1984

Author: George Orwell

Pages: 312

It is 1984 – maybe it is 1984, England is now Airstrip One and the world is divided into three super states - Oceania, Eurasia, Eastasia. London is ruled by the Party, headed by Big Brother. The Party slogan is “War is Peace; Freedom is Slavery; Ignorance is Strength” but will have to change once Newspeak (as opposed to Oldspeak or English as we know it) is made the official tongue. Newspeak was created mainly by eliminating words that the Party feels are redundant (bad is now ungood, better is plus good and so on), or words which lead people to think unorthodox thoughts.(why have a word if what it depicts is prohibited or rather what better way to avoid unorthodoxy than by removing the handle to it).

Inhabitants of Oceania are monitored all the time through telescreens (two way televisions), follow a set routine starting with the wake-up call for Exercise every morning. They indulge together in Two Minute Hate everyday to focus all their anger towards Emmanuel Goldstein (who is said to be the Party’s enemy) and his principles. Then there is the Thought Police whose duty is to weed out and ‘vaporize’ anyone entertaining unorthodox thought; they patrol around in helicopters peeking right into apartment windows.

London society is divided into the Inner Party, the Outer Party, the Proletariat. The Inner Party is a minority, form the core leadership, enjoy privileges (such as the power to turn off their telescreen). The Outer Party members follow in the hierarchy and work in one of the four ministries (of Truth, Peace, Love, Plenty). The only class left unaffected by the advent of the Party after the revolution is the Proletariat. The ‘proles’ are treated as animals, believed to be harmless to the party and the nature of things in 1984 because all through history they have been too busy dealing with day to day hurdles to look at the big picture.

The protagonist Martin Smith is an Outer Party member and works in the Ministry of Truth. His work involves rewriting old newspaper articles and documents based on the present, erasing records of those who are unpersons and suchlike. Martin is thirty nine and still has vague memories of his childhood in a whole different world. He still feels, has the ability to think for himself, see through the blatant lies that the Party conjures up. Through the course of the story, he learns (or rather confirms) the truth behind the world in 1984.

While I agree with the social theory presented in the novel, a part of me wants to disbelieve that a sham of this order is ever possible and another part brings forth thoughts of Stalin’s Russia, Hitler’s Germany. (In fact I was reminded of We The Living when I was about a page into this book).

1984 constructs an imaginary negative utopia, is a cautionary tale against totalitarianism. It presents a depressing view of humanity, goes on to show that transformation of societies for the worse needn’t come only through ideologies like communism. Industrialization, the mechanized world as we know it now can very well lead to the same end.

Off you go if you want to know more about this book.