The United States is a country defined by its economic prosperity and equality. People think of the United States as the land of freedom and opportunity. With so many options open to all people, one forgets that there are also many restrictions that they are never aware of. Our government keeps many things hidden from us, as well as limits our rights as humans. Oceania, the society in the novel 1984, is run by an oligarchy. George Orwell draws many parallels from the society he created to our society. Although many believe the societies of Oceania and the United States to be opposites, they are both run by oligarchies.
Through the course of the novel, the reader learns that the oligarchy of Oceania has secrets that are hidden from the public, and that there are many lies that are passed through the Party. The war with Eurasia, which the Party members believe has been going on ceaselessly, is often switched with Eastasia. The real enemy of Oceania is never clearly defined, if one is even in existence.
" at just this moment it had been announced that Oceania was not after all at war with Eurasia. Oceania was at war with Eastasia. Eurasia was an ally. There was, of course, no admission that any change had taken place. Merely it became known, with extreme suddenness and everywhere at once, that Eastasia, not Eurasia, was the enemy."(p.180).
These lies are how the inner Party members are able to keep all the others control. For the U.S., however, lies are often spread through the people by accident. Lies were passed along about uranium being passed to Iraq from Africa, and that that uranium was being used to make atomic bombs. This information had no sources and was never processed. .
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With no other body of government to restrict the power in these oligarchies, they are allowed to spread lies among the public.
The oligarchies clearly overlap when seeing the extent of the power of the rulers.
