So here I am, at my house, just chillin, reading 1984. Routine. Then I read something about Winston and Julia and then, BAM! Telescreen! I couldn't believe it was behind the picture the whole time.
That part caught me off guard. It really put into perspective how much scrutiny that the population of Oceana is under constantly. Winston's felling of being "a beetle under a magnifying glass" completely made sense then.
How terrible would it be to live every moment of your life in fear, and then, finally, when you think that you are safe, realize that it was only a hoax. The entire time that your guard has been down, you were under more scrutiny than ever before.
The fact that the citizens of Oceana are completely submissive to the government's (Or Big Brother's) commands perplexed me. How, as free thinking individuals, could you allow an etherial and perhaps, nonexistant force to dictate your every thought and action? And then it occured to me, these people aren't free thinkers, nor are they individuals anymore. They are merely a shell. They do what they are told without a second guess and with no pleasure. That is where the government ultimately succeeded. They took the pleasure out of life.
I know! That part totally caught me by surprise too! I knew something bad was going to happen and that they'd be caught, but I didn't think it would be because of a hidden telescreen and that the nice old Mr. Charrington would be a bad guy. It really makes you think, how much time and effort did it take for the government to make sure there were telescreens EVERYWHERE.
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