Well, wasn't this written in an era where Communism and Red Scare and such was going on and people were fighting for social equality? Communism used the terms "Comrade" and "brother" and "sister" I think to help denote that everyone was of the same rank and should help each other, like family. So "Big Brother" was just looking out for you, like family should, keeping the peace, but to a major and very nightmare fueling extreme.