Many people debate whether George Orwell's 1984 was written solely to criticize or whether it portrays today's society. I believe George Orwell wrote 1984 to express his feelings about how society is governed. There are many examples of irony that support my position. 1984 is a political satire, used by Orwell to criticize man's use of power. The slogan of Oceania is that war is peace, freedom is slavery and ignorance is strength. These three phrases reflect some of the disturbing factors in our society today. 1984 is a dystopian novel set in Airstrip One, which was British. Oceania is always at war with another superpower and their main goal is to gain maximum power in the whole world. The main character is Winston Smith, a man who works for the Party and is supposed to change history to fit what the Party has told him. Winston lives in a society where he is constantly listened to and watched by television screens and microphones to ensure that he is enthusiastic about his country's decisions and to ensure that he does not commit any crimes. If a party member is caught even thinking freely, the police will be sent to investigate. Everywhere Winston goes he always sees posters that say, "Big Brother is watching you." Big Brother is the leader of the Party who may or may not be real. Big Brother is a threatening figure, especially for those who do not believe in the Party's ideas. If party members do not follow the party's expectations they will be tortured. The official language of Oceania, the country where the airstrip is located, is Newspeak. Newspeak is the only language in Oceania that reduces its words every year so that it is harder for people to commit thought crimes. Winston is a dedicated worker, but often thinks about rebellion against Big Brother. Winston idolizes a man named O'Brien who he thinks is part of the Brotherhood. The Brotherhood is a