Both worlds of The Handmaid's Tale and 1984 are governed by a party or group which strictly monitor most aspects of the lives of its civilians. This imposing form of government is generally described as totalitarian and is heavily present throughout both novels. The "Dystopian" genre is named so due to its opposition to the rather more common idea of "utopia", a world of impracticable perfection in which a common goal of peace is pivotal.

The novels fall under this category of Dystopia and, from the very beginning of 1984 and from the opening chapters of The Handmaid's Tale this is instantly evident. Both subtle and unsubtle, the signs indicating a strict government are present and it is easy to see how closely monitored the general public are.

In even the first page of 1984 the reader is met by an ominous intrusion into the life of Winston Smith by the...