1984 by George Orwell
Paradis | October 17, 2009
In a world where everyone is controlled and everything is decided for you, the main character, Winston Smith relies on his subconscious to maintain his sanity…
When George Orwell wrote 1984, just a year before his death, even he could not have imagined how much influence this book would have, indeed this book is school required reading in the UK, just as Shakespeare is. The words ‘Big Brother’ have almost become part of our culture, but you can’t truely know what that term means without reading this book, 1984 is the epitome of big brother.
The protaganist in this story, a middle aged man named Winston Smith, has a job that involves rewriting the past for the Party so that it is consistent with current policy. He constantly dreams about his utopia and past events and is a very confused character, and thinks he is losing his mind. The dreams and fantasies that Winston has, keep him in a positive state of mind; it is because of this that the Party does not overpower him. Winston’s memory is what sets him apart from others. The Party has failed in making him believe their lies. He has won so far, by remembering the truth and trying to remind others of how things were before the past was rewritten. He joins a secret organisation working against the Party, not wanting to give up the possibility that the Party could be destroyed. Winston knows that the Party is wrong and unjust, but he cannot let anyone know what he is thinking…or can he?
Everything in the world is owned and controlled by the ‘Party’, they know all, and they see all. The Party rules Oceania, one of three superstates in the world of 1984, and is constantly battling the other two states of Eastasia, and Eurasia. The Party manipulates its citizens into convenient modes of thinking. However, instead of only using propaganda techniques it uses Newspeak, the official language of Oceania, and its purpose is abolishing all unorthodox and free thought.
The narrative can sometimes be a little monotonous, but it is certainly a great read. On a personal note, I think the moral of the story is: trust our gut feelings and believe in yourself. Don’t let people change your individuality, and it is very important to find strength in yourself and in the relationships you have with others. This was a very enjoyable book and reminds us of what has gone wrong, what can go wrong, and what will go wrong when governments becomes all powerful. It is because of this political and social insight that 1984 has remained one of the best books of all time.
Paradis
