Introduction
The Declaration of Independence is one of the most important documents in US history as it laid the foundation for the existence of an independent union of states. This historical document is one of the primary sources of law in the United States, which guarantees the natural rights of Americans to life, liberty, and safety.
The book 1984 by George Orwell, on the contrary, is a demonstration of a world in which freedom of the body, rights, and thoughts does not exist, and the slightest attempts to manifest it are controlled and suppressed by the state. However, if one carefully reads the text of the Declaration and realizes the book’s main ideas, a reader can note that these two works have several similar features. However, although the Declaration of Independence and 1984 both describe tyranny, the Declaration is a manifesto of liberation from it, while 1984 is a warning about the world of people not fighting for their rights.
Main body
1984 is one of Orwell’s most famous works, which has been debated for years because of its dystopian pictures that could come true. People often compare the events of the novel with modern times and often find similarities or symptoms of the society that the author described. For example, recent scandals about the national security services tracking people’s lives through their webcams resemble two-sided screens that controlled the lives of Oceanians. Packer also recalls the words of Trump’s adviser Kellyanne Conway about “alternative facts” that remind the Ministry of Truth’s principles in the novel.
In addition, Americans more often can hear statements about increasing state control over the media in an era when the flow of propaganda and fake news is exceptionally high (Kakutani). However, most of these concerns are controversial, while freedom of speech and action are among society’s core values. The US government cannot arrest a person and re-educate him or her for dissent or criticism of power. Therefore, despite the fears of some pessimists, as long as citizens do not allow the state to infringe on their freedoms, Orwell’s dystopian world remains on the book pages.
Nevertheless, despite the controversial similarities between the current reality and Orwell’s world, one can note the features of the Declaration, which relate it to the ideas of the novel. One of the most striking passages is the explanation of reasons for people’s tolerance to tyrannical power. According to the Declaration of Independence, the traditional idea that the government cannot be changed due to light reasons makes humanity suffer and endure the evil to which it is accustomed, instead of overthrowing it (US 1776). The story of Oceania is a prime example of such human behavior. The main character, Winston, does not remember the true history of Big Brother and the Party coming to power. However, the reader can assume that people accepted and allowed its ruling, did not want to fight, and lost all their rights, and even the right to think.
Other lines from the Declaration are also suitable for the Oceania Society. The Declaration of Independence also says that when usurpation and abuse of government destroy people and the state, then people have the right and duty to oppose such a system (US 1776). In the appendix of 1984, the reader sees that Big Brother and the Party ceased to exist after all, and people regained their rights. This feature also links the Orwell novel and the Declaration by showing a similar development path for many states.
Another feature that relates the Declaration of Independence to 1984 is a demonstration of the tyranny of the ruler and the restriction of the citizen’s rights. The creators of the Declaration endure all the crimes of the British King to show the unfair attitude of the Empire to the inhabitants of America and to justify the reasons for their separation (US 1776). Orwell’s novel is also filled with crimes of the government and Big Brother against the people, but the successful fight against dissent is a significant obstacle for people who want to claim their rights. The state is trying to create a society that does not know that it has rights, and Winston demonstrates that it still succeeds (Orwell). Consequentially, although the implementation of the idea is the same, the reasons are different.
A particularly interesting part that coincides with the Declaration and 1984 is the description of the government’s tyranny. One passage in the Declaration of Independence states that the King impedes the settlement of America by prohibiting the naturalization of foreigners (US 1776). At the same time, Oceania confronts its neighbors and does not allow foreigners into the country (Orwell 146). The creators of the Declaration also talk about the usurpation of power by the King, his influence on the judicial system, decisions of governors and laws, while Big Brother also personifies all power in the state (US 1776; Orwell).
The same situation exists with the system of trade and taxes, which was wholly owned by the King and impaired colonial states’ development (Declaration of Independence). Like King’s policies, Orwell’s Oceania has the Ministry of Plenty, which plans economic shortages (52). Thus, the tyranny and totalitarianism of the ruler is a central component, both in the Declaration of Independence and in the novel 1984. However, the first document uses a description of the government’s tyranny to proclaim the rights of the USA citizens, and the book demonstrates the consequences of reconciliation with it.
