1984 is a book by George Orwell representing what he believed communism would become in the future. This book was written in 1949 following World War 2 and early into the Cold War. The main character, Winston Smith, rewrites history at his job in the Ministry of Truth to be more aligned with the current era. The country he lives in, Oceania, is ruled by the all-controlling Party led by the ever-watching entity Big Brother. The Party follows the philosophy of Ingsoc (a.k.a. English Socialism) in believing the government follows and enforces its principles. The Party uses this, the slogan “War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength,” and their new language called Newspeak to control the population and limit their thoughts of freedom. The Party commonly fabricates the news, “vaporizes” its rebellious citizens, and monitors everyone at all times through the “telescreen” present in their homes. Using these telescreens, they can determine whether or not someone is committing a “Thought Crime,” one of the greatest crimes. If someone is against the Party, they are “vaporized,” meaning that they are completely erased from history. This is undoubtedly the most terrifying aspect of the story as even just being recognized for thinking badly of the Party can get you sent to the Ministry of Love. The Ministry of Love’s sole purpose is to impose an absolute loyalty to Big Brother. Sometimes, the use of fear and intense torture is needed to uphold this. Despite all of this, Winston does not believe in the Party’s motives and hides his dislike of the Party behind a blank face. The only way he can rebel is by writing in his journal in a small area out of view from the telescreen. As we continue to progress through the story, we notice Winston’s growing hatred of the Party and its doctrines. Eventually, he begins to partake in recreational sex, an act banned by the Party, with Julia, a fellow worker in the Ministry of Truth. These events lead to Winston’s growing participation in fighting against the Party.
As I read the book, I was continually shocked by the actions of both the Party and Winston himself. To me, the Party’s actions are despicable and cruel to its citizens. However, from a realist’s point of view, this is almost exactly what a completely totalitarian country would be like. This is what strikes me as the most prominent idea of 1984; the idea of a country that manipulates its citizens in ways they may never realize based on the Russian Communism of the time and how Orwell believed it would evolve.
I would absolutely recommend this for someone interested in dystopian novels, especially those dealing with the political future of the world. The reader will enjoy the experience of George Orwell’s combination of his political views, creative ideas about society, and his satirical outlook on the world.
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