Sarina Matson

September 25th, 2015

Period 4
1984 Today
The novel 1984, by George Orwell, describes a world in which everyone is being
watched constantly and thoughts against the government can get one tortured and killed. One
would think this dystopian world was only found in literature but the 2015 world holds many
places akin to the one in 1984. One of these places is the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea
(DPRK), or North Korea. After World War II, Russia and the United States split Korea into two.
When the two powers pulled out of the country, the north and south regions stayed split and
formed two separate countries after the Korean War. The dystopian world from the novel 1984 is
not only found in fiction but also in North Korea, which holds similarities in propaganda
techniques, surveillance, and conformity.
In both North Korea and Oceania, the country in 1984, propaganda is everywhere. In
1984, the government produces propaganda of their leader, Big Brother, and sends it out all over
the country. The main character, Winston, says, Posterswere plastered everywhere. The
black-mustachiod face gazed down from every commanding cornerBIG BROTHER IS
WATCHING YOU (Orwell 2). Similarly in North Korea, propaganda depicting Kim Jong-un
and the military can be seen throughout the entire country. Tourist, Mar Pages, describes the
propaganda as The constant reference to the leaders and [photos] presiding over all official
buildings. North Korea and Oceania both infest their streets with posters of their leaders to
inspire patriotic feelings in their citizens.
In both of these places one never knows when they are being watched. In Oceania, every
street, home, office, everywhere, has a telescreen watching every move everyone makes. In
Winstons home, The telescreen received and transmitted simultaneously. Any sound Winston
made would be picked up by itThere was of course no way of knowing whether you were

Sarina Matson
September 25th, 2015
Period 4
being watched at any given moment (Orwell 3). The government would kill Winston if the
telescreens caught him committing a thoughtcrime, having anti-government thoughts. In North
Korea, the government is also very skeptical about their citizens and tourists. Pages says, What
was most intense was the permanent feeling of being watched even if we didnt see anyone
looking. If she were found taking a picture at the wrong moment or doing anything illegal she
would have been deported. In Oceania and North Korea officials watch their citizens constantly
and the consequences for being seen disobeying the government can be severe.
Oceanian and North Korean societies both value conformity. In 1984, everyone has a
strict dress code. Winston and his coworkers wear blue overalls, which were the uniform of the
Party (2). This is designed so that citizens do not have any individuality. Similarly, in North
Korea the people only wear a few varieties of clothing. Pages says, The limited variety in
clothing makes everyone look very similar, and the 28 approved haircuts philosophy extends to
clothing too. In addition to clothing, Oceania and North Korea both have few brands. Oceania
has one brand, Victory, that sells everything and North Korea does not have any branding just
shops called Restaurant Number One or Jewelry Shop Number One. Oceania and North
Korea inspire conformity in their citizens by limiting clothing styles and brands.
1984 and 2015 are not as different as they seem. Places like North Korea post propaganda
across buildings just like the posters of Big Brother in Oceania. The citizens in the two countries
are also always under constant surveillance from the government and have regulated clothing
and brands. Although the world in 1984 seems like it could never become a reality, in places like
North Korea society is being driven towards conformity and no individualism, like Oceania,
because of propaganda and surveillance.