Author: George Orwell
Genre: Utopian and dystopian fiction,
Political fiction, Social science fiction
Pages: 328 pages
Year of Publication: 8 June 1949
The dystopian fiction by George Orwell written
more than 60 years earlier is still so much relatable with the world we reside
in today. A classic, considered as one of those books which many avid readers
fail to complete is a trophy if completely read. 1984 takes us to a make
believe world which we feel exists even today. Whether it is the Big Brother
who is following every action of ours (read as Facebook, Google or Amazon who
keeps a track on every data of ours) or the war of Eurasia which is still
synonymous with multiple wars which keep going on in today’stimes(read as
Syria, Palestine, Israel or Iraq).
The enthralling way in which George Orwell
describes the struggle which the protagonist “Winston Smith” undergoes in order
to stick to his belief in a culture fraught with dictatorship is something fairly
relatable. However the only difference is that in today’s times the
dictatorship is replaced by democracy yet the struggle to stick to one’s
beliefs remains the same.
WAR IS PEACE. FREEDOM IS SLAVERY. IGNORANCE
IS STRENGTH.
These words keep resonating through one’s
mind while reading the book. A fictional world where a set of people are ruled
by a totalitarian regime, there every move monitored and every though processed
is the crux of the book which the protagonist tries to rebel in his own ways
till possible. There are Thought Police, and people are held as criminals for
Though Crimes, they have a language called NewSpeak whose main aim is to reduce
as much words and thoughts as possible. Imagine a world where one is neither
allowed to think for oneself, write, read or have an opinion and a place where
even one’s children will not hesitate to betray oneself to the authorities if
they feel they are going against the Party and that’s brings us to Orwell’s
1984. His world which very much shows how we are falling in the same track.
The story belongs to an era when the world
has been divided into three repressive states who are at a constant war amongst
themselves. The protagonist, Winston Smith, belongs to the state of Oceania
which is under constant scrutiny by the totalitarian rule of the Big Brother.
He has some memories of the time when there was no war and when he lived a life
of his own choice. But now he has lost all hope of living a free life and a
life sans scrutiny. He shows some bravery when he meets and falls in love with
Julia who shows some hope of freedom by coming under the shell of the Party.
Although he knows his relationship with Julia will finally get him caught by
the Big Brother, he pursues the same. However, he could never except what was
in store for him.
The story strongly resonates today, when
privacy is hard to come by and freedom is just a façade we believe that we
have. A must read book for everyone.
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