1984

So as some of y'all know, I have been re-reading one of my favorite books of all time, 1984 by George Orwell. I first read this novel in the 11th grade in high school, and at the time did not take the time to enjoy it as much as I would have liked seeing as I had to read a few chapters a day. This time I was able to take my time and read a little at a time and focus more on the little details. If you haven't read the book, it is one of the classics in dystopian fiction. The story was written after the 2nd world war, and is somewhat of a warning from Orwell about how he thought the world might be in 1984 if communism continued to sweep the globe. 1984 follows a period of time in the life of the protagonist of Winston Smith, a member of The Party in a fictitious country called Oceania. The Party is the ruling body of Oceania, which is the combination of the America's, Great Britain and a few various other nations. The Party is led by the mysterious Big Brother, an ominous person who keeps a watchful eye on all of Oceania's citizens. Winston is what amounts to an "average joe" in this society and at the point in his life where the novel follows him, he is wrestling with the question of whether or not life was always so controlled. Citizens, or comrades as the are called, are under constant surveillance from The Party, and most actions that are contradicting to Party laws, carry a death sentence. These laws, or principles of INGSOC, which is short for English Socialism in the language of the novel, are in place to effectively make it impossible to rebel against The Party and Big Brother. Telescreens, which are televisions that watch you as you watch them, are a fixture in any party members house. They allow Big Brother to watch any comrade, at any time, for any reason. This invasion of privacy is so encompassing that there is a principle of INGSOC banning "thoughtcrime" or the act of simply thinking thoughts that are against party doctrine. Without going into too many details, Winston ends up discovering the reason for such invasion in the lives of others, and the reason why Big Brother is forever. If you are bored this summer I would highly recommend this book, as it entertains the reader while at the same time makes you aware of what life could be like if government becomes too big.



"1984 by George Orwell"