ditch the telescreen!

[ChipsAhoyMcCoy]

i was reading along and realized that most of winstons problems all come from one source, the telescreens. To solve the problem why doesnt he just get rid of telescreen in his home? or atleast opt out of having one. Does big brother regulate that too? and finally is big brother really monitoring their citisens through them, or is it just there to make the people think they are? thanks!:coolgleamA:

[kev67]

I think if he tried that, he would have been arrested pretty soon. Yes, they really are being monitored. Maybe not all the time, but there is no way of telling when you are not being monitored.

[bballer24]

The telescreens are used in all of the areas where party members inhabit. They are regulated by the government and Big Brother. If he were to remove the telescreen he most likely would've been vaporized! Lack of privacy plays a key role throughout the novel. The government wants to monitor all of the actions of the party members so they can control them easier. But without the slightest bit of privacy, many people would go insane! But, the people in the novel did not know any different. And yes, the party actually does monitor people through the telescreen, as you will learn later in the novel about the room "without" a telescreen in it above Mr.Charrington's Antique Shop.

[Zarrock]

I agree with bballer24. If he removed the telescreen from his house, he would have been arrested, and possibly killed. The telescreens enforce the government's control, making the people fearful of disobeying the government. While the government can't possibly monitor all telescreens at once, they most likely have people monitoring a few randomly selected telescreens. This gives the public the constant fear and sensation of being watched that is needed for Big Brother's strict rule.

[The Atheist]

Methinks the question has been asked before the end of the book, as all is revealed by then.

[TimIzGr8]

Telescreens aren't the only source of Winston's problems. In Oceania, you never know who is a loyal party member and who isn't. That's why Winston has trouble communicating with anyone. If someone were to overhear his conversation, they may report him and have him erased from existence. Regarding the telescreens, they aren't an option in Oceania. Big Brother is a tyrannical government that forces people to have them. And part of the story is that you're not supposed to know whether or not Big Brother is monitoring you through the telescreens. It is known that they can be used to spy on you, but you never know when they are.

[Wreckingball]

I think they definitely would have noticed if he took the telescreen off. It would have made him look very suspisious and he would get arrested. I think the telescreens are just a minor problem. It would be very obvious that he is hiding something if he were to take the telescreen out.