- The main theme that I found in reading 1984 was oppression. Although we have to look no further than our streets, schools, businesses, country, etc. Our history books contain the oppression of the Jewish community in Europe, the oppression of African Americans in America, and sprinkled through out the media are various oppressions happening right now. Not many people know of the oppression which occurred in South Africa, which formally began in 1950 with the passing of the Population Registration Act which required all South Africans to get classified into one of three groups: White, Black (African), or colored (of mixed decent). With this act, it was easier to take it a step further and begin to ban the mixing of races. Of course, in 1984, Big Brother does not go so far as to ban the mixing of the inner party, the party, and the proles, it is the unspoken status-quo.
- The significant action of mixing was not the only thing that could land you in jail or a grave. In 1953, the Public Safety Act and Criminal Law Amendment Act were created to punish those who protest against or support the repeal of a law. Just as in 1984, a thought was enough to incriminate you. With the term of “Crimethink,” even just trusting yourself is not enough.
- Oppression links the real life events of the Apartheid of South Africa and the fiction thriller, 1984.
