Nineteen Eighty-Four Book Review

Nineteen Eighty-Four Book Review

Nineteen Eighty-Four, or 1984, is a dystopian novel written by George Orwell, an English author, in 1949. A number of Orwell’s work is regarding social injustice, totalitarianism, and democratic socialism such as Animal Farm, Homage to Catalonia, and 1984. In the novel 1984, Orwell focuses on the theme of Totalitarianism. This novel takes place in “Airstrip One,” or Great Britain, a province of Oceania in a “world war.”

        The protagonist in 1984 is Winston Smith, a low rank member of London, Oceania. Everywhere Winston goes, a poster of the leader of the Party, Big Brother, is visible and is watching Winston’s every move. This Party controls everything in Oceania including the history and language. The book is set in a period of time where the Party is forcing the implementation of a new language called Newspeak in an attempt to prevent political rebellion by eliminating all words related to it. As the story begins, Winston is frustrated with the oppression and tyranny of the Party because it prohibits free thought, expression of individuality, and love. Winston works at the Ministry of Truth, where he spends his days altering records of history to the benefit of the Party. One day, Winston receives a note from one of his coworkers, Julia, that reads, “I love you.” Tired and frustrated with the Party, Winston decides to rebel by falling in love. They start a covert relationship, always on the lookout for the Party’s monitoring. This relationship lasts for some time until Winston, at last, receives a message he has been waiting for: O’Brien wants to see him. O’Brien is a powerful member of the Inner Party who Winston though to be a member of the Brotherhood, a group and anti-Party rebels. At O’Brien’s apartment, he leads Winston and Julia to believe that he hates the Party and that he works against it. O’Brien then gives Winston and Julia a copy of the manifesto of Brotherhood. As Winston reads the book to Julia, though police barge into the room and seizes them. Winston spends months in the Ministry of Love getting tortured and brainwashed. At last, he is sent into the dreaded Room 101, where he faced his worst fear. His spirit broke and he snapped, begging O’Brien to torture Julia instead. This is what O’Brien wanted all along: for Winston’s spirit to break. After this, Winston is released into the outside world and meets Julia, however, he no longer feels anything. He has learned to accept the Party entirely and to love Big Brother.