big Brother is watching you” (Orwell 3). Why is Big Brother so concerned about surveillance of its citizens? In 1984, the journey of an individual, Winston Smith, was recounted. His life typifies the recklessness and deprivation of the totalitarian policies ...... middle of paper ...... active in place, but he does not want these actions to be used against them. What the government has done is manipulate this fear, while 1984 helps those who favored intrusive surveillance question this as another form of government manipulation to strengthen the government's power over its citizens. Ultimately, the common ideas found in the novel 1984, totalitarianism, surveillance, and lack of privacy are also pervasive in modern society and government. Big Brother and the modern government have managed to control their citizens through surveillance equipment, and they all fear for a little more power. There is much to be learned from such an undesirable form of society, much like that of Oceania in 1984. By closely examining Big Brother's government, alarming connections can be made to actual government actions in the United States and the cruel world of Orwell's book..