Journal #1: Nineteen Eighty-Four

When Winston joins the Brotherhood he receives a book written by Goldstein that reveals the secrets of the world. Within this book it explains the lay of the land; what each country controls and is fighting for. The land that is Eurasia shows the cold war beginning right at the end of world war 2 with the USSR taking control of all Europe except for the British Isles, which is controlled by Oceania which also contains the Americas and Australia. Eastasia is China overrunning the southeastern part of Asia and spreading their hardcore communism ideals. Each country is similar in their way of ruling by having a totalitarian state and controlling every aspect of its citizens lives. Yet there are still lands that are being contested for but no country will attack another to control the entire planet. Instead they battle to control new land in Africa and the Middle East to gain more man power. Yet never risking a full out war on an other's home soil. When Winston read these passages from Goldsteins book it made me think of events after the second World War. If the Americans had never opened up a second front with the Nazis, thus forcing the Soviet Union to Force the Nazis back to Germany and taking full control of the European continent forcing the Americans to occupy Britain and any other free, democratic nations. With this new found knowledge I found it easier to understand where the events in the book take place and where these countries are based in the modern world.