Eye of the Beholder

In the episode “Eye of the Beholder,” Ms. Tyler is being held in a hospital due to her appearance. She is too “ugly” and this makes her stand out in the society she lives in. Ms. Tyler has bandages wrapped around her face, as a result of her surgery in the hospital. The doctors’ faces are not shown, but are assumed to be “pretty” in contrast to Ms. Tyler’s ugliness. Ms. Tyler expresses her wish to be like everyone else and to be accepted by society. When the bandages are removed, it is revealed that Ms. Tyler is actually pretty and that the doctors have pig-like faces.
This episode connects to 1984 in that it deals with conformity with society. Just as Ms. Tyler’s appearance makes her an outcast in this episode of The Twilight Zone, Winston’s beliefs against the Party makes him an outcast in Oceania. Winston’s unwillingness to conform to the Party’s beliefs makes him “ugly” or undesirable in the eyes of the Party, just as Janet Tyler’s “ugliness” makes her undesirable in the eyes of her society. As both characters are considered unwanted by their societies, measures are taken to make both characters “normal.” Ms. Tyler undergoes surgery to make herself similar to everyone else in appearance, while Winston is forced to conform through O’Brien in 1984. In the end, both characters are written off by their governments, with Winston left to waste what little time he has in the Chestnut Tree Café and Ms. Tyler sent to a special institution for people of her “condition.” These events convey the isolation that those who are not welcomed by their respective civilizations face.