Walter Kirn’s example of intrusion in his “Little Brother is Watching” essay resonated with me in terms of parallels to Orwell’s world.
In his essay, “Little Brother is Watching,” Walter Kirn points out that the intrusion readers find so abhorrent in 1984 is actually not too different than modern society. Kirn creates a “Big Brother/Little Brother” analogy to depict this parallel, comparing the dictatorial government of Orwell’s world with today’s prying, technologically-dependent population. Glued to our phones and instinctively reaching for the camera, we constantly invade the privacy of others without ever thinking twice. Just as Big Brother used telescreens to conduct constant surveillance, we use our cell phones, cameras, and social media to snoop and scrutinize. Viral videos, for instance, can launch people to fame in a matter of minutes, however they also have the power to wreak havoc on one’s life. Tyler Clementi was unfortunately victim to the latter, resorting to suicide after an intimate act circulated the internet. Little Brother’s impact was therefore so detrimental that it not only ruined his life, it ended it. Likewise, Big Brother’s intrusion of Winston Smith’s private thoughts and opinions resulted in his torture and mental desolation. While the context of each situation was drastically different, the severe outcomes are strikingly similar. This frightening parallel therefore exposes the oppressiveness of our so-called democratic society and our natural tendency to conform to it. As someone growing up in the technological world, the example of the viral video and its connection to 1984 deeply resonated with me, allowing me to see beyond the surface of such a familiar topic. While Orwell obviously did not predict the future, his idea of conformity and intrusion did - in a way - come true.