In George Orwell's novel, "1984," we are presented with a grim and horrifying world in which the concept of an inviolate,
free individual is seriously called into question. While the world in the novel has direct, overt parallels to Stalinist Russia, the story itself is a statement and warning against the potential abuses of institutions at the expense of
individuals. While the novel deals with the abuses of an all-powerful
political institution, it could easily be transferred to any organization in which individuals voluntarily or involuntarily operate. This essay demonstrates how political manipulation and acceptance of norms are really nothing more than matters of degree, with the world of "1984" having parallels to the world in which we ourselves exist.