Sex Education In 1984

When comparing the worlds of George Orwell’s 1984 and today, many parallels become apparent in terms of the sexual oppression that exists in both universes. The overwhelming control the government holds over sex and sexual content, as well as sexual education or lack thereof, all play a pivotal role in defining a society’s view on sex and sexuality. I believe that the similarities that are evident should most definitely be some cause for concern.
In terms of sexual oppression in 1984, there are abundant examples. The Party wages continuous war on sexual desires because sex is used as a way to connect with others and to develop feelings and loyalties for them, which detracts from their loyalty to the Party. Psychologically, sex releases chemicals
Previously, sex education in the United States has been taught using a variety of scare tactics and questionable metaphors. A favorite that teachers across the country use is to compare a person’s virginity to a piece of tape. The tape is passed around and stuck to the arm of every student in the class, gradually becoming dirtier and losing its stickiness, in order to show “ that the more people you get “stuck” on, the dirtier and less valuable you become” (Smothers). The abstinence-only method of teaching “is one of our worst enemies because of the overwhelming shame and fear that it attaches to healthy sexual behavior” (Sanoff). Of course teachers should not promote unrestrained sexual activity, but neither should they “make everyone feel disgusted about sex” (B. Sharpe). Adolescents are taught throughout their lives that sex is “a dirty and damaging trait that must be controlled” and that is greatly harmful to their mental, emotional, and physical health (Sanoff). They grow up not understanding that their urges are completely healthy and natural and not knowing how to cope with
The two terms used frequently by the citizens of Oceania to describe sexual intercourse are “making a baby” and “our duty to the Party”. The children that result from these unions are “systematically turned against their parents and taught to spy on them and report their deviations”, meaning that “the family had become in effect an extension of the Thought Police” (Orwell 133). The children then grow up and have their own children and the process is repeated in an endless cycle of deceit and betrayal. By doing this the Party has ensure that “everyone could be surrounded night and day by informers who knew him intimately”, greatly lowering the likelihood of rebellion. They have essentially turned sex into a tool by which the citizens of Oceania unknowingly create little minions whose only loyalty is to the Party and Big