One of the warnings evident in George Orwell’s 1984, is submission and conformity and how they go hand in hand. Conformity is submission. Shown in the sense that many people, proles are silenced and seen as inferior and they accept that because its how its always been for them, how big brother conveys to everyone as a societal norm. “Until they become conscious they will never rebel, and until after they have rebelled they cannot become conscious.” This quote expresses the idea that if no one in a society ever rebels or is influenced by a rebellious role model ie. Goldstein, no one ever will rebel. The idea of action and rebellion cannot just come out of nowhere. This is beneficial for Big brother because the lack of ideas in the society as a whole ultimately leads to the party and Big brother having total control over the population. The novel being used as a tool to show how its in human nature to conform and feel like you fit in but at extremes it can lead to mass submission and relinquishment of basic human rights and identity. This is considered one of the goals of Big brother, making everyone the same so no one can stand up or challenge their power over everyone.

One of the ways their power on the proles and party members is implemented is through the everlasting hunt to remove words from the dictionary, the hunt to remove expression.

Similarly in todays modern society, conformity controlling individuals decisions and beliefs on certain matters. Media and people in power manipulating horrific issues such as the Christchurch shooting to control the masses view to get even more rights revoked. “In New Zealand and Australia and England gun ownership is a privilege, not a right, and you have to balance that privilege with the risk to the rest of the community. Said by Professor Alexander Gillespie on the topic of gun laws post the Christchurch shooting in March 2019. Showing how in todays society many rights are dumbed down to privileges and tragic events are taken advantage of by the government to take control of the masses emotion and channel it towards their cause, similar to the unnecessary rationing of goods in the novel,1984, and the use of an never-ending war to remain in control of the way people use their time/ energy.

While gun violence is a big worldwide issue, the gun is just the pencil, and the person the hand. You don’t punish the pencil for making a mistake

The warning challenges the naive view on the role that language has in the submission of the population of Oceania in George Orwell’s novel, 1984.

“But if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.”