1984: Some Prophecies Have Come True In many ways 1984 by George Orwell, was ahead of its time--- ironically, it parallels present day society in the U.S. in many ways. Yet at the same time, the novel falls short---certain prophecies have yet to come true. The story 1984 predicted many truths about present day society, truths such as illegal prostitution, brainwashing, and personal identification were predictions expressed in the book that have come true today. In the story, prostitution was illegal and in present day society it is very much illegal. Within the novel, during newspeak, thought crimi