Fear of a Predicted Future by Aidan

Fear of a Predicted Future by Aidan - May 2017 Scholarship Essay

Power corrupts. A simple idea and phrase that can ring true in many instances. No example of such has been more unsettling to me than the novel 1984 by George Orwell. In a dystopian society full of contradictions, secrets, and decrepit living conditions, Winston (the protagonist) is caught in rebellion of his government. He discovers, or is rather taught, that the reason for many of these restrictions in his world are simply for the sake of the government having ultimate power. It seems silly almost, like in a children's book where the villain simply wants to “rule the world” but it's also scary to realize how destructive that desire is. Even though he thought his society to be backwards, it seemed to have been assumed that the oppression had been done with good intentions and bad execution. The intention being to unify and empower the people of the state.
This lack of emotion disturbed me. The book was also written so realistically I could understand how such events could occur now. I was unsettled by the lack of logical reason for wanting power, there was only the want and no remorse deterred the villains from pursuing it. Such a concept left me distraught about human nature, and with hopes in would never exist in our species. It has influenced my thinking in being more cautious about the thinking of the future. I don't want to become someone who just believes everything they see or have been told. I want to become involved in the development of the future of society and protect the right of the truth for people to access.