Another feature is that in the appendix of the novel, the protagonist also mentions the Declaration of Independence, which even strongly links this document and the book. An excerpt from the Declaration about the Equality, Happiness, and Liberty of People that was reduced to a single word “crime-think” is a vivid demonstration of Newspeak, which was designed to limit people’s thinking by depriving them of words (A Study Guide 13). This point is also indicative of comparing the Declaration of Independence, and the novel as it illustrates what a country and a society do not fight for its rights can be. This contrast demonstrates different reasons for describing the tyranny of government in 1984 and the Declaration.
However, apart from explaining the reasons for separating and declaring the US independence, the Declaration has statements that protect the USA citizens from the world described by Orwell. The Declaration proclaims that the primary purpose of forming a new independent state is to ensure certain unalienable rights for life, liberty, happiness, and safety (US 1776). The founding fathers and representatives of thirteen states pursued the goal of separation from Britain, which oppressed their freedoms and limited development opportunities to create a new free nation. The same principles underlie the US Constitution and the Bill on Human Rights, which determine the state’s policy towards its population. In addition, condemnation of power usurpation and explanation of the need for people’s participation in the fate of the country is also decisive for the further development of politics. These principles created a political system with a separation of powers between the three branches of government and a balance between them.
At the same time, in contrast to the text of the Declaration, Oceania’s rules and laws appear in Orwell’s novel. The state says that people’s rights to freedom, equality, and safety are a crime-think because it undermines the authority of the government (Orwell 391). Happiness, pleasure, and love are also a crime since citizens should love only Big Brother. People cannot enjoy delicious food, such as chocolate, sex, and close relationships with their families, and even their bad habits are determined by the state. Emotions, especially positive, towards others, are harmful to Big Brother as they give rise to dissent. While the basic principles of the Declaration are to ensure happiness and security, Oceania’s slogans are: “War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.” (Orwell 6). Power is also concentrated in the hands of the party, and no one can oppose it openly.
Consequently, the principles of the Declaration that underlie American politics are contrary to the laws of Oceania, which protect it from tyranny and totalitarianism. The separation of powers, the rule of law, and the people’s empowering to choose their representatives is a guarantee that a dictator will not govern the United States because Parliament opposes him or her. The proclamation of a policy that promotes happiness and safety means the ability of people to express their thoughts, desires, and needs, and do not be afraid of room 101 in which they will be “re-educated” by torture (Orwell 357-362). The only situation in which this world can become real is if the people accept such a government and do not rebel against injustice and cruelty. However, as long as people realize the importance of freedom to think and express their individuality, and until they continue to struggle, the legal and moral law is on their side.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the world of Orwell’s novel is a dark story of what could happen to a state in which natural rights are not respected, and the Declaration of Independence demonstrates liberation from such conditions. The Declaration and 1984 are similar and opposite at the same time since the tyranny of the King described in the document partially coincides with the totalitarianism of Big Brother. The world described by Orwell is more intimidating and more controlled, but the United States and the American citizens could have lived like this if people had not fought for their rights. The opposite of the Declaration is expressed in the fact that it protects the natural rights of the American population and guarantees that the government of the country serves its people for their benefit. Oceania might also have come to such a decision after Big Brother and the Party ceased to exist. Consequently, the Declaration and 1984 are the opposite ends of the continuum of democracy, where the United States is the embodiment of freedom, and Oceania is a model of totalitarianism.
Works Cited
A Study Guide for George Orwell’s 1984. Gale, Cengage Learning, 2015.
Kakutani, Michiko. “Why ‘1984’ Is a 2017 Must-Read.” The New York Times, Web.
Orwell, George. 1984. Planet eBook.com, n.d. Web.
Packer, George. “The Unheeded Message of ‘1984’.” The Atlantic, 2019, Web.