1984

Hailed as George Orwell’s most iconic literary masterpiece, his magnum opus, his tour de force, etc… 1984 is an astonishing and beautifully crafted political thriller that warns readers of the dangers of oppressive authorities, totalitarian societies, and how the struggle and desire for power, adopted as a soul driving force, can lead to the inevitable ruin of humanity. Drenched in drama, hope, and horror, this book has provided building blocks that act as the foundation for various other pieces of popular culture e.g. the show Big Brother and the psychological horror found in Terry Gilliam’s Brazil. Funnily enough, as this book was first published in 1949, it holds more relevance to today’s society and will probably proceed to accumulate more and more as the world gets older. It’s a bit scary. 

Winston Smith works in the Ministry of Truth in London, chief city of Airstrip One, Oceania: a world that is governed by the Party and ruled by Big Brother. The face of Big Brother watches him from every poster, his every move at work and at home is monitored by telescreens, and the Thought Police uncover and administer justice on every little act of betrayal. Although seeming to conform to the Party, Winston hates it: he hates Big Brother and he hates the world in which he lives in where the past is alterable, a person can be vaporised completely out of existence, children are taught to monitor their parents for signs of betrayal, and above all there is nowhere to hide. As Winston’s questioning and hatred of the Party begin to grow stronger, he illegally purchases a diary in which to write his thoughts. After this act of betrayal, he finds love with a woman named Julia, another on-the-surface conformist who rebels against the Party by committing the smallest acts of betrayal. The two are quickly drawn to deeper conspiracy: joining the underground Brotherhood that determines to topple the Party and return to politics as they were before the Rebellion. But Big Brother does not tolerate dissent, even in the mind, and for people like Winston and Julia with original thoughts, they created the horrifying Room 101. 

There are so many brilliant ideas about life, politics, the mind, and everything in this book! Orwell takes the totalitarian society a frightening step further by introducing the ideas that originality and humanity is oppressed definitely through the restructuring and brutal simplifying of language, the eradication of the sexual intercourse urge, and the abolishment of the compassion and relationships between children and parents, man and woman, and friends. 

As well as being a frightening political thriller on the surface, 1984 has this subtle psychological thriller plotline running parallel as well as a very original and inspiring love story that provides the reader with the hope they need to get them through the rest of the book. The story of Winston and Julia and the hope that there will be a rebellion and they will make it together is what compels the reader to keep turning the pages. 

What is particularly engaging and ultimately fascinating about this book is the foundation on which it’s built. Orwell, in establishing the political and behavioural environment of the story employs Michel Foucault’s theory of Panopticism, based on Jeremy Bentham’s 1787 architectural prison design. For those who don’t know, the prison or Panopticon was designed a bit like an amphitheatre, with closed, individual cells, and a guard tower bang in the middle so as to see all the inmates. Foucault’s power theory regarding this design was that the inmates’ behaviour was affected positively: because they never knew when they were being watched and could not see or converse with other inmates, they were well behaved from dusk to dawn. Orwell employs that theory of Panopticism: the self-policing of humans, through the advent of the constant surveillance provided by the telescreens. When it was first published, this idea that television would dominate households just a generation into the future was absolutely terrifying. Orwell’s startlingly modern ideas about technology, politics, and the human mind proceed to harbour more and more relevance and canonicity as the work and the world gets older. It’s really rather astonishing. 

Amidst the political horror, the doomed romance, and the tragic hero story, Orwell treats readers to a healthy dose of dark humour and irony in the form of the four Ministries that govern the world as well as the contradicting slogans that are consistently reverted back to throughout. The Ministry of Peace perpetuates war, the Ministry of Plenty creates starvation, the Ministry of Truth is responsible for the fabrication and alteration of historical documents, and the Ministry of Love is where traitors are taken to be tortured, broken, and vaporised. 

Filled with violence, drama, politics, oppression, history, romance, and horror, 1984 is an iconic piece of literature that just exudes brilliance and cannot be missed out on. It’s one of the most celebrated politically charged thrillers in existence and I highly recommend that you read it. 

WAR IS PEACE 

FREEDOM IS SLAVERY 

IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